Feminist
discernment is a second
questioning and envisioning that occurs after the push for
feminist change has already begun. Like the original questioning and envisioning process, discernment involves analytical and revisionary thinking.
Unlike the relatively broad, nebulous scope of the questioning and envisioning
process, discernment is more concrete, focused, and directed because it can draw
on all the progress of the former processes to guide it. Feminist
discernment occurs late enough in the movement that gender distortions no
longer limit thinking as they often do in the questioning and envisioning
process.
This process is about stepping outside of the narrative that
validates and assigns permanence to social and government institutions. It is a
rethinking of the goals and the dogma of the feminist movement and also of the structures of the economy, the household, society, and the government. Through
feminist discernment, the people of a society observe life no longer blinded by traditional
gender polarization, and make choices that are more innovative and better tailored to suite society’s needs.
Society has traditionally gendered the currency-economy, the worker, and the
firm masculine. This gendering, like all gendering, has allowed hierarchical
polarization across gender to distort these institutions and our understanding
of them. Feminist discernment recognizes these distortions for what they are:
unnecessary social innovations (not natural law). It works to remove them and
redefine the institutions and ideas under their influence. Specifically,
feminist discernment recognizes that feminine gendered caring traits have been
removed from masculine gendered economic activity and institutions, and that
without feminine traits, masculine traits are distorted.
Discernment within the context of the this sphere involves the reevaluation
of traditional definitions of economics, the firm, the worker, and the
capitalist economy. It is recognized that these masculine gendered entities
are distorted by the absence of femininity. The process relies on the ability of
society, the state, the firm, and the individual to select a balance of
positive, traditionally masculine and feminine traits and practices in the reconstruction
of institutions and identities.
Through feminist discernment, economic institutions and masculinity are freed
from gender polarization, gender inequality, and traditional gender
constructions that attribute negative competitive behavior and domination to the
masculine. Continue your exploration of feminist discernment in the economy
using the menu links to our subpages.
For a description of how feminist discernment transforms femininity and
traditionally feminine gendered activities, please see our sister page, Discernment in
the Family and Home.
