Our Androcentric Culture, or The Man Made World

in the matter of games and sports. By far the greater proportion of them are essentially masculine, and as such alien t

ctivities similar to those followed in the business of living, so small children gambol, physically, like lambs and kids; and as the young of higher kinds of animals imi

st distinctively human manifestations. The great accumulation of social energy, and the necessary limitations of one kind of work, leave a human being t

sential to human life. In a society of two sexes, wherein one has dictated all the terms of life, and the other has been confined

energies with mother-work and housework combined; and not only that by our androcentric conventions we further restrict their amus

doll, the toy village, the "Noah's Ark," the omnipresent "Teddy Bear," any and every small model of a real thing is a delight to the young human being. Of all things the puppet is the most intimate, the little image of another human b

is natura

uitable to this view. Being females-which means mothers, we must needs provide them with babies before they cease to be babies themselves; and we expect their play to consist in an

ine rag-doll; but he is discouraged and ridiculed in this. We do not expect the little boy to manifest a father's love and care for an imitatio

ught never to be experienced till they come at the proper age. Our kittens play at cat

gs, like boats, railroads, wagons. For them, too, are the comprehensive toys of the centuries, the kite, the top, the ball. As the boy gets old enough to play the games that require skill, he enters the world-lists, and the little sister, left inside, with her everlasting dolls, learns that she is "only a girl," and "mustn't play with boys-boys are so rough!" Sh

ial power. Women are equally capable of it by nature; but not by education. Tending one's imitation baby is not team-work; nor is playing house. The little girl

some degree even in normally reared children; as for instance the little male would be more

ome way a credit to them. But early youth is not the time to display

of men, easily fall into two broad cla

now. Women, in the innocent beginnings or the vicious extremes of this line of amusement, make as w

n croquet and tennis, they play, and play well if well-trained. Where they fall short in so many games, and are so wholly excluded in others, is not for lack of human capacity, but for lack of masculinity. Most games ar

. From the snapped marble of infancy to the flying missile of the bat, this form endures. To send something forth with violence; to throw it, bat it, kick it

ulse to scatter, to disseminate, to destroy. It seems to give pleasure to a man to bang somethi

wrong; not necessarily evil in their place; our mistake is i

uraged to develop desired characteristics. This we know, and practice; only we do it under androcentric canons; confining the girl to the narrow range we co

the wholly male point of view-is a battle, with a prize. To want something beyond measure, and to fight to get-that is the simple proposition. This view of life finds its most naive expression in predatory warfare; and still tends to make predatory warfare of the later and more h

ation of our immense advantages. These are not learned on the football field. This spirit of desire and combat may be seen further in all parts of this great subje

Then, coming out in the rich triumph long deferred, he finds another man, of character well known to him, impudently and falsely claiming that he had done it first. Mr. Pear

rom these standards was of far more importance than the question of fact involved; to say nothing of the mo

good house-wifery," this would have been considered a most puer

women than ever before have taken to playing cards; and some, unfortunately, play for money. A steady stream of comment and blame

fishing they maintain at enormous expense. This is the indulgence of a most rudimentary impulse; pre-social and largely pre-human, of no service save as it affects bodily health, and of a most dete

rmin, his flocks from depredation; but the sportsman kills for the gratification of a primeval instinct, and under rules of an arbitrary cult. "Game" creatures are

t the long continuance of this indulgence among mature civilized beings is due to their masculinity. That group of associated sex instincts, which in the woman prompts to the patient service and fierce defence of the little child, in the man has i

remember that associate habits and impulses last for ages upon ages in living forms; as in the tree climbing instincts of our earliest years, of Simian origin; and the love of water, which dates back through unmeasured

rdor. To come easily by what he wants does not satisfy him. He wants to want it. He wants to hunt

eir nature. The reason why we have the present overwhelming mass of "sporting events," from the ball game to the prize fight, is because our civilization is so overwhelmingly masculine. We shall cr

y enjoy doing things, but we enjoy seeing them done by others. In these highly specialized days mos

he crickets chirp in millionfold performance; but human being feels the deep thrill of joy in their special singers, actors, dancers, as well as in their own personal attempts.

. We know, in a word, that amusements vary; that they form a ready gauge of character and culture; that they have a strong educational influence for good or bad. What we have not hitherto observed is the predominant masculine influence on our amu

If women had thirty "good stories" twenty-nine of which could not be told to men, it is possible that men, if they heard s

one of our noblest arts. It is allied with the highest emotions; is religious, educational, patriotic, covering the whole range of human feeling. Through it we should be able continually to express, in audible, visible forms, alive and moving, whatever phase of life we most enjoyed or wished to see. There was a time

of men and women are often dissimilar. Tired men and women both need amusement, the relaxation and restful change of irresponsible gayety. The great majority of women, who work longer hours than any other class, need it desperately and never get it. Amusement, entertainment, recreation, sh

w begins to show the influence of women. It would be no great advantage to have this department of human life feminized; the improvement desired is to have it less ma