I used to tell women graduate students, half-seriously, that the role of slightly rebellious daughter was one of the better roles for women living in patriarchy.
Carol GilliganRead
The women's movement is taking a different form right now, and it is because it has been so effective and so successful that there's a huge counter movement to try to stop it, to try to divide women from one another, to try to almost foment divisiveness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The women's movement has evolved and faced opposition due to its success, leading to attempts to create division among women.
Carol Gilligan's quote reflects the evolution of the women's movement, highlighting that its effectiveness has sparked a counter movement aimed at undermining unity among women. This dynamic illustrates how progress often encounters resistance, particularly when it empowers individuals and groups who have historically faced oppression.
Themes
WomenMovementUnityDivisivenessSuccess
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on women's rights at a conference.
More from Carol Gilligan
All quotes →While men represent powerful activity as assertion and aggression, women in contrast portray acts of nurturance as acts of strength.
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