The Second Sexism (Benatar)

The Second Sex vs. The Second Sexism

• The second sexism is sexism against men and boys
• David Benatar is a respected South African philosopher
• Online "men's rights movement" (see this movie)
• "So unrecognized is the second sexism that the mere mention of it will appear laughable to some." (Benatar, p. 177)
• Wants it to be recognized, but is he saying "the second sexism" is worse than "the first sexism"?

Defining terms

• SEX, GENDER
• Benatar uses gender terms (man, woman) interchangeably with sex terms (male, female)
• doesn't address distinction between cis males and trans males

• SEXISM
• Ann Cudd and Leslie Jones:
•  "...On our view sexism is a systematic, pervasive, but often subtle, force that maintains the oppression of women...." ("Sexism," p. 158)
• Kate Manne: 
• "sexism should be understood primarily as the 'justificatory' branch of a patriarchal order, which consists in ideology that has the overall function of rationalizing and justifying patriarchal social relations." (Down Girl, p. 79)
• On these views, could there be a second sexism?
• Benatar: 
• sexism = sex discrimination 

• SEX DISCRIMINATION
• Jennifer Saul, Feminism
• dominance discrimination--whole system is set up so men dominate
• difference discrimination--x and y are just alike in all relevant respects, but x is treated better than y, based on sex 
• Benatar:
• "I shall follow the convention of understanding discrimination as the unfair disadvantaging of somebody on the basis of some morally irrelevant feature such as a person's sex." (p. 177)
• direct vs. indirect (example of indirect: the police dept with a height requirement)
• intentional vs. unintentional

• DISADVANTAGE
• non-discriminatory disadvantages
• a non-discriminatory disadvantage of being female is..........
• a non-discriminatory disadvantage of being male is........
• discriminatory disadvantages
• a discriminatory disadvantage of being female is........
• a discriminatory disadvantage of being male is.....(Benatar: unrecognized)

Discriminatory Disadvantages of being male (according to Benatar)

• Are these disadvantages really discriminatory?

1. WAR
• "social legal pressures on men....to fight in war" (p. 178)
• 2019: in the US, women may enter combat, but men must (when there is a draft)
• crewcuts
  
2. VIOLENCE 
• "Men are much more likely to be the targets of aggression and violence." (p.179)
3. SACRIFICE  
• "Women and children first" (e.g. the Titanic)
  
4. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT  
• Boys hit more often than girls
5. SEXUAL ASSAULT
• Not taken seriously when against men.
6. CHILD CUSTODY 
• "fathers fare worse than mothers with regard to child custody" (p. 181)
7. AFFECTION 
• Boys receive less affection from their mothers after divorce (p. 182)
8. GAY MEN 
• More discrimination against them than against lesbians. (p. 182)
9. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT 
• Imposed on men more than women (p. 183)

Why? Underlying attitudes

1. Men's lives valued less than women's
• "women and children first"
• missing women vs. missing men
2. Violence against men accepted
3. Belief that men are "naturally more aggressive, more violent, less caring, and less nurturing than women are"

Objections (that he tries to counter)

1. Not really discriminatory--many of the disadvantages are mere disadvantages
2. Distraction--it's more important to focus on sexism against women and girls
3. Inversion--look closer, and "the second sexism" turns out to be discrimination against women
4. Costs of dominance--problems men have are byproducts of their being dominant