UC29 August-September 1978

September 1978

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ON WOMEN AND ENERGY!

Pluto 4h Pra-"Ã I

Ernest Callenbacll

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Undercurrents 29 Women’s Issue August-September 1978 Contents

2 The Earth, Our Home - Are there links between the women’s movement and the AT movement?

3 Walking Round Windscale - One Woman’s View of being involved in the Windscale Inquiry 5 New Clear Power - Two women use dance to express their reactions to Nuclear Power 7 Women and Energy - Three personal views on Women and Energy.

9 Que Sera Sera? - The missing dimen­sion in Socialist thought?

10 Feminists against Nukes - Women find their voice in the Anti Nuclear move­ment.

12 Seeds and Pulses - City Seeds, a shop in the City and a collective in Brighton, run by women.

13 Blowing it Sky Fi - Androgynius, polygenetic and hermaphroditic futures 14 ‘ . . and there begins our alienation from Science’ - Women scientists talk about women and science 16 Role On - What conditions our Roles, now is the time to change’.

17 Bringing it all back Home - Women, Work and Trade Unions 19 Farewell to Welfare - Institutionalised caring with women playing a leading role ... what happens with the cuts?

21 Woman thought - Do men and women speak a different language?

24 AT man - Alternative technology does not necessarily mean liberation for men and women 26 Contraception - (Whose responsibility?)

27 ‘Liberator’ - Is Liberation a machine called liberator?

28 A return to our Senses - Birth and Technology.

29 Woman AT home - The ‘technology’ of the Home 32 Communes and exchanging skills - Three women reclaiming technology 34 A Quizz.; 35 What’s On and What’s What ; 36 Eddies; 39 Book Reviews; 46 Information on Womens Groups - and Stock up on your back issues of Undercurrents. __________________________________ Editor/Co-ordinator: Lyn Simonon, ; Editor: Rosemary Randall; News: Susie Lobbenberg and Judy Bartlett ; Whats On and What’s What: Barbara Kern ; Reviews: Val Robinson and Vicky Hutchings Production: Chris Cooper, Susie Laming, Annette Ford, Jenny Whitman, Denise Arnold, Loanna Veal, Virginia Lawrence, Janet Payne, Jola Scicinsca, Joan Turner, Marriane Gordon; Typesetting: Jenny Pennings; Cover: Janet Baldwin, Laura Margolis, Joanna Alman; Thanks to Ann Decker and Redesign. __________________________________ WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY Why a women’s issue of Undercurrents? Undercurrents has always dealt with areas that are excluded from mainstream, traditional thinking. It has been concern­ed practically with those things that aren’t there, and with the politics of why this should be so. It has been con­cerned with the practical transformation of the way in which society’s basic needs can be met. It has faced the ques­tions of energy power and supply, con­struction et our living space, the food we eat, our health, forms of social , organisation and (sometimes) our rela­tionships.

Undercurrents has its own areas of exclusion however, and one of these has, until recently, been women and their part in technology. It is an exclusion which Undercurrents has shared with mainstream scientific thinking. Women have traditionally been the consumers of a technology which has been obtain­ed or created for them by men. It seems that even within radical technology women (& men) have still to work hard in order not to find themselves in traditional roles again. The women’s movement is as yet embryonic. We are changing, men are changing, we are not against one another, we need one another. What happens now is crucial.

Over the past few years the women’s movement has developed its own philo­sophy and approach to specific issues. The concept of control over our own bodies, the right to define our own sexuality, selfhelp health groups, sup­port and education groups, the concept of sharing, child-care, and an anarchic structure which works. Perhaps most important of all is the concept that the personal is political. In this issue we as a group of women have tried to bring these insights into the areas dealt with by Undercurrents. Thinking about the energy of women it has been exciting to feel the energy potential that has come across in getting the issue together. We have energy. We have power! The following pages will make it self-evident. Why a women’s issue of Undercurrents. We have a lot to say as women. And it is directly related to what Undercurrents is all about. __________________________________

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Womens Undercurrents

The Earmi,Our Home

The!arthhas been dangerously mistreated. Can we restore the balance by rediscovering our true natures as men and women?

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ONE OF the oldest books i n existence today is a Chinese book of wisdom known as the 1-Ching or Book o f Changes-Asa bookof wisdom it is an illbmiqa~inglink with the deep roots of our unconscious.

It reveals to us a world o f harmony in which life is not a battle between opposing forces, but a continuous natural . transformation o f one force into another.

The Ikhing has also been used as a Book of Oracles since ancient times.

One consults the Oracle at a time of indecision when one wishes to learn what is the-right course of action t o follow within agiven situation. This is accomplished through the manipulation o f yarrow stalks. The purpose of this slow and involved method is t o create a clear and tranquil mind, receptive to the unconscious. As the yarrow stalks are products o f the vegetable kingdom, they are considered to be related to the sources of life.' One o f the most Valuable lessons one learns in working With the book is not so much finding .<jhe fight answer as the importance of discovering the right question, what it is one wishes to know.

I have been a%a@member, and ' a disillusioned&rbp-t~(, o f both the , women's movement anrfthe ecological movement - on the one hand because I am a woman, on the other hand be. cause I care for the Earth. Since becoming detached from the two moverneflts, the question which has arisen ,\. within myself is: 4s there a link between A e two movements and is this link in some way responsible fofmy disillusion-* s ment?

I n order to consult the I-Ckng it i s

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important t o understand that i t ernbraces a concept o f time which is alien to the Western mind. We view time as a linear procession o f events, one event causing another. This concept of causality is aselective process which helps us to Wilise ourselves into a tangible &&onship with the world around us.

Within Afcpoftcept it is necessary to sift, select, and classify one's information in order t o arrive at a causal explanaftwt &en event. In the process one wishei toexclude any element of chance iWordbr leftfffiTO at a sound conctdrton: "

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ing, bi@.and&ath, the.?uccesand failure oTany actwty,.were dependent , upon the phases o f the moon. The Tiroe was considered favourable or u w r able. Our sense of time was @riringousIYtransformed bv the ebb and flow o f our unconscious being. ' In psychohistorical terns Aiigra reflects a time during which the ego w& contained by the force o f the uncptp scious. The symbol of containment is the vessel. The vessel is the vital iniffedient o f the symbolic formula for the early period o f humanity: woman = , body = vessel = world.' Thisformulais personified archetypally fey the Great Mother, the Primordial Goddess, whose,, positive aspects are: conceiving, nurtur- +, in& caring, receiving, protecting. In tw negative aspects, as the Terrible Mother, she is engulfing, devouring, ensnaring, bloodthirsty. Just aswith the E Ã ˆ h all shelves she takes back again into herself. ., Erich NtX~manni n his essay 'The ,

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@aptheancient chinese mind is concerned. there isno sifting or selecting, as nothing is considered irrelevant, nottl'rtg is-rejected; It is the picture &ae moment. thftoualiw of the Whole, thatistrfimpwtance; the aim total of the event as wiç~<!<<rf at the moment o f observation. Each moment is a constantly changing moment, a continuous transformation of the ,> energies that exist within it; It is this concep+of constant change that is a fundament?! factor in CRTney ~hilosophy.~ a: & *, * Ã

~lieFemininew c i p l e

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This non-llnear, transforming, intug , mwhich the unconscious (and the fern%% ' feeling reladonship with time Was inine) are dominant, and consciousness part of our being from the beginnings "(ad the masculine) have not yet reached of our history. It grew from our natural self-reliance and independence'.4 The use frifl 'bnship with the Earth and her of the terms feminine and masciflffie does h&ms, and from her relationship with not denote the sexual division 'of OW' the surf-aid She moon and the Heavens. or 'of man', but rather are energies bet* In response to the magnetic pull and ing to both women and men. w here fore: influence of the moon, our earliest the dominance o f the fe calendar was lunar. Sowing and haryesttranslate as the sociol&ic

n t upon the u n w oved into an era of .

depths o f our feminine nature. Justas it is important that men intheir development become independent of the Great Mother but learn to relate t o the feminine within themselves. . Now that women are losing their fear o f standing up and demanding what is theirs, the time is right for them t o search within themselves to discover just whatis theirs; not in masculine defined terms, but i n our own terms, as human be'mgs within whom dwells the source o f life and creative enerfjy and ral bond with the unconscious and

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' C m a n i t y t o tremendous &a jcience and technology. S

itself is responsible forthem6ss. Tech~OIW is a twh which, [ud;flth Care and concern for thequa tY of We, could serve rather than enslave humanfty. tf '

we employed our knowledge md expertbS towards using the energy of the Sun, 'thewihd, and the sea, techri0ldQ courd live with the Earth, rather thahAgainst her. What we need is a humanistic technalpgy - a technology for people, a technology for life.

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The rejectionof the feminine within the socid st~uctureis indicative of a competitive society, i n whichhuman being ispitted against human being. m e patriarchal family, which is a nece s s q ingredient of this society, ha? contributed to conflict a d rigid divis-

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References.

Rkbd wae,m .bmduction, to Qms, p.ltĂ&#x192;Ë&#x2020; Routledge & Kegan PNLtd., London 1951.

2. David ~eland~"(ntroducti~n' to Chinese A c u p u b t u ~by Dr. Chandm S b m a , p.8-, 10, Coorte Silrings Press, 1976

5. Ibid, p.53.

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WL -.- -- - - - - " Bid for a woman; " , faced with her feelings about nuclear energy to be listened to seriously. A feeling response to the environment is as valid a starting point for protest and political change as an argument based on intellect or economic analysis. It is time that such responses are given the credibility they merit. Here, Irene Caates describes her feelings whilst walking around the Windscale 'plant' which she visited as part of a group which was involved in the Windscale Inquiry last July.

It will be noticed that I have said Windscale 'buildings' and reprocessing 'unit' rather than describing the place as a plant, as BNFL and others are i n the habit of doing. Before going on t o describe the visit, I want to think about this word plant.

My battered Concise Oxford Dictionary tells me that a plant is 'a living organism capable of living wholly or partly on inorganic substances . member of the vegetable kingdom.' It also tells me that the verb to plant means 'to place (tree, shoot, bulb, seed, crop etc) in ground that i t may take root and grow'.

Plants are perfectly capable of taking root and growing of their own volition. They were doing this millions of years before we were ever thought of. Indeed, it is the dead bodies o f ancient plants that we dig up and burn to provide us with much of the energy required by all kinds o f technology. We eat living plants, as do all animals, to provide us with our inner energy essential t o life. So why has the nuclear power industry appropriate the word 'plant' to describe a chemical works the function of which, is to receive the spent fuel from nuclear reactors, remove it from its metal containers and separate out its constituent materials? Windscale is not unique in being described thus. There are other chemical 'plants' around. Why do our scientists, technologists and industrialists use a word, that properly describes a living organism, for an inanimate structure that only 'grows' if people build it?Technologists, who pride themselves on being rational and precise, are on occasion guilty of a remarkable degree of irrationality and imprecision.

The word plant is not alone. The experimental procedure for glassifying high level nuclear waste, intended to ensure its complete isolation from the ecosystem, i s known by i t s initials: HARVEST. There are, among many others, the first and second 'generation' of nuclear reactors; the 'fast-breeder' reactor, and BNFL talks about 'a tank farm for the storage of incoming chemicals for the feed to the main process, a feed-stock mixing building'. All very life-affirming, no doubt, until we realise what i s actually happening.

I suggest that one of the reasons for this misuse of words springs from the male resentment of the female reproductive system. Men are i n saying in effect: you women create children but we create technology and by our use of words we , confer life upon our achiflvements. Conversely, life is merely a mixture of chemicals.

I also think that technologists see themselves as progressively taking over from nature, and doing i t better. There may well be some guilt associated with this ambition. One way o f reducing guilt is to appropriate the words associated with one's victirn.A further reason may well be that, having created a sterile, anti-life environment which is heavily male dominated (out o f a total workforce of between four and five thousand, depending on whether one includes construction workers, only 150 women work at Windscale), men actually need to use words which remind them o f the natural world, to make their daily deprivation tolerable. .

Observing a Company such as BNFL, one realises that the word 'plant' is most appropriately used to describe neither the process nor the buildings of Windscale. but BNFL itself - a growing body of men.

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adequate records o f those who may have been contaminated. The nucleat boys -arefurffiei" protected by international s * agreed rules, which diffuse responsibility w a y fret$ fc&e who are actually contamimting the world's e c e s y s t q with the chimney belongs to a chemical& -* irradiated materials. tory owned by Albright & Wgon.' what &Â¥thes notes me? ~h~~~ The Windscale and Calder Halt , w m --of us IfrAur group. Our guide was i&Wtimer. We were t o begiven ashorttalk in (Be Boardrobm. To get wed a lift. Opposite, was there, another type o f lift called a Paternospr which was intended to be i n perpetual , motion moving up one side, down the other. t h e whole contraption was not d working, and was roped off. The rough " metal lift we did take; had a notice sayoning it was to be used by a maximum of the 12 people. We, with the addition of the foyr BWLffien, were 14. Johft Mortimwe err6Let'sf@ devils, and risk it'. I dent' thottgjtt$ts$ad justspoken the BNFL the mo^lo.Tteliftdoor stuck, but we yS.Were our w p t f e a r s to be realised? arrt&,s$ly.

Was &catastrophe t o takeplace before our 'Â¥eyesNo. o u r friend i n the other car had MANY PEOPLE OR their first visit

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became merely bored. .

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We went into the Control room, where the pervasive sdund of slow ticking dominates the mfpd o f the newcomerif~ ~ ^ O P Swill those working here get alar'meit, because that .,^PS SomethinÈha gone wrong. Does ' amanactually prefer the tick o f a corporate metallic heart, t o the one in his own chest?

We travelled from one building to another in a white van. Along the way I saw some brown domed shapes , without and asked what they viere, Ireceived no reply. No doubt, there are things stored at WIndscale that we know not of-, .

We went thr-&&'@ deco"tamina-

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it stays in solution'. w fw cbrtain? lhlt

t a t teassurdme by Mr Ooran i ~ whether g they will excite any of my M y cells sufficiently t o make them go w i l d m d start multiplying uncontrollably. If 1 do get cancer, no-one will be able to prove whether it'was these pages, fl something else, which caused it This horror o f radiation: because one carinot see, smell or hear it, contamlnation can just happen. There is no feedback, such as there was when the spoil tip sli'd'dowd on Aberfarl. Only perhaps another Jerk upwards on the climbing graph of cancer deaths. This lack of feedback enables the apologists o f nuclear po*er generation t o claim that the process is safe -this, together with their method of assessing risk and their in-

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there Was nobody enjoying (hem&es in the'water or out. Long-handled implements were stacked atthe sides -to manipulate the cannisters; The&@ was quiet.4 had an oppress&,qie ttf being in an anti-life environmetit This was reinforced by a notice streteherf, acr say CL blu surface of the water. Elsewhçf Iw u l d at least have'consfctere$%yiig'to save it Instead Iwat&%d it struggle t o its death, sending rfcplbs tq the furthest corners. . . , ., "-

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J replied: 'It is more important to me, that Idon't get two heads as a result-; o f visiting W@dscate'. If1(to, or ifmy child &j,*zs &iydgg^; of gwi thing we cApAe quittaure: BhffL will n o t accept re$mnsibility. The-Win& scale'plant! waftts to go on growing.

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Melanie Thompson and Kate Hollingway are 2 dancer/actress/teachers w h o have been w o r k i n g for t h e last 4 m o n t h s o n a show entitled 'New Clear Energy' a dance documentary a b o u t Nuclear Energy. Here t h e y t a l k a b o u t some of t h e thoughts behind t h e show and t h e implications for t h e m as w o m e n a n d & performers.

KATE. Ifone looks at life in terms o f artlscience, emotion/intellect, ying/yang, Negativelpositive, masculine principle/-, feminine principle, Ihave always ted towards the artistic and emotional, essentially'feminine"esponses to the * world A n arts specialist at A level, theology and philosophy at Univetsity, ' trained dancer, singer, actress - my mind went blank when people talked politics or science, traditional male preserves. bout the age of 24 1decided to broaden my mind, fantasized about becoming nuclear physicist. Then Ibought abadge saying 'Nuclear Power? NOthanks' and . the idea grew t o something about-* Threat of Nuclear Power instead o f s w h t back and letting other people change the world.

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MEL: We are 2 women-.L?id we Want t o do ashow about us as women? Instead we decided to say, OK, we're women, OK we've been oppressed b u t let's not, reiterate that; what creative statement do we want to make?

We decided t o examine a larger subject

Wornens Undercurrents For this issue we have replaced the letters page with three personal views on women and energy. Jackie QiHott, Diana Howden and Snowy James tell us what they think.

oooooooooooooooooooooodoooooooooocooooooooooooooo ................................................. and two, because the dangers of hijacking eto. are so serious, we impose upon ourselves the need for a degree of security that imperils democratic freedom.

It is quite impossible to accept a large a number o f plutonium installations, plutonium movements and people handling plutonium at different points of transit without equally accepting the need for the Atomic Energy Authority's armed constabulary, for positive vetting, suweillance and the full force o f the Official Secrets Act. Since, because of its highly complex nature, the decisions relating t o plutonium can only be made by a relative handful o f experts and questions on those decisions may not be allowed i n the House o f Commons, this inevitably , means that our advance into a nuclear future predicates an enormous secession of power to a tiny number o f people and afundamental surrender o f civil rights.

Can this possibly be either a wise or a reasonable price to pay for the dubious prosperity we are promised in return? I' should like t o see women challenging this future prospect more vigorously, unabashed by any scientific ignorance they may feel. Apart from any other factor it's time that women, so signally alerted to the question of their own sex's rights, began t o extend that keen and practised consciousness to the rights of human being as a whole.

Nuclear power is the ultimate tyranny of male technology. Tool and weapon are become one. It is directed simultaneously at the end and the continuance of our existence. It must be fought Jacky Gillott 0000000000000000000000

nucle ~renergy WHILE I BELIEVE it t o be i n some part true that small girls are discouraged from interesting themselves i n things - I scientifiiand mechanical also believe that insufficient attention has been given t o the positive aspects of a non-scientific tendency. It may be a crucial trait. It may be that women have an important function i n querying the extremes o f scientific development.

After all, even those specific items that are said t o have enlarged their freedom like dishwashers and the Pill, have often done so i n a most ambivalent way.

The pre-eminence of the sexes has changed throughout history. With the development o f tools and weapons the goddess conspicuously fades from the pantheons t o be &placed by gods of war and thunder. It is no accident that the word 'tool' has a more vulgar meaning, nor facile t o regard tools and weapons

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as penis-symbols. They have become ah ever-increasing and lethal extension o f male power. Today, the technological apogee has been reached i n the form of nuclear power. Man has passed beyond the harnessing o f nature, he has created a substance o f his own, the most poisonous ever encountered: plutonium.

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Diffidence and ignorance Because we (not onlv women) are made diffident by our scientific ignorance there has been a marked reluctance to challenge the need and nature o f nuclear power. It is difficult t o engage i n argument with those who can thwart you at every turn with expertise. But commonsense alone should permit us t o see that a society in ' which reprocessingnuclear waste is planned as a piece o f international commerce invites two risks apart from those of radiation. One, by regtrrng weapon grade material t o non-nuclear weapon countries for so-called civil purposes we exacerbate the chances o f proliferation

countrywoman IMUST confess t o being a failure!

When our three daughters were small we moved t o our country house with a large garden. Istarted to grow vegetables instinctively rather than knotfledge?bly with a philosophic belief-that land should be productive.

Idkl enjoy and still enjoy being in the garden. The girls played and Igrew vegetables. Over the years Ihave kept pigs,goats, geese and hens and have gone through all $he exaltations and depressions which accompany these activities and which Ihave read about i n an endless succession o f books and articles on self-sufficiency.

Now years later three young worjen, sometimes astonishingly elegant, live with me. Their school life has taken them daily into the large industrial town ten miles away where all their friends and interests now lie. I have completely fatted to interest them in anything which Ido here at home. They are all o f a w e

co-ops in established in ning t o show (.e.g. the the shop stewards were vir into the role of management dfle to the way technology dictated thebatterns o f working as to the difficultiesoperating in declining markets). Tra% al socialist thinking is uqayai'eof the wasteful nature of such ~ r o d u c t i o nas * well as the inevitable ineaualities it en.genders i n working,life. Equally, dl fhje^ 2while economit activities are carried aft ' away from the home, women will b#Iig-"; ed to continue providing thefamily $$K& ing - either in the home Itqff or i n I - , s' facilities provided by the weffareetaA', $.;

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Community responsibii he Socialist Environment and Resources Association has been concerned or the past few years with the implications of resource use issues, pointing u t that wastage of resources and environmental degradation are direct esuhs of the capitalist search for profit. SERA has therefore been' "ampaigning in the Labour movement for the adoption of environmentally ound, socialist solutions to the crises of capitalism such as the Luas plan or socially and environmentally sound production. Such ideas are radical lepartvres in socialist thinking but for women there is still a missing limension. ¥-

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SEVERAL WOMEN i n SERA, working n what is otherwise a very male dominaed group see the socialist environmental mpective as only a partial critique of he conventional idea o f socialism. We ame t o see environmental problems as ust one symptom o f the malaise fosterd by capitalist production.and realised hat these are linked t o other problems such as the exploitation of various groups o f workers, ethnic minorities and, ~articularly,women. They'are the direct esult of a form o f production which can inly maintain itself by consuming vast pantities o f materials and by institution-

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i n the home.~heclass structure the subordination of women t o a position of 'reproducing the labour force' are inevitable consequences of urban industrial society - given the nature of home and work and their'separation - as developed by patriarchal capitalism.

Now conventional socialist thought maintains that class inequalities will be eradicated once control over technology and the state has been collectlvised. However this assumption ignores the built in inequalities inherent in the structure of technology as developed under capitalism, Genuine collective control is very difficult

There is no reason to suppose environmental degradation and c distinctions will be elimi ising existing industrial produ that there will be any breakd sexual hierarchy while wor are separated and men ha vfded for i n the home by w o h f t W ' f?"*' 4 order to function efriciently ih W r : ;+, ' wnrk . -. .-.

We thetefore question this view o f ' , socialism and feel that o f central importance in a genuine socialist society^ is the right of indiyiduals'to havpcoifr trol over their own lives while being 2 responsible to the community (^oh@$, , defined) for the effects o f their as.&& .

This implies that decisiopmaking prb cesses must be developed on a scale at which people can effectively opefats7f tending towards smalt groups where I information can be passed around and "' discussed on a face to face basis and , decisions reached bva genuinely'derrtocratic process and where qonflictsof > . interest and opinion can tie openly ejcpressed and dealt with. In order tp , achieve this, people must take st* t o gain power and control over 1y5ources at a much more local level so that the' 'state' takes on more of a co-ordinatin* 4 rather than a dictating function. A more localisedscale of decision miking¥could do-much to foster the introduc-" v1 tion o f smaller scale production whose technology is both more amenable t o co-operative operation and control and less taxing on the environment The , relationship o f work, home, education, u., employment etc.could begin to be dramatically altered. Thus, this scenario of a more fluid and smaller scale political structure in which individual rights are emphasised could do much to creat a democratic, ecologically sound socialist society, and in particular, provides a framework more conducive to worner .taking opportunities to develop themselves and to find equality in their relationships with men at work and , home.

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~d to go to factories because I could not afford models e as my subject people at work. I first and the environment was political, I did not need to be self-conscious. After the first day or two the workers there were completely anonymous and so was 1. They would simply say ,now long are you working here, two or three weeks?' Then they would forget about me. After I'd been there a few moilths they'd say, 'Going so soon?' %*a K-nis

Judy Barueh works with SERA. She hÈ , worked on Earth Resources Research Mid at present is an Employment Development Officer for 'Voluntary action group'.

SERA can be contacted at 9 ^.

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MANY WOMEN don't see nuclear

assmlhing<liCh them very directly. We are better at orgahising around issues dose t o us.

- The pace of the march onto the site reflected a lack of concern for the child à £ and for the adulb, mainly women, pumg prams,

ltwas good to see 60 women at the workshop on the Sunday o f the Torness OccuWomen's role pation. We began to work out how we I t was invaluable-that women challengfeltaffected by nuclear power and what ed the anti-nuclear movement in this way action we as women working together at Torness. We createda solidarity among'ke. we theand , s t ourselves and generated an increased organization of a"0 the Torness project the M~~~~~~~of the awareness agreed that while we appreciated the ,, ways in which it had been oppressing us. hard 2nd organizing of SCRAM, we. itwas a very powerful time for us as we did have some criticism. , made many proposals for future and onThese centred on:going activities. Committed to a nonThe Rock concert which had the night violent strategy we proposed the followbefore the Women's workshop aroused ing: anger both because of the blatantly sexist That there always be a Women's caucus lyrics and the behaviour o f the musicians, at the beginning of any anti.nuclear demo, -(You've seen i t often . !.,We don't feel march or occupation so that we immedthe need'to describe A's0 the music iately feel our strength and present i t to prevented us from hearing the ftms about others, other Occupations being shown and made - That women form Nuclear study 'group5

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groups, write articles, letters, poem% stories, draw, paint, sing.

We hope by working out how Nudeà power affects us, and by refusing to acceot the way in which events like Torness (and most other political demonstrations), accept and incorporate sexic* values, women will take back the pow1 which i s rightfully ours, in all areas of political change. We are going t o show that women do have something to say and that we are going t o say i t whilst confronting Nuclear power and its coroll a evil"; ~ sue Smith & Sheryl Crown

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~ ~ ~ ; ~ can anti-nuclear power movement, its strategy and methods of organisation. The research waspartb inspired by my involvement in- 'The Seabrook Occupation', the first mass ã: of non-violettcivil disobedience against the nuclear programme in the states. I lived in Philadelphia last year, working within a nonviolent social change community. presently I am considering further research

Women against Nu Women's Liberation WoikAoo, Scotland: 160 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh.

England: Sheryl Crown,25 Northdile Road, F r i z i i d l , Bndfoid 9.

London: Jenni Wittman. 38 Northways, London, NW3.

The Four Gated City Doris Lesaing al Commisaon on Environmental Pollution orr Nuclear Power and the Env@op the Flower Report) HMSO Society Earth Reiources Research wer Penguin Water Patterson

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Womens Undercurrents

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cessful. Not a situation which is uniqu science but one which has led t o nume

[ I s who can disteuss from their own exlerience the issues raised. The opinion! expressed are as diverse as the women

But I found that the emphasis.was on the perforhiance o f the scientist'. hen's scores on specific tests.

Instead we've decided to ask practising women scientists and engineers how they feel about being women in a predominantly male field. What are the special problems they face and what comprcmises must they make t o become success-' ful. As a basis to this discussion all the - contributors were asked t o comment on art &tiale which appeared in 'New Scientist' earlier this-year entitled 'Why a Woman Left ~cience'', and t o give examples from their own experience which confirmed or negated this woman's observations. Key excerpts from this article3g personal statement of one woman's dis' glusionment with science, are quoted below.

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The degree of identification with Grote's experiences varied considerably

'My motivation comes from feeling part o f something to which I can ally I agreed with, and undertribute; my enthusiasm comes from Its message, having myselr '-' sharing, and my ideas are generated lar sense of alienation fror by those interactions. I know thpt I chicai world o f science'. can only feel free to express my ide / In an &ronment that is not Intimie article certainly awakes familial dating and judgemental, in which I oes but the situation in englneerknow my anxieties and doubts can be freely acknowledged, and where , ,-'" lnq ismher different'. mutualsupport is the key and not " Is there nreiudice?

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Why a woman left science '7776 myth o f science is that it Is an objective study o f facts and therefore devoid o f emotions, and so no ocknok ledgement is made o f their presence.

And there begins my alienation from science '.

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'She (a woman scientis that unity which by his proud consciousness '.

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resulted, in my experience in both stupifand irrelevant jokes about women (in particular for the entire week in which the Sex Discriminattc Act was passed by parliament) and, even in questions'about whether my female t~hysiologymight affect my ability to d o the tedious, repetit& tasks involved in must.exp@qfw#@i wnrk '

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which grinds you down, and drains your seIfqonfidence and motivat/on'.

5cknce-i~big business and like any other arena is highly political with too many pewle chasing too little money and,or am many more men than women at the bottom of nu, /adder or stuckAiaHwiiy up '.

'Most~r~ctisingsc~ntists that science is not objective although they strive to make it so. It is subject to emotion and fashion. Although the questions female scientists ask may, because of their different experiences, fffrent, *is isprobably within reative rdnge of individuals,

And isolation?, s-" l~echnol@caflyqualified wofmn rare in industry and cannot, therefore, avoid the spbgflaht nor some degree of Isolation, until the numbers increase!

'I've f o q d my involvement with the Women's hfSimrertag ~ o c i e very t ~ sup-,. pwfiwth <&at he@time to survive, carry on alone, was largely my re# port offriends in the Women's tion M e i n e p t à 'Ttie sfffoffriwnfwr of wotpen engine wide our p o f f t b very fragile. I fe that I bore a brge part of the respo bfiity for the company's attitude to worneft'., . &spite al$<teprejudice and isolation, one wome'h found an advantage in being female:' I n ,many irat~ncesbeinga woman In a predominantly mate environment has, *PI Wm@y& &MI, p e w e d W s } ~ u ~ m bt eu fr d M @Y name. Most people') come into contact with are very idrestedin me personally and can't daenough to help. My psfsent boss has taken me to potentially exp l & w meetings to calm things down" Such' "then, are the problems commonly and &dly identified with women in siente q d engineering. While there is', beeniaM btfore *is nothing sectipn.has been included to emphasize that* Sex DiscriminationAct is &retowards the attainment of tor women and that social attinot in this instance changed as q w y as the political process, which itself very slow. fi "HffSrtver, of perhaps greater interest we theissues raised which question the whota.approach to science and the importance of 'masculine' attributes.

Thisartext question intends to explore this"qitecept, with the help of the cdntributoti.

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ther male or female. nerally women (not all) appear to make less bold projects and to be more concerned with details. I think they are less confident. '

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between the nw* they 're doing ynd the good of society in general.

This attitude I find disturbing, but I'm stiff working i~ conventional jobs,, 7 eventually left industry due to the complete lack of social conscience of my ~rofessionalcolleague^ and my complete lack of identification . with the business world'.

'Ms. Grote, in common with many women in science, did not want to emulate her male colleagues, nor did she see this as a solution to her problems. Science and its social context are not independent: we live in a male-dominated, hierarchical and competitive science. We live in a society dominated by the drive I for profit for the-few,and the concomitant need for social control of the,awny.Our science is largelyperformed in the service of those needs ofprofit and social control'.

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Are S&nce and Engineering fundamen&,@ Masculine'?

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women who have been socialised into having traditionally feminine reactions and would be making significant @?ioural compromises. This dilemma is by , no means shared by all women as i s evident from this articleand similarly it i s certain that there are many men who cannot come to terms with the attribuws that the tra~tional approwh 1 kmands.

Perhaps, though, one should exartline whether the struggle for recognition by females should be aimed at beingaccePted into the scientific and technological community as it is, or whethegemdes should reject those aspects which emnha- 1 ' size commercial rather than social go&, individual achievement rather than the increase of scientific knowledge and to the approach to science rather than their own approach.

Idealistic and naive? Certainly paradoxical, as the problem of how to change the authoritarian, competitive nature of science and technology without resorting to similarly aggressive tactics is highly debatable.

'Alternative Technology' itself is under fire from many women who feel that, although it purports to be concerned with social goals, in fact, it is s t i l l dominated by men who are concerned ' with the familiar aspects of individual achievement and assertive(wss. It is difficult to draw general conclusions in this article about a female stance. The contributors are women but also individ-' uals and ithas not beentfae intention to implicate them with any specific issue raised. It is, rather, hoped that this article will provoke more questions and stimulate further debate abou the current nature of science and t chnology, and what role wonfen could or should play.

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Liz Maqton

chemical engineer who has worked primarily in the petrochemical industry as a process engineer. I am currently in England investigating Alternative Energy activities.

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the women contributors providdentist, 26 Jan 1978, 'Why a Woman o l e for left Science' by Ms. 1. Grote. es a +fd ~ntroducdonto this debate: . There are good reasons for wanting Contributors: Ms.D. Griffiths, Ms. L.Ms. Birke, 5. Gibbons, Dr. L.K.Ma. Ward, J.S. 'Sconce is clearly a m c u l i n e activity, women invoIved, at all levels, in, . not just in terms of the numerical sup They need t o Payfie, Ms. I.C. Thompson, Ms. E. Manton. in remacycf men Over women but deãe\a mwh greater understandh General reference: SISCON Science in a Social :-?t&m of its n o r m af behaviwr. 73.9 = , of scienceand me$ be fully involved Context f"%rsonality characteristics of the "omen and Science' by Ma. K. Hinton. in the creative and decision-makingjobs women's Society ;¥> $&~essful scientist: Independent, asserto avoid exploitation.

Their involvement Women &Lwineering Science Collective. %(-e, dominant, able to suspendprior 1'w inhigh status, p u b ~ m v i t ã, y Women in Science. 234a Buthe Road. k n d c +'*fMvment, inteIWtedIn fhings to change a great many other aspects of Wl4. fifoi,pe0ple etc. with being treated as second class citi)Women's Engineering Society fi4..*Çosof the male In our society and Fouberts Place, London Wl.. zens. time, the exact oppo9 Women in Manual Trades. Ginny, 23 Blidfe It is clear from the first part of this Avenue Mansions, Bridge Awmue, W6.7411 o which women are article that discrimination still features women deveiw a set

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Womens Undercurr l n the West women have traditionally been stereotyped as passive and emotional, with no intellectual ambition, but with a greater feeling for personal relationship than men, and with an overwhelming maternal instinct. What is the truth of this?

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John the Scot. He was. i n fact. an Irishman, a Neoplatonist, an accomplished Greek scholar and a pantheist. According 0 to John it was only as the result of sin that human beings were divided into male and femak. 'Woman embodies man's sensuous and fallen nature. I n the end distinction o f sex will disappear, and we shall have a purely spiritual body1.

Still in a Western context we progress mother and to the 17th century t o the great political breast philosopher John Lmke, who, in spite &k of suck,ing the of his moves towards democracy still another female, so that the SUCH IS the transitory nature, partjcu- ass~medthe exclusion of 'women and instinct' may not the poor' from the rights of citizenship. of our present larly for It would, unfortunately, take too long society, thata role for themis no longer Education: There to discuss the fascinating journey of clearly defined or accepted, but has to in women i n the Chinese civilisation, startbe energetically sought and aggressive.y ink! with the Shang dynasty in 1766 B.c., defended. ' in the growth of the delicately balanced the t me here etc- Inthe Kibbutzim Yin-Yaogcombination leading to Taoism, I should like to illustrate both the a powerfully complecommunal responsibility c a r r i e d o ~ m where held historical changes in the role of women. in the group. ln'the nomadic triWs role; reaching an historical apeand its present day diversity, suggesting Africa, Ethiopia and elsewhere, the cW3gee with T~~~ the ~ last i great , as it does that a role exists as a specific d!en grow up between the legs of of China (1861-1908) a despotic dictator contribution to the needs of a society, anim&'and the'r parents. They are providing a turning p o t c u m i n t n g n and that where that.society is as large, every day usageand ththe present Communist regime and equal greedy for cumbersome and increasingly the solemnity of tribal ritual; the-& sponsibility to all men and women. material gains as is our own Western for what they are taught lie all ar@flAi " society, such roles become unrealistic them. They contribute from an ear&,s^SJi! and false. To seek individual freedom fc the work o f the group and idenffl~'.f'. without relating this t o the real needs with all the group rather than withjsola*: o f the society is a self-indulgence Ie ted parents. ing to its destruction. reedom om' of Work: Women are expected t o yark 3 individual - a contemporary concept in most societies, even Islamic societifcp. is a questionable luxury. It is t o rewhere they remain behind a veil symbolic affirm and reassure women of their ing purity and restraint i n contiast with potential - that I give below an all too man's strength and responsibility. The incomplete history and also describe division o f work varies widely i n diffe>wl the alreately accepted roles they successsocieties. The Naga of N.E. India r ~ g w Now let us look briefly at societies fully play in other societies. the making of mats and baskets as rain's = which have changed a good deal less rapid* the Iban & workI n the rising Greek civilisation the ly than our own, in the hope that we can ' Orphic philosopher Pythagoras went so learn from the clarity and reasonableness mats and baskets are made by Naga men and-women work side by side far as t o claim complete political equality o f their role playing. in their fields, sowing and reaping'! for women. 'Women as a sex', he said, er, but the Iban divide farm work "are more naturally akin t o piety', such lhe woman's/mbternal role in other strictly. I n the West housebuildin as he felt was needed inpolitics! cultures: men's work, while among the Pueblctattd; aound the eighth century B.C. the Zuni Indians of New Mexico and Artzo* ' Spartart's sole business was war, and at Birth Control: Although Western this time, unlike elsewhere in Greece, medicine has only comparatively recently women traditionally build the houses.

In Portugal the V4omen inthe village ofr Spartan girls went through the same phy* produced a chemical means of birth conNazare,where they live from Tuna fishical training as boys, doing their gymnastrol, there are records of such controls ing,w6rk together with their menfolk tics together, all being naked 'that the being operatedin tribal groups in the hauling in the fishing nets and boats. The A~~~~~ elsewhere by herbal 'maidens should harden their bodies Anlo-Ewe women of Ghana lead an with exercise of running, wrestling, by genocide and, with recent onslaughts throwing the bar, and casting the dart, in Brazil, tribes have been known to make independent economic life. Many b e c o w the men, curt o the end that the fruit wherewith they an unspoken decision to let their numbers wealthy buying fish ing the catch and then selling it i n the might be afterwards conceived, taking I die out simply by means of ceasing.to nourishment o f a strong and lusty body, give birth altogether. Such decisions are should shoot out and spread the better; tribal - that is agreed to be to and that they, by gathering strength thus the benefit of the well-being of the whole by exercise, should more easily away tribe. with the pains o f child bearing. .' HowGiving birth: Many myths have grown ever, things gradually changed and Plato around the pregnant (and the menstruating) CQ&S up with a curious argument about woman, which have set her apart, but the time allowed f o r w c h ceremonial will the drama: 'Not only criminals, but women, slaves and inferiors generally. depend greatly upon how important her ought not to be imitated by superior' men!'

Moving rapidly on to the 9th century A.D. we come to that astonishing person

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satisfaction that seemed to fill the women she studied. who were all edueated and middle class. She examined the psychological forces which had A post-war succeeded in persuading women that their only place was in the h o w , when' 'Â this life wasseteariy unsatisfying. The 0 domestic technology which had made it easier for the working wife to bear her double burden had also devalued the work performed by the She is now enslaved t o industrially produced goods - housecraft and domatic production is rapidly disappearing, and with smaller families intensive baby care explain why they should not do certain is a short term requirement. In 1963 only jobs, but in many cultures women stifl 26% of British mothers with dependent perform the heaviest manual jobs. Some of the wealthier Amhera o f Ethiopia own mules, but i n most families women carry the heavy burdens.

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ual labour, 1,030 were w~men.Out ot' 136 diggers working without mechanical ; ---women.

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To sum up -historical attitudes to, wards women haye changed over the centuries, and their role has, i n Western culture at any rate, been defined by man, the religious, the philosopher and the politician. Such a roleha;>, nonetheless, basically been dictated by the nçd of the society.~~he division lo~eshas always been clearly made between man and even insocieties where (tieyare apparently working in harness together. It will be seen, therefore, that it is not sufficient to merely change one's role in the face of tradition and taboos, without relating such changes to an overall move for such change within the society and having a clear idea of the new role envisaged for both men and women. Such experiments have taken place on a massive political scale i n Russia and China, in the smaller State of Israel, and at ii more modest level by those attempting to live out alternative life-styles, groups who set UP living-communes. Everywhere adjustments are being made or resisted In churches, trade unions, in art, in law and - often most traumatically - within the traditional family unit. Each one ofus has, or seeksout, a role, and the , relinquishing of a role often deprives someone else o f a role.we are not living in a small, unified group, we are living in a vast society is undergoing fundamental changes, those who have succeeded in finding and fully justifying their role are fortunate.

Barbara Bentley --

for such taboos and the violetit reaction if they arebroken is that there is a new" to keep & sexes distinct. The most basic definition o f femaleness is the ability toMve birth. No man can do thi children were o n the ~abourmarket, by and so it must be made equally imposs1973 the figure was 40%. The 1971 cenible for any woman to do man's major , , sus revealed that one i n five of the 'chief tasks, however such task? are defined.

In other words, even though it may be - ; economic supporters' of households were women. But it is'not easy to legisphysit.ally and mentally possible for ' w o m n to carry out all roles equally . late for a real change in the roles of each sex. Today 75% of Soviet doctors are with++n, if in fiat society (he particu- ' women, but few of these women are lar r e has been allocated to men, any -, surgeons or hospital directors. A study attempt by women to take over this - carried out on a construction site in rote isseen as a threat, particularly i n a Barbara Bentley worked for eight years at the Saratov i n the USSR found that out of society where men are fconsidered the ROY^^ Anthropological institute and in 1970 becainc the director of Survival International.

1,212 persons employed on heavy mandomippt sex and 3 'superior' masculine stat&% attached towftat they do.

C o n m l y , a man doing 'woman's work' i s ri<fc(ited. For example, market trading +* & d q b ?> Ã I .. 'H->-.+ ~:(i.?. ,(A-t'%'Ãx. * am'oftgtioth the Indians o f Nicaragua and VMSXtih o f Ghana is women's work ^,,- "' , ' ~ ~ , f t ^ > ; ~ y2 - - * ; and gtiiearaguan man would be laughed , +.

-.: I ySt$22e~:, et .-, r A market place, or an Anlo man ,a,aG,%. : +, .. $iu=ver ever enter. Even today thh , *:.¥, &- ¥"t +#htii.' $p,.+.'; ,v , --.a = &+ v3 \% c + nidim e@ trr the West the caricature o f ;* +,<-.;4-5 * 2% > a w ; ym " the hebpecked husband at the kitchen 3~3, a 9 - > & > t lit^<> &.** * 1-8. sink&* a mop and an apron, or clumsily changing the nappies. In times of war ~ o swomen t have little idea about how conventional techndlogibs work 'such tab& had t o be set aside and let alond the alternatives. Ruth Elliott argues that it is necessary for women although complete changes did not to understand both if they are to participate in changing them. And the in the *, fire step may be to involve them in the world of production and Trade Occur, some progress was urgeflt need womeh i n this society are Union activity. feeling t o create for themselves a more ~ u ( t . 4 factory envjronment and work WHEN WOMEN reah lost control Over - .-State reali$ticrote. In Sweden now- the yganisation was a far cry from dome$tic payss&family tci enableone parent t o technology w a when the locus of ~ r o d u c -, ,nduspy and liberal reformers became tion shifted from the holm t o the stay .@home, and in one out o f every increasingly anxious to protect the *we&Not thatihe hanges wereimmdia*.So e r k k M n k T h e result of their efforts ten fwikies i t is the husband who takes on tite'role. lh Britain today there is still .-%re* was thegumption thatall members ^ ,was factory legislation banishing children a s t r h g case being made for equal pay. the ptayed prodwtive ,t~ the world of tk b m ~ to the &d with gradually went women to, roles that the whoie FenriHism factory - men, women and children. In 5 tend them.ã time on * h n o l m wasdefinitely a male preserve.

The facton A new feminism has'developed. I n 1968 not (he homewas now the ten Betty Friedan wrote 'The Feminine Mystique'. She~pri^i;q&t-sti'e cattet) the problem that Kasno farnel;'the as-'

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%is is all very interesting you may b l thinking, but Undercurre~tsreade~sy e ' " n&t trade union oficiais. But many are or could be union members. We can ,. hhse get nominated through our branches to It is lack chiM-care provision that wades councils whkh establish links ,, - with othpunions many become hOwwqkers and workpl+es in thek one of the m s t exploited groups of areas. Wexan join environmental goups + w o r k r ~arand-Their ?Osition pr-a like SERA with trade union links. All -th-&e c h a n ~ l s are hailable tc~help spark off campaigns that will get women (and) men) thinking critically about Qdchnology in the tiroadest %nw,and developing- the.^ confid@nce-that through collective organisation they w n chalrenge +me of i t s < unwanted effects on their five% If we can't demonstrate the felevance~, of AT b~ the 'woman in the stffiet' then

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nvolved trade unionists - which inc4dem ally mans a few male trade unionists hanging their attitudes about the division , ~flabour at home.

-he period since the second world war has seen major changes i n the elationship between industry, technology and the state. The Welf 5 just one o f the things that has grown o u t o f the needs of late ca ut the way it is affected b y the current crisis has particular impli QrWomen. Susie Lobbenburg explains why. grammes of welfare to contain unrest WESTERN WOMEN'S traditional role amongst those classes affected by the )f provider of support and care to huscrisis and to ensure the continuance )and and children has been taken over of an adequately healthy and suitably icreasmgly by the state in the 20th centrained workforce.

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As a r e w k o f the cuts. manv welfare services, particularly hospitals, nurseries etc, have been arbitrarily closed, Teaving many women not only jobless h t also with the burden of coping with small children, the elderly and sick lfi the home as before* but t h i s time in the isolation of the nuclear family and in a situation where the erosion o f wage levels due to inflation makes such extra demands on the family income virtually impossible to sustain. W small children who have work outside the home the family income have give up their jobs as the been closed down. Som most exploitative form pensation - homework~ng. individual family is being farced t6 b& the brunt o f the crisis

Workers and consumeis However, many women wh9,kave been affected both as consumen Of anad workers in the welfare servicesh'aw , been organising t o save their s ~ i c in e ~ ways that look promising for the future. *.

For example South Oxford Nursery class was occupied two days before it was due to close earlier this year, after a Nursery Campaign was formed by parents and teachers to fight the clmure. Since the occupation the class has been run by parents and teachers to fight the closure Since the occupation the class has been run by parents and supporters with the backing of NUPE and with the help of donations sent in from outside. Another example is the Hounslow Hospital o pation where hospital workers and t unionists built up a high degree of organising ability and forced the mana ment into considering reopeniqg tbg ,, ,, hospital. : . . n . e self help aspect of such tions paves the way for genuine work*community control over such essentikl , crlsls B,rltl!h c,apl,ta[m' itself in - that of d:eclinin~ri~b~~ , .-sewices and could work to bring ab@E ' N e stae reinforc~ e hation3 . ,.;vnds .~ the development of co-operative strue;:: need fcir rebuilding th ble family . ?<ofi.tabiIiw -has necessita,kd,.3&- + . "tUres sewing cOmmuniw need' Fw' , $ :Ti& iyts:in public 3pendin.g in .pde$:ihat, ; and women's provisio ch!ap m d is' movemen' there is a z * . ?de~baFeresources are fqund ?+i:tb$ d k i j e jibo&. &, Elizabeth Wilson i n the prdu$'' ."; -f~rwOmnt yhO : ; , , ,c:ri@p@ssaw testructuring-of:produ$ti6h: Women and fie &/fare state points these sewice$> aspect i n a huge r6ver3afiii ' s out, @e wvefidge Report which he*&&, :.,'ii-tiii has~~esulted , .' become more active in their trades :.;.?% Vend for,women's empl ed famiIy alfowances, nufierip ~ t was c unions to gain the confidence t o #I$ : S ~ N ~ W S S ~ C C $e we,so~ial. o d y s&ialist in name and merely cloak-3 such political and smial action. Their.

72 i~; irr:1977/8 quB of £101 m ed an inherently.cwiplist economy involvement in the Trade Union .m,d.b-. r e ~ n i n all g the v w p , n ~ of ~ ~ ~ i a c h y*"" . , ina~e,,~nsluding £2 millio ment will help gain a br'oad base sup,p6rj NHS, £4 milJionin educ for occupations, and similar actions as Fxbansion and cbntkcti well as for campaigning for resoucces tf'~ ,trades unionists join together with COWThe Welfare Statk has i r e rnunity activists in demanding such ed in the last 30 Years and there hmbeen resources while taking over and c o t l e c ~ i ~ a coficomitant r i e ' i n the j Thls isqssentid if **:,. tivising self help movement isn't to be subtJy:w plaited by governments caught k w = e ? the need to make cuts to protect capird These jotis are l*nw m d DI$: and the need to pacify those suffering., w&n, d o haqe,bem encouraged t o , k o m the cuts in order to,maintain thk ., co+%t of the home t~ perform im,fhE stabi ~fthe State. , .. services more specialised~versionsof , *ir work it$ *e home. For many yea& ,.S~sieL o b h b i , the lack of a tradition o f upionisation 1 .~mt six Mntks $& &r o% for the s ~ ~ b b t b*eFmd a d l%ekIikCeaA S ~ c i a t i o ~ a n ,

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atrlarcnal language and thought doesn't llow women t o say what they want t o IY. N'omen want t o express Ideas, thoughts, s l m ~ l ycannot =fin@ which uvress. Therefore, women, denied a power11 language o f thelr own - a non-patriarha1 one - remain silent or often become >after an attempt t o explain what they nd important. Women d o have thelr own mguage and also their own ways o f thlnk~g.Women are beginning t o define them31~12sand speak out i n public more and lore. For this we must use our own )ought and language i f we are t o have a x i e t y equally defined by women and )en.

It is a great ploy o f patriarchal thought maintain that if we disagree with one ling must therefore support another; )at if'we,argue for one cause we must e against the opposite; that i f we disgreewith pure intellect we must suportpure feeling; that i f we support ,omen we must hate men, These are exeme examples but clear ones o f the otion o f thesis and antithesis. Thesis i s l e first thought or argument and anti~esisis the secondary one, specifically esigned t o test the first. This method Fargument is basic t o the way ideas are iscussed in Patriarchy - in the academic orld, i n personal relationships, in public fe. It hardly need be stated that most eopfe realise that life is much more , ~ m p l i c a t e dthan eitherlor situations. /hat does need t o be stated, as an examle o f how deeply the eitherlor pervades atriarchal thinking is that i f women ?ase t o support men 100% we aren't :cessarily threatening them; that by :ating our own thoughts, interests, ,orries, we aren't trying t o destroy any: ling else, we are supporting each other, efining ourselves - and this last after mturies o f being defined. This leads us I be against Patriarchy and for a new fe style, One which must involve new leas and thoughts and, I would argue, new way o f thinking. Feminist thought the obvious and public way that women .e upsetting the patriarchal tliesis/antiiesis thought pattern.

Patriarchal thesislantithesis is a form f communication (really?) that is familr t o all of us. A person niakes an obserition, expresses an opinion and another r others, disagrees, disputes, amends or 2stroys it. I f you're talking about someling non-controversial and to someone ou know well and are sympathetic with ou'll get mildly critical responses. I f ou're talking about something controvera1 - politics, feminism --- you might well rovoke unpleasantly severe ones.

Or will you?

This form o f discussion or argument ~esislantithesis- is so deeply ingrained I most of us that it's n o t something that easily noticed. By and large i t is assumi that this is what thought is, that this 3

Do men and women speak a different language?

Womens' political frustrations have led to an emphasis on personal development - and thus to an awareness that the personal is political . . this could be one of women's great contributions to the radical movement.

Here Mary Coghill looks at the different ways that men and women talk to one anotner . . . is what discussion is, that this is how arguments are built up (the less heated kind) or shouted (the haranguing kind may the loudest voice win). It is even hard t o imagine how else ideas may be discussed. But there are other ways.

There is the question and respLnse situation where the questiotier deliberately wants t o understand and benefit from that which the other person thinks and knows; there is the open-ended discussion, p o i n t added t o point t i l l each person contributing has added a new colour t o the picture; there is the sympathetic discussion with one person doing most o f the contributing and the other eliciting the views, points, arguments, either because they know already that they agree with the other person or because they want the other person t o unwind and unfold, or clarify and expound embryonic ideas. There is no thesis/anthithesis%asis for these sorts o f discussion. They are far too fluid and complex for such a rigid basis.

These ways o f talking about things are usually assumed to be informal ways ~ n are d used by, for example, a group o f people talking about a file over a cup o f tea, two people exchanging opinions o f a meeting they went to, a harrassed mother talking t o another about babysitting problems, women building each other's confidence in a consciousnessraising group.

Here I deliberately use women based examples because these methods of discussion and talking are typically ways which are connected with women and which women do use. They aren't assumed, by Patriarchy, to be the ways in which public decisii3ns are rnade, I n Patriarchy women aren't usi~allyactive in public decision-making - - women care, feel

understand, they aren't expected t o know, decide, and act. Thus these last mentioned methods o f discussion are held t o be informal, not public and o f course less important.

The results are conditioned by the method used!

These discussion methods that I mentioned first, based on the thesislantithesis are the methods which are used t o 'make a point', 'hammer or thrash out the argument', 'carry the day', 'beat the oppo. sition', etc, etc. It i s with these methods that debates and meetings are conducted and public decisions are made, These are the formal ways o f discussing things point reply point reply, antagonism thrown t o get the adrenalin going. A loud voice helps, Persistence is vital and a desire not t o listen t o the 'opponent' except for purposes o f finding holes in his (sic) argument, absolutely essential.

What kind o f communication is this?

Abysmal. Ultimately i t must lead t o a, situation where one combatant is routed (perhaps derisively, even cruelly), and the other, red faced and triumphant. So what? Is this sort o f approach, where one person at the end o f the day is the apparent upholder o f the 'Truth' and 'Facts', really going t o allow discussion and thought? Is constructive thought possible whilst under attack?

We see in the ascendent, a method o f thinking which perpetuates an aggressive stand. Once you're on the defensive you're lost. It's all very military. The end result is the stating o f a single 'fact'.

Often it's mcrely a banal and trite statement which by way o f the ease that it has t o be said in order t o be rapped out before the now flagging opponent can

woman talking women talkbg.. ~ o m etalking i women talkir

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ns dismrised as no good ra?er tbq valid and varied contr~but~ons to 4 ~mplexpicture.

Women, now we can see a little r n w , ~ a r l ywhy public haranguingJand .;bate are so alien t o us, why it's so to feel a part o f a public discussion, Women, through experience, a@ m o k " used t o ' i n f o w l ' or 'women's'meth!#$ tes , +d of thinking. But need we, simply b e Lcause we want t o know, decide, act, have to do so i n the way patriarchal ledge, n o t as something which existed - .. * thought maintains that we should$fn wtside himselcbut Snecessarily part ~ e c t i & $ # , p- mder to be public people,do we WG of himself ?and it usually is a%e), how h o t h e r important aspect of p a t r k 6 a I to abandon the ways o f discussjngthat could he bear the respflsibiliw of thought is the notion o f objectivity. we like and are used t o - the sympt~hethaving personafly use49tis kno*ledge be an idea To be hjective % ma ,ic listening, the encouragement, t k tucreate bombs, etc? Thus we redeflne way t o understand. To make an objective emphasis on possible agreements and -subjec!iviw>and effecgyuy $ve an sim*cisiOn~ study an instead continually look for holes, ' example of the uselessness of the notion ply to be objm've. Somehaw *e word inaccurwies, mistakes; continualtyasbw# of o p p o s i ~ . k e c m s synonymous with being thordown, interrupt, refuse to listen? No ow&, complete, excellent, impartial. + one person can know everythingmmy,, However, any thwght, study etc. origiwoman &ought ' ,one can always find fault, but the imnated with a person or people. It n W0mn'S Ways of thinkiw simPb CanW portant thing is t o find the bases of iherefore literally impossible t o mainlead t o fhwsame dead endsand &* agreement 50 that we can act together tain that anything can do away with the pmsibiiity, One cannet wjn, lo%, end as much as possible, not to beat d w n . persond element and be objective. up with a simple truth, 'fact', ultimate ~demerge a Jone hero on a last diwh Thought of this 'objective' kind is SW% single and unchmging dfcisiort if one's and for 'Truth'. av acceptable ~ o ain l Patriarchy that di$cussions are conducted on the basis It is these basic differences i n thc&t having expressed oneself i n ffiis way o w o f everyone having their say, the empl ktterns which are leading to an awareseems t o have made an rmp~rtantconk i n g On findim points of agkegent wssof not only patriarchy but of , tribution to a 'body o f knowledge' that rather than disagreement, on drawing 'Alternative Patriarchy'. Men, even if exists. This 'Knowledge' is the source of w r y o n e intocthe discussion, and they wish in the alternative movdm&tW fh~oughsupport deciding tktake actim 'Truthf and 'Facts'. But it is really only seem unaware of %&!. wpport a prejudiced acceptance of patriarchal on all the things that are agreed upon, . own methods of thought and thus s6tP. thought. By ignoring the personal e l e leaving the disagreements and differenccannot be supportive of women i n the \ men$ the ability to be objective is only q to be worked on further. Such way that women would like t o be sup-. the patriarchal sublimation of some WPr0ach~slead t o continuat d e ~ e l ~ ported. Worse, they are also frequentfy few people's ideas, usually men's into m n t and n e d r deadlocked finality. unkind and antagonistic to wome,n~hnd~ - These ways o f hording meetings and Ideas o f Thought - note the c w i d ?he women's movement in their in .letters. These are held t o be the most making decisions Kave been the foqndaence on patriarchal thou&t patter ti@m for the new Women's Movement important and represent the most prestigand inability to appreciate, accept It has, all aiong, made a conscious ious ideas. respect women's, #fort to create ankl establish ways o f Of course Patriarchy needsan o p ~ + . site to balance this 'objectivity' and this , t#hinking+deci&ng, acting, &at, discardim patriarchal methods, give importis subjectivity. This is the personal, the ance t o the new non-coppetitive, now emotional, the kind o f thought that dienating, embracitlg and mclusive , women are supposed to be akin to. And t o understand and find their own place WAYSo f invoIvement,,thoUght an$ j ; Patriarchy insists, of course, that if one withrn their movement they often desdisagrees with the qbjective one is sure n prstice this mean; &t d&f$io&, , 'troy their own avowed position by not iy a supporter o f the subjective. This is understanding the structure of the sup ma& only with the maximum n o t a t all true. The wbjectivity o f portive discussion. They can become Patriarchy is defined by the old @ m e definitely destructive not just non-SUPtion v e w s intellect &rational though p portive. They still demand a 'final' ' argument. The new subjectivity, that e x p w s "dbctivity as a decision, a summing up of the import-' ant points (a system which, in patriarch* rendering o f tha person f5fFyyd,?pV-W $: #hands, invariably leaves out the *

pick holes i n it, is merely a shwt p h r W of considerable uselessness.

These methods o f discussion by way of their public usage and the patrimhal demand for decisions, truth, are public, formal and important thought patterns.

In Patriarchy men are the public sex and thus almost always the decision wkers. These are therefore ways o f thjnking which are typiml,ly connectea with men.

element or subjective in everything.

Subjectivity therefore becomes a new understanding o f how thought and thinker are linked ~ n therefore d of how any thought must and can,be accounted for. The personal is political.

W ~ t hobjective thought one can have jrresponsible thought, the scientist who,,

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personal and the emotional) and s t approac tuation expectw trying to establish any kind of a new of their training and identification with mat you will oe nsiened to, certainty society which truly involves women the,, patriarchal public discussion methods + we must and can expect that we shall be of manner is a great help: actively ask feel they (can only contribute to, and for and arrange women's help from able to voice them in the way that we hasten the result, the one clear solution, other women in the group and if men mtto. particularly if thisisthe way of the debate by talking and deciding look as if they're going t o dominate that we do feel comfortable about conwithout ensuring that all people . with endless speeches, don't hesitate tributing. (especially women) have spoken and to bring the discussion overtly back t o are a happy part ofthe outcome of the The patterns and the women. The really importan? thing for to speak, A who discussion.

Patriarchy do differ. When there's action to be taken, decisions t o be made, the There is a growing women's awareness has spoken has begun t o participate, mixed group - already usuall~mostly of the difficulty that there are inworkseveral women speaking are bound t o maled- falls back on its more familiar ing in mixed groups when the women influence decisions. If we feel our ideas patter? of the patriarchal winning arguhave a feminist consciousness. I n spite be important we must give theman menc the final decision, and ignores o f everything women often retire defeatimportant place and see that everyone thoughts, feelings expressed with lack ed, withdraw from the group or project else does too. o f confidence, or the women who don't withbut giving reasons or feel they 'would rather do something else'. why?

And why, when the alternative movement lays such stress On talking thn i gs,;^,through, makirig gfbup kiisions, eve++'; one having their say, do the women ' - * often feel they can't stay within the. group and work things out? ; Well, women do see themselves very often as carers, supporters) gurturers, and men like them that way for obvious re'asbns.* This makes it all the harder for. us* be anything pig. Also men, havinr avested interest in our continuing t o 'carers' - with us behind them they ,deed never face the Patriarchy i n themselves - will be actively and sometimes very subtly hostile to our beinganything else. There are many ways i n which are put down b y men i n mixed yo& groups. These are a few: by not even assuming that the women have anything Hie specifically want to sy; b y conti ously not allowing women to finish what they ate saying; b y not following up a woman's suggestion, just changing . the subject by getting heated (aggressive) whilst not even really answering a poinQ ', by repeating what a woman has just , -Patriarchy's main aim and need is t o saidbut i n new words as i f h e had said , say anything (and who afterwardssay they weren't interested really and could keep women uncertain and silent, and it first; by wasting time, simply talking never work out these sort of things anymen, tending to think along p.atriarchal at great length - by assuming it is imway). %cause it's quicker t o make a lines - thesislantithesis - will often portent that he speak or that he must respond to women's desire for change ha& something new or important t o say - decision without insisting on the involvemerit and encouragement of everybody towards women's defining and away when in fact he's only repeating previous " the old familiar patriarchal fought from men's defining very antagonisticalpoints. With such insensitivity and even Patterns once again assert themselves ly. They can only see women's withdrawunpleasant egoism manifesting itself,itls and the women who aren't even thinking a) of support of meh and men's ideas as easy to see how a woman feels quite along patriarchal lines anyway are a threat t o themselves. It is nothing o f unable to contribute anything o f her 'silenced again. In terms of patriarchal the kind, it is women speaking out, mn.e!f to the group. Women who tend thought patterns women and Woman- women growing. And the more" we to support and care by habit will find thought don't have foothold or speak in the supportive and flexible It alt the harder t o accept the assertiveways which are familiar to us, the more ness, confidence, rudeness even that it , even existence, they are actually in a - different territory. This is the central we will be confident about speaking takes to bring the discussion anto he, p o i n t o f lack of understanding between and deciding, and the less Patriarchy own ground and into her own terms. feminism, women's thought and Patriarwill succeed In its aims. Now that We are more than justcarers And let's t^Y. And I suggest it is the basic difficulwomen are understanding how they not fall into the thesis/antithesispattern W of working in a mixed Soup. like to think and act in a pon-patriarchwhere we think well if we don't care and a) way and realise how this changes the nurture we must be selfish and unpleas- . a practical suggestion as to how structure o f thought patterns and thereant. This i s nonsense and illogical. We to cope, it's always a help t o have a , fore decision-making and ensuing action, have our own needs, aims, wishes, ideas, ' women's group ,.,ithi, the mixed group we can hasten i t s and we must and want to put them foror project, thisprovides support, increassays she discovered the energy ofthe ward. And if we are trying to establish es confidence by exchanging views - Mary women's movement three years ago. She set any kind o f a new society which truly supported by female and therefore up 'Beyond Patriarchy Publications with PaG familiar thought patterns. All this will line Long and has written essays and poetry *Uriyam they can bulldoze actions through give the energy needed if you're going tm pubUcation, to date: .,Is It dowrthout feeling, think without caring - and to hold your own in the mixed meeting. in a Group" and "If Wo. &t away with it. Men will always be able to Men are un"?d women tal king in men Want to Speak what L-e do They do things without being sensitive or be continpublic, let alone talking a l o that the n.iii, exposed to h i t i v i t y if there is SOWUse." These are both available from PDC,27 o* behind them (thewing nurturing woman) aren't going to even assume &at -enwell Close, -on EC1R OAT all time to pick up everyone'spieces.

01-251 4967; need time to speak. It helps enormously T-

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Womem Unaercurrenis

Contraceptive priorities are mainly ietermined by profit motivation. Drug companies perform most research and are obviously more interested i n chemical methods needing continued manufacturing than 'natural' methods. Doctor 'ely on drug company literature for mucl >ftheir information thus it is not surpris ing that they too stress chemicals. They assume we can't cope with caps and charts and spend little time on explanations of methods, risks and side effects, traception. Without controlling our fertility we will always be excluded especially if we are coloured or poor. from the higher ranks of science and technology. We welcomed the 'Pill' ..They cannot offer us less reliable forms of contraception, due to the low availaten years ago as a liberator, but now, after much widespread use, we bility o f NHS abortions. Their attitudes are beginning to have doubts. Although assuming the right to freedom reflect the poor status of family planning of sexuality we don't want the consequences. The technology which 3s a discipline within medicine and the provided the contraceptives and their 'side' effects is a male technology beginnings of the Family aimed at population control and profits. The circle is vicious. I f we want :,+ \L+hing As50ciation, asafe and effective form of birth control we must infiltrate the scientific ;,;',t,,.~~members of women~sgroups and network and change the priorities and methods. What are the current ; readel-? o f alternative magazines we are areas of contraceptive research? Who doesthe research and who makes exposed t o ideas of alternative methods ' decisions? I f more women had been involved would things be different? but We'&ust spread these to doctors and to'other less~infofri&l women and IN"ITE Of its 'Ide effects' the pi" tion, andrology (the study of male physioencourage'moke sejf-help, education and is still the most popular form of contra- ": logy and reproductive "gans) discussion. iffe'geed to regain understand ception. I t is easy and makes us constantremains a vary minor discipline. Can we ing and confidence i n the control of our ly ,available,. It is 99%effective (if you , trust men to be interested and responsible? own bodies. *;-!'

2 remember to take it, and yet although -Surely i f they are to share childcare and Finally, we musqconsider decisionmost have tried it, many middle housework they must also share birth making structures. The policy-makers class women are giving it up. control. Reversible vasectomy may Prove of the drug companies, private organha-, Only 21% of women under 25 with to be a safe, effective means of birth con(ions and government bodies carrying university education were takin it in trol but as usual, i t s research i s underout research are mainly male. The Inter1975 compared to 43% overall.' The financed. Finally, we need more research agency committee on population women giving i t up are turning to other , into methods of early pregnancy abortion t Research establishedin 1970 which methods, often those which receive little such as pessaries and .recommends federal policy in the USA attention. Barrier methods such as the menstrual extraction. consists of 19 male and 1 female comcap and sheath are the second most We have been subjected to unfavourable, mittee members. The Population Counci popular form o f contraception and yet methods (like the Pill and IUD) which 5 -?private organisation, has 4 women and in 1976 only $l/zmillion of the $70 were insufficiently tested before largemillion spent worldwide on contracep1 4 men on their board of trustees.' scale release. I t seems that there i s often :Thus the malority of decision makers are live research was devoted to them2 inadequate monitoring and lack of cornnot directly affected by their decisions.

Even less money i s spent on rhythm pllance with testing requirements2, many methods or 'natural' birth control which We live in a male-dominated society. of the People being tested being unaware relies on cervical mucous change^.^ The Until this changes we will continually few studies done have shown the latter of their role and thus unprotected from " ' be-exploited by inappropriate priofiies to be effective only when carried out by. : hazardous drugs and devices. Massive trials 2and biased decisions and until the struc,ofpotentially lethal substances still condetermined people who can 'abstain' ' %re ofsocie changes we must continui during fertile periods. Most people can't. . - tinue in the 3rd world (Depo-Pkovera , i' to discuss andstudy the different conand anti-pregnancy vaccines). Scientific However, devices to measure ovulation '6acentive methods, and, using women's time accurately are being developed4 research is a predominantly male occupagroups and magazines such as this one, which will allow us to use barrier methods tion, competitiveness and aggression set up national and international inform. when fertile (mucous checking by obser- -' (traditionally unfeminine qualities) being ti06 netw~rks, Virginia Lawrencr ,' vation requires that no sperrnicidals or' all important. Over 80% of contraceptiveI am amedical student and a feminist and sperm be present). North American , investigators in the USA were male ip became particularly interested in the area 1976'. This seems absurd considering Indian women use herbs to co'ntrol ' of women8 health when1 realized the fertility of which eight have been proven they'll never use the methods they're * ' ,.biases that I was being taught. studying. Within the women's movement clinically effective and fifty-one may conReferences knowledge grows from small groups outtain active ingredientss (they may of 1 . Recent trends in family building and , wards. How would we approach contracourse prove to be as toxic as the Pill)." traception by Anne Cartwnght - HM ceptive testing? Groups of women would Lunar cycles based on astrological .

2, T of the National ~ Wornens ~ ~ , design a trial and then test methods and positions at the time of birth have also ~~~~~~k to the Hearingson Contrace analyse results. The researcher/subject Research before the House Select COI been shown to be u ~ e f u l These .~ alterI mitte: on Population. roles would become one and results would native methods are all cheap and access3- we hope to Print an article about alterna'depend on' measurable data together with ible weding neither continuous supplies live methods in a future issue of Undersubjective feelings. In this way, other of chemicals nor extensive medical currents. supervision. Their effectiveness must effects such as depression Or headaches 4, I p n i t pknning perspectives, vol. 8 , N ~ , however be firmly proven before advoca- ' would not be dismissed as trivial and 5 , SeOt./Oct 1976. (describes the viscolongterm effects could be discovered ting more widespread use. Another area meter to measure the viscosity of mucous).' worthy of more research i s male contrabefore risking huge populations. Many ' Research in Reproduction, VOI 10, Jan. 7th 1978 describes an indicator test paper. women would need to be involvedfor ception which in 1975 received only 6% 5 . .The Use of Herbal Birth Control Among of the budget o f the World Health long periods, but they would be aware Indian Women of North America by Organisation task force on contraception. that they were taking risks and motivated Barbara Kean in North Healing, A male pill is on trial but the side towards acceptable results: a July 29th, 1977. effects are still considered too great.' cheap, effective, accessible, means of 6. Natural Birth Control by Meredy Benson, Although men say they'd use contracepbirth control.

Seed, Val. 5, No. 9. /

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H o w m a n y hours m u s t a w o m a n scend o n a n assemblv line nuttinc lgether a Liberation washing machine in order to earn enough m e buv. s i

are n o w a l o t o f gooas on t h e market t h a t are claimed t o m a k e a , woman's job easier. It is frequently implied t h a t these goods 'liberate' women - indeed there is a make of washing machine called 'Liberator'!

D o w o m e n use t h e technology in t h e home t o liberate themselves? Can this level o f technological development be justified even if it does 'liberate' women? I have t r i e d t o examine these questions b y looking at t h e w a y women use technology in t h e h o m e and whether it liberates them. This is based o n a study o f a small group o f f u l l t i m e mothers/wives and carried o u t in 1977. Finally, t h e implications f o r t h e Women's Liberation Movem e n t and t h e Alternative ment2areutwian i n theiraims. However, rnfeminists would consider,the future offer4 alternative techno lo^ as "~Preisive ~ - than liberating, with men Stiff i n control. The Alternative Technology Movement places much weight on the social changes which would accompany thetechnological changes in the ideal fu@re,'but, fail to give enough consideration t o the relationships between men and produced for use in the home, a ' -,, women.

The contradictions which are revealed , b e t w e e n the two movements show themselves on a s.inall scale in the lives of the and 37% a food mixer (source: women in thesurvey. The women appear Group Index - British Market to be rejecting some item, of 'clanestic essential. However, on further investigaBureau). technotogy'. Is this a glimmer o f hope for tion it emerged that some women used However, f i e idea that women are alternative Whnolo8Y ift a world sb vacuum cleaner every day as part of the lust passive consumers of all this techtechndogi ally oriented. Yet they are the housework 'ritual' whether the floors nology is too simple. My study showed very de&nt on washing machjnes and needed c'eaning Or not- 'Ijust run the that the relationship between the woman 'vacuum cleaners to free them t o do things ~,.hooverover the carpet' ishow one and 'domestic technology' i s more comwomen described it. But of course the - ,- other than housework; whether they do plex As far as the manufacturer is cont h i n s is another issue but the potential tinie;taken to (to that every day adds up cerned consumption takes place when for Women t o brealt from theirtraditional toquite a lot of time on needlessly cleanthe article i s sold to the customer, regardrole is encouragingf ~women's t liberation. '$ carpets.

Similarly with washing less of how much it is subsequently used.

What are the implications of this for machines, clothes were.washed more But from the customer's point of view, the future? It would seem that the'liberafrequently,than necessary because i'tw possessing the article i s not the same as tion ofwpr&n,(and.of men?) lies in a sQeasy just to 'throw them into the consumption. The study showed that society which i s reorganised on a commachine and switch it on'. domen think several ~ e m m 'domestic f ' pletely different basis. The available tech' - f:rom thissrna'l study technology' would make life easier. Only nology would be i n harmony with the 'liberation from when they actually owned the article die environment and (he relationships belittle to dd'&th technology but With they realise that i t did not meet their otherness tangible factors. The study did tween people would such that One needs. Tumble driers.*ere found to be group could not and would not exploit di d with their * far too expensive to ruh; many gadgets another. Thus women wonld,no longer time when they were ,not doing housetook so long to set up and involved so as d e t y , be exploited by men. fn work $0 no,judgem&tcan be made of much more washing up that i t was easier housework would be removed from the whether thewomen were liberafed in and quicker to do the job by hand, for exclusive domainiof women - everyone the example an electric grater compared wit1 w^ty%.would share the drudgery. tf women a hand grater Many items Were not used What theworn& whoare no&ft27~t were Â¥itil c o n t h d .to the domestic sphere -feminists because woman had no call to use them. who " '.-*-"they would surely resist any attempts t o e;it mo~ers/wives,-fhe If a woman doesn't make cakes then a ."remove the technology which reduces 'have two'iobs - unpaid motherlwifqand food mixer lie u@sed,'jn a drawer. > !. ,  ¥ Paid iob outside the horne?The wonÈ %f1"""gery.' ~h~ articlesthat were no,t,used tended to who receive, the average women's yag@f- *-' *$The future is oJJ^~.in v*'^ both be the 'trimmings' to housework, like :%e 'hardware' (the teqhno1ogy)tand the 64% of the foodmixers, floor polishers, electric carv- . - E45 Per week - still social relationships must change. But man's wage? liberating is ing kn ives, electric ti n openers and such how t o reach this utopia from this preslike. They were also on the whole smaller 'domestic tecfindiog~for them? klow ^Y hours*musfthese women spend 0 cheaper items. Some had been requested a" assembly ling ~~ttirlg-together the as wedding presents and given when the 'Liberator' washing machine in order t couple set up hone' earn enough to buy the'washing machi that 'liberates' them for further exploi r about tRree years. Alternatiw Liberation through techno1 technology has been something that I tibn?

My survey suggested that the The working week is 37 hours, the cost '~~~~~ liberation from drudgery (measu o f the Liberator i s £215the average University Course: Man-madeFutures the hours spent on housework) achieved woman'$ wage is £4per week -so she a coursein technology and design. I am inex-iecalwokerandcommunity worker by individual women i s strongly influcncmust work 185 h o p at a job that could cd by the attitudes a woman has and the be asniuch dfUdgW qswaqhing clothes. . and a*p*aartafull-timemother Of two- , ~--.r. b.*h...?

Wh=vmt-'ifta ~:&&~.&;AAW1 \I 1') % ose who spent less ti& on husbands. work had more help fro, eyyere also more sympathetic to the , o ~-5 aims of the women's Liberation ~

assume that the majority of worn involved in caring for the members family. They may do this in conjun with a paid job outside the home o may be their sole occupation. To a'

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senseUnderstood if

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wornens unaercurrenis went, ims is even more imperative. But it seems that in childbirth especially the1 is effort only to be medically correct: to produce babies that live, irrespective o f their emotional needs or those of their mother. The process is an assembly-line set-up, and the probability that the birth attendants will be strangers to the motht heightens the 'baby factory' feeling. Hov I t is government policy to encourage all women to have their babies in has this situation evolved? hospital. Technology is now part of the birth process with routine inIn history, says Danae Brook in her ductions and drugs given as a matter of routine. Linda Welch explains book, 'Nature Birth', women were reverJW she and her husband tried to have things done their own way. ed as the rightful birth attendantsywith generations of experience in the ritual and practice of birth behind them. Men were. Everything went smoothly, and AFTER TRYING FOR THREE were called in to assist in abnormal delivwe were home again the same day she iviONTHS t o find a doctor or midwife i n eries, making use of their experience in was born. The only minor hassle was our area who would agree t o a home lambing and foaling. But women were in with a nurse who took my temp. and delivery, my husband and I gave up the charge. Gradually though, birth rights,, blood pressure and then wouldn't tell struggle and decided t o concentrate our along with women's other rights, were, efforts on trying t o get a quiet and hometaken away. Brook says: like delivery for our baby (the first) in 'By the end o f the 15th century, hospital. We wanted the child to be witches were hunted and burned I delivered onto my stomach, where her throughout Europe. The so-called breathing would become normalized witches were for the most part laybefore the cord was cut. healers, especially midwives. fhey There wasn't one doctor or midwife representedf political, religious, afid I spoke to who seemed to think us capsexual threat to the Protestant and able of making these decisions for ourCatholic churches. 'Witchcraft' was selves. I was told I'd be putting my baby never clearly defined, but it was a at risk; I was chided for being 'not useful word to cover political subveryoung, you know' at the age o f 27; 1 sion.

Female healing was labelled was told plainly by one doctor that, heresy, lewdness, and blasphemy although he agreed with me in principle, Midwives were accused o f having he didn't like being told what to do. , 'magical' powers. ' When our last hope, the local 'liberal' The reverend's Kramer and Sprenger, in medicine, told me that if I wanted special care, I'd have to pay for it, John in their 'Malleus Malificarum ', a 15th and I became convinced that the only century witch-hunters code book, say of my business! The elation I felt at the way to have any responsibility for the 'No-one does more harm to the Catholic sight of my tiny slippery dark-haired birth of our child would be to do i t church than the midwife', as well as this daughter got me through that one. But ourselves at home. So, we started readgeneral jab at womankind, 'When womar I think there is a serious question here. ing and preparing. thinks alone, she thinks evil'. The mood There is, in my experience, a general of the times is easily recaptured. attitude in the NHS that assumes people Brook goes on to describe how by don't know anything about what ails Medical favours? the twentieth century, men, wielding them, and they need to be commandeernewly-discovereddrugs like holy water, I wrote this'liberal' doctor a letter, ed into dumbly following doctor's orders. 'seduced women into oblivion' so that explaining our plan. I told him that we Because doctors are in that awe-and'pregnant women, knowing very little understood the risks involved, but that obedience-inspiring position occupied about themselves and the nature o f birth if taking risks was the only way to take only by other super-authoritarian figures and seeking relief from an experience responsibility, we were quite willing to in our lives, i.e. parents, teachers, employthey had been led to believe was fearful do that. I asked him if I could continue ers, I believe they have a special responsiand uncontrollably painful, turned from in his pre-natal care until the delivery. bility, a responsibility as great as their nature (and instinct) to man. As she lost A few nights after reading the letter, to break down those barriers the doctor came to visit. He said he'd !nddeJ'direct,y with their patients. ~ d - faith i n herself, she inevitably lost faith in other women.. . Technology turned never lost a patient yet, and that, as he mittedly, time is short and physicians are its own inventions into new myths, the valued his reputation, he'd be willing overworked. But the very word health to make an exception in our case and myth of the infallible machine managed implies more than just a functioning body. agree to our admittedly few and unby the infallible man'.

I f the medical professions are to deal with troublesome requests. We were surprised our health, then they must, by definition, NHS approval and happy, and we told him so. Undeal with us as people first, and not just fortunately, throughout the rest of my syslcnis to repair.

Hopefully we don't require a return pregnancy there was-aprevailing feeling to pre-medieval times to regain our Baby assembly line ' that, in fact, he was doing us a big favour. fundamental connection with outselves.

In childbirth, when there is so much I found this whole exchange particuour intuitive understanding of how we more to consider than just the physical larly ironic later when I discovered just work. I belie how little chance there was of his being involved in my delivery. Of course, he would retain ultimate responsibility officially, but our requests involved only the moment of birth, were not tricky or risky in the least, and required o f him only a few words attached to my records.

As it turned out, the birth of our daughter was a glorious event. We had a midwife who, luckily and quite arbitrarily, was interested in the same things we

our senses

were checked with a level, tor would not hug property. The

Wornens Undercurrents

fourteen times

facings too big rather than too small as they could always be plan ed to fit. Having decided on 25mn expanded polystyrene as the insulation, a material that would help give rigidity to the shutters, the edgings of the leaves were l a d e from 25mm x 25mm unplar ed softwood. The two edgings for the long side of each leaf were cut out fist, the full length of the facing, and these were glued and pinned to the ply facing with PVA ghie and panel pins. Two more pieces of edging were cut to fit on the two short sides, with internal cross pieces at intervals of approximately 400mm, all b& glued and pinned into place. The panel pins were placed well in from the edges of the shutters so as not to be in the way when the edges were planed. When all the framing had been fixed to one facing, pieces of expanded polystyrene were cut to fit tightly in the spaces between the wooden members and pushed into place.

Glue was spread on the frame and the other facing was then pinned into position. The leaf was then left to dry. The other leaves were made up in the same way.

When dry, the shutters had to be pinned so that they fitted snug ly into the new frame. We used a' jointer plane with the blade set to cut very shallow (the shutters were made at the local evening dasses where we could get all the right tools). A long plane was important so there was less chanci of finishing with concave edged shutters that did not meet in the middle. The fit of the shutters wa! checked frequently to avoid planing off too much. For the short ends the plane was used from the rides to the middle to prevent sell ling the end grain of the edgings.

The Ă&#x192;§hutterleaves were hung fsom the frame with butt hinges recessed into the shutter and tram Once the shutters were hinged in place a strip of softwood as sold for doorstop (finished size 8mm x 19mm) was nailed to the frame for them to clole against. A small brass knob was fixed to each twoleafed pair of sh tiers to open them by but, although we had pla ned to use bolts to hold them together when shut, these were found unnecessary aa the shutters closed tightly together. The frame was treated withiclear Sadolins and the shutters treated with red Sadoline.

In practice the shutters as constructed and used on the single &zed French windows reduce the t h p a l transmission f r y 5 walls m degC to 1.1 wattslm deK. the l a t t e r h e being better than that

hkinds or blind + thick s for heat insulation. dark cloths - Indian bcd-

Repeat for other long edge.

Using light brown, knit ttp 4 stitches across porch side, 12 stitches across Cast on 8 1 stitches in black Wok @st off edge of door, and 4 stitches 10 rows in moss stetch.

Join white and starting with a knit across porch side (20 stitches altorow work 36 rows in stocking stitch gether). ending with a purl row Knit 3 rows. Continue in garter stitch decreasing 1 stitch either end Join grey and knit 4 rows. Work of next and every alternate row roof pattern as follows 1st row P.2 tog ,K 2, *P.l.K,2; rep. until last 2 stitches K.2 tog Cast off. from * to last 2 stitches, P.2 tog. Small Windows Cast on 5 stitches

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5th row - K.2 tog.,*P.l,K 2;rep.from * to'ist 3 stitches, P.l,K.2 tog 6th row -P I , P.2, $9. from * to last 2 stitches, K I. P.I 7th row as fist

1 - 12 iwice more (45 PIECES FOR NORTH t Cast on 15 stitches with

Sock Insulation by Patncid Cawley of the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales

fy edge of window. Knit 2 rows Cast off.

Repeat tor bottom edge ot window.

Make a second window the same.

Shutter for Small Window With light brown cast on 0 ditches

UpPort~far Water Butt Using lightt rown, with right side facing Knit 3 4 stitches at one end of base of ater butt. Starting with purl row, oik 2 rows stocking stitch. Cast )urlwise. Repeat for other of base of w a t u butt.

CING UP OF NORTH VATION on Pieces as shown in photo. ayn. with black embroider gutter hain stitch) at cdee of roof. iwn pipe for water butt, door ture and shutter hinees With e embroidered top for butt brown and green embroider tunant bushes as shown

1

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JQUE PIECES FOR SOUTH .NATION Qp?south facing windows Cast on

~Otcheswith red Knit 2 rows. in in black. Work four rows d i n g stitch starting with a knit w.

lit 2 rows in red irk 4 rows stocking stitch starting th a knit row using black. Break '¥black lit 3 rows in red Cast off. th red, knit up 11 stitches along edge of window Knit 2 rows It off. peat for bottom edge of window. k e another two windows the sarm go insi.de conservatory. utter fm South Facing Window st on 11 stitches with light brown. ¥I "K.3, P.1, rep.from * to

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from

* to

last 3 stitches, P.3 peat these two-rows ten times Ire (22 rows altogether). Cast off. imine for Conservatory Usine i t brown, cas: on 36 stitchesfor rizontal base. Knit 3 rows. Cast

. . . Double glazing

months when the windows are open. In the winter months, 1Aost heat loss ram a room is permanent ventilation to the ro through the windows. The cheapest must come from an air-brick or way to prevent this is to double fireplace. glaza the windows by taping clear plastic over the window-evening.

The air between the plastic and the The double-glazedunits are made bv: Measure the window-opening size window glass acts as an insulator.

A more permanent approach and add Vi" (12.5 mm) all around, is to double glaze with an additional and ask for sheets of glass or perspex to be cut to this siz.e.(Perspex sheet of glass or perspex. Most ' building stores sell a D.I.Y. double ismore'expensive but is safer with, children around and less easily glazing kit.

It consists of : broken, is particularly suitable for larger windows), For additional 1. Sheet material - glass or perspex. noise insulation use heavier glass 2. Plastic draught excluder.

32 oz. The heavier the glass, the 3. Plastic washers and screws. better the noise insulation. e new inner pane is deagaa.llo Cut lengths of plastic draught removed during the summer excluder to the same lengths as the

,.

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1'8.

I.

Mark screw positions %" (19mn inside the window-opening at 18" (450 mm) centres.Check with sheet of Bias in Position- r" P'ace sheet of ^ss Opening an*twist to Of glass In PositionA more sophisticated detail uses rebated timber strip to hold the glass in position instead of plast washers. BUYlengths of %" x W' (19 x19 mm) softwood with V'" x 7

wt

l a ' centres- see

2Denise Arnold

Row 2 - *K.l,P.2; rep. from * to last stitch, S.1 a Row i As last Row 4 -Knit Repeat rows 1 - 4 once more. Knit 1 row. Cast off.

Make another piece the same

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MAKING u p COSY -.

Stitch chimney pieces together and sew in centre of the roof.Stitch

it off. ke' a second vertical side.

^

ck. Starting with a knit row. ,k 20 stock,ne cast ke 3 more panels the same

AKING UP SOUTH LNATION

o r lining.

Over-sew foam pieces toeethcr, place inside cosy and slip-stitch foam to bottom of cosy

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NOTE The original shape and pattern for the.roof of this cosy ~~. ~. came irom ""-tons ra Bazaar Time, ~

bew on nieces as shown in ohotoa p h . ~ i t hblack embroider (chai t i t 4 gutter at edge of roof, and utter hinges as shown. ith light brown embroider (chain titch) glazing bars for conservatory. ~mbroiderCchainstitch) frames for W^TS bllector nanels on roof. ith oddments of green, orange a d embroider tomatoes in conrvatory. bil;ddments of green, brown an

I^

grape vine in conservator

to last stitch, K.1

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north elevation showing interlocking wool fascia

\

patronking towards the three

women job next time.

es me as a person.

myself.

Kjomehs Undercurrent $share in the housework, leaving equal Eertunity for whatever else s/hechoosit In practice, it's not so straightforward. he man delivering sacks of g w ~ twill ~t HI make a woman feel an oAffty for wrying them, however eaglty she does t find that downright insulting and htbiting. Although you can spend time otking to change the attitudes o f the every day, you have little ainst a Wanger. On came& be acceptt on equal terms With most men aliough I hull to prove mysfttf twice as rod and I still sufferedfrom newcom-

.

man,Q'nwt OK tu be hassled'by a ~ t n a wtto n i#'t any better than you

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&#@fruits @e,jitter'all.. . < Wth my i~creasing skill has come 2) aldo<atJ<olack trf o f rtsponse^ahd an both yeattttonfidence and a more resiao~lrng (feirtdence on me to tell them istic assessment of my capabilities (e.g. 1 ,hat to do- ~ o t hthesereactions were a

.

a

+

longer think that the hall is the suitable object of mY first ever plastering I'll pr,tise on a wall first). >' C^itt$i&rfound myself developS ftitfTdonlt like. The aggression I put into jobs was originally developed as a reaction to male putdown. I don't need i t so much now, but find that aggression is closely woven into my wayeven with people to , bfrgentte. This has the greatest effect on '.. fe<-?~nfl?<f~t%nship with Bob, th2'ortly OIK; +a +ortginal group'of men who i? still ^K&fcg with me. To an extent) have forc. .:&-and he has allowed arole revecsal , ware happy with. I am +* ith the energyfor projects thegreater skill; I tend with the housework, dull. , Sappperatk on a job, I find I

result o f my k i n g aggressively efficient, which was my defense against the sexism at the farm. Ileft the farm because there were nosolutions. I think women quite often oppress each other in the process of liberation by being either jealous of or dependent on another woman with more energy than they have.

I'd say any woman has to be highly motivated t o break out of her traditional

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fch-t a t hie clriwnncc. I

)u"mldn't, but it's very difficult to iangepeople's awareness of tidiness id cleafldness. Even when they acceptI that something should be done about e mess, it was nearly always the women i o actually felt the bl-wd (titeyblI their efforts, thereby fe-emphasiiiftg e old roles. Housewort; fm't a ~ & l e m iere I'm living at presnt. Oc-caifonally th men outside the & m u mI find yielf not existingfticertalft purposes e.g. someone y/iftts ft? borrow a tool Ktft/Pete/Dave to ' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~t there ~ a1~ I the$ &

m a r e often difficult to work with Ten they are in a group4Ve'll be sni& mething, e.g. stacking wood together ien aiddenly I start feetinglncapable, [I-out, startlingly 5etfeonsehws. Noth-

..i-?'

and into a real own house I've had the scope to learn and apply some of the skills that go into making and maintaihing adwelling. I've done this while living in a fluctuating group, usually as the only woman. When I started my only experience in this area was holding a plank steady while my father sawed it. The blokes all had scientific background with some practical experience, even if only school woodwork lessons in one case.

House projects became an area of conflict; I had so much to learn, I wasn't working fast enough, others suggested r i & they take over. They didn't volunteer to L * tafe over housework or, with one excep- b tion, even t o do an equal share.

S I felt very vulnerable. I was learning 3 everything from books; evert i f I could have got someone to showffie, I w@ too mg sensitive to the condescension thatoften went with the teaching. The attitudes of the men I lived with and those who visited didn't help me open out. A t various ,--%

.

M n~ i t r n s

t - .

What9sWhqt

& A PeÈtiÈ of Real BreÈ is t o be held

wsfn-AM&S

~ e iwj i ~fi ~lf m -ratw a ' ais*the qtitle T -of~the *:~ . studies ~ ~ ~ e , h b l i d a ~ / c o n f ~ rThe e n cproe. ~

.

Cottege Garden at the campus City. and w~tWest iislast ~being Exhibition for organised two days.

Centre, by They Country waim e b to )

-~explore different life styles, and find at present . that there is a large and crowint interest in

mamma consists I,IIdixciiMinn ,~ - - of 1/3work . . home baking. Th& is also mom interctt in the and l/3kisitre-There 18 indoor accommorole of dietary fibre, and increasing concern dation for the first I 8 applicants who tend over the additives permitted in white flour. their £ deposit. all others must camp (fami.

Home bakets will be producing many different lies welcome). As usual it is at the Court 12- q Kerle L'ipv redtypeiof bread, and also pastry and breakfast House. Sl. Davids. Dvfed. Wales. FTel 043 ¥ H-em in Films'. . li-niial cnursc un Women -- .-f-tx- -' cereals where 100% oLffie grain is used. You 788 339). Send ~ o ~ b o o k t to: o g l'uture Fhis aims to look at one specific asoect of will be abferto buffa$t owit flout o r even a StudiesCentre. 15 Kelso Road, Lee&, L S ~ the relationship between &xualpolitics and films. Contact the Adult EducationDept.

8 THE WAI-COTBEANO (Wattek), is. .hand-ma$&find yopr own! > . ' dnd_di!aysJniversity of Kwp.~Staffs.

ATS 5GB. this year's veftitfn of Comtek and the Sunshine

by Ther~iwjlIt~:demohitrations as ~ ~ n i ~ : Tel 0782 ^5116, during office hours).

1:estjval that was held in Bath over the past few ~ ~ plusthisyegetarian f ~ l societyt~&souic~s~, ~ : 1 1 T~~UUJRIEST~N WOMENyears. year the theme Of the TechndlQw the ~riwine;hy$onmeit rqup wil[phavingiRT FESTIVA will consist of 4 days o 'section wiii be hten& food p~oductionin ,i s, dm, t e a r a n , m u , 0 $ 0d 0 t h a o fd . abread-ta~ng-no Information is available gOd'tiy-io'erb= f i o d ~ n t h o n yA'-, ' ' erformance arts He, sty women artiste. '. ,-*&fdital&lays, demos, films and lectures will Wigem, Country college, ifitrmei G@evT , vents so far c o n f u m a incl*; p~fo^aan&es--~~:be ye~come<iifyou i^^e able to offer such ; Dtowell, w4wy,,-fterts.LAL6 d * ~T.& y the groups Clappeielaw, Pirate Jenny and '- Â ' ¥"':t&&s (if you %ti. contact the organisers Wdwyn (STD 0438 71) 6367.-. %t , '. .oadgang There wfllbe more. When d),iheji,& ?t'-NOW!). Otheiwiw go and eirfoy it, as there W& -r*T' .. L , official" events ate over, thenext 3 #a$< $4 .""alsobe music, exgerimental'theatre, cratsfetc.

-5 'ill be for aits workshops, discussions,:& -, wen as the seir-lietp,techi>ol(>gyfeature. All , <.-', , f e e s e a ~ i ~q*urf$~mati~n ~ ~ petwork on romptu events a n d - e f l j o y u i g ~ o ~ i ~s 'enquiries to: The W&&I FestiviiTCommittee, ' c/o 146 Wateot St. Bath. (Tel: Bath ooking will be accepted from.woMen ~ n l y Alternative ~nergy>a$dTechiwl6gie$-::wa$ ut men will be able to attend~tyents'during ' X - establishedsdme monthsago h"~¥'r&ce:@ ie day over the first 4 days, e&udi$& the aim is to help%ufld u p ~ o b k t s&ndthe^exparty You must book in advance. £,^ifriesto .change of infomation amongst individuals Hall is a rambling Victorian,house with a re.+ who are*wotkingonthe& own and who art dent commune of about 20 people.They 78 ~sCheltenhaBi't "?¥ hivolVed with home-madh technotot-~ alternative -~.~ ~~... ~. , 3ve a larw organic garden.

1:ectival for creative Thinking and. Living. gjes, or with reserachprojectr . .

I or deutls u nte, as soon as possible, ..Attention will be focused on the ma+ groups, ', For more information contact: Reseau N M .xlosing an SAl to: Laurieston Women's , - andindividuals in and around Cheltenharo who.

- Sernard UgraNe Thrtcnae. M q t n u a t ns l estiv~l.I aiirietton Hall, CASTLE DOUG-' . although evolving along different paths, wiB be . , ,. 15 600,Maurs, France. . .....

AS, Ktrktidttightshire, Scotland. : working together to present their lifestyles, pro . . jecisandphil6sophy both t o each other and to A sleeping bag will be necessary. Cost is Pedd @&heris the message on the smart all ilie festivalgoers. There will be lectures, 15 lor the lust four days. black and white Friends of the Earth badges disphys'aijd films at .the Town Hall, and the . now available from York HOE. h u t the thins ,\I ter the success of last year's restaurant the& will..beserving whole food ant to wear to all those summer bicycle e t ~ t $ ! . rolguoth C o w b y Fayre we've decided o vegetarian food. Topics'covered by the festiva .ISp each,'plu$7p postage fororders'up repeal pcrtormance this summer. As we antiinclude'ecology and conservation, AT, health, to 10. (Morethan 10:is'p~stfree.) 50;bailges, pipate mwe people, more entertainments and communities, pius music and the'arts: THINK are S.5.80 and 100'@e£li ~,end:cashwith than last ye= we've opted for a two4 low your order to York'l':6K A'/o¥40East 'Mount e,sut with bvernight camping on saturday , 78 is non-profitmaking and is run entirely by For more details contact: Allan: Rd, York, YUL 2BD. ~?$, .,' ~ ~ s ~commence , ~ , sat. ~ i ~. volunteers. ~ nd . , . ., ,day -ing with roc from 7 to Johnstone, Think 78, PO Box 88,Ch:ltenham. , . Gl6~.GL52 6EP. i h i ~- h-o i r will be abee;77.". tent and cooked StBl more aoodfes from EGIS. A set of -. twelve workcards on the subject of eneigy is . 3 There is to be a sununet (chool in md on site .Most of the?atetion.takesplace on now available for use with the lower secondary on-Violent Direct Action at Casterton Grange, unday wth theatre, folk $usi&'cbuntry level ih schools. They offer suggestions on ancine. ,uord swtllowcis. Admission will be ' . Casterton. Kirkby Lonsdale for a week The heap with ,.hMren free; as last Year. And' week will be used in karning about non-viothings to find out, or write about on suclitopics hi;re\ plenty of space for camping;and , . lence and also nowviolent direct action. There as cdal, oil and nuclear etaerey. and can be Will be discussions on Torness and Capenhiused at various stages of thecurriculum, and ~rktne at different rates of oroeress for different chi& proceeds to St. Ausiell Free School and We would welcome oeoole - of different skills ol (St.'Austell). This rayre will take'place and backgrounds. Sleeping bags - plenty of dren. The pack costs4& plus 15p p & p per a t Lnileiohn's I ield. Polaooth. St Austell. an- ' room m this beautiful hou se in t'counm set. d a Teachers Pack called hnerev Re.-,, and r o i canget more information from Goodness , ~'collective cooking - mostly vegetarian. Details souites (price 61.75 inc. p & p) is also available . (iiarioy Wholefoods, Globe Yard, St. Austcll? from the above address. : for use with it. Write to EGIS Environmental Cornwall. Also let them know if Y O U can help.'

Information Servile, North Lodge, Elswick la More events at Liberty Hall, the Liverwol ceme*y, Newcastle upon nm 4. (keen Deseris are holding ~?i(gham' " .club that says it is an alternative to the Cornrw I A at Stonepite. Field, Rougham, Suf- ."' . mercial clubs. sept, 10, cay~~~~~~h~~ hurc-w~>ta*d its Women's Art Alltlk, i,),nise money for desert reclamation. , (Women's ~ ~ u ~present ~ t 'what i ~the~ ) collective and are in need of a lot of support lihouih oriented towards the environment 6 she k t n o uçtta9 PLUSuse workers basis t o make suffind cn&mtion. theY1r9 should be eVerYthm~ " % ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~fmm r g aep rdm s b of mi. cient of theon a rota The of books om magic to mime, acrobatics to astrology. lective diqussion'ant^ improvisation using and records is ext>mdiwand a small d e has their own feand omeopa* to hydropi~nics.There will be been opened. Book your films, exhibitions, isplaytby craftsmen also. Wholefoodioul It deals fithifie-act of 'coming q t ' to ¥will'& available.

I pnesK onB,s fpm& f*nd3, ant^4twork theatre or musicevents, workshops or whatthe pmMemsa9 yhr ever now. Open 2-10pm weekWs. 2-6 weekends. Financialdonations would also be more than welcome. Contact WAA, 10 Cambridge Terra'e Mews, London NW1 (01-935 1841). ~

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GRAPEVINE the self help show on BBC2 is starting another series at the beginning of July. They say that most of the subjects such housing co-opshone parentfamily projects and community art schemes, were suggested by the viewers, and they would like to hear ' from won(! who is involved with such

!occupation of iff sort mounted ,

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with the authorities at both itate and neioiul level (including, it is rumoured. President Carter).

It seems thpt the dams were manoeuvred, into abandoning direct action.

Harvey Wasserman, one of the Clam strategists, commented 'they made a middle ground offer that became very hard for us to refuse' This was the use of an 18 acre site near the reactor site, for a three day rally and 'alternative energy fair* at which the Clams could put their case to the public and the media, without breaking the trespass laws'. I f we refused a peaceful solution', pointed out Wasserman 'we'd appear unreasonable and loss the credibility we gained last year. If we accepted i t would look like we were going soft I t was very well calculated to split the alliance'.

The officially designated cite was far from ideal it was the former town waste dump, smelly , , and mosquito ridden, although bounded by more congenial woodlands. The dead included a promise that the Clams would leave the rite on the Monday, following the ratty on the Saturday & Sunday.

Local government officials and landowners brought considerable pressure to bear on the Clams and on local people who supported them and who had offered over-' night camping facilities for the Friday night stop over, prior to the occuoation originally planned Without these staging posts it was CLAMS LOSING THEIR GRIP? impossib~eto mount ah occupation.

TEN -le ware Rumoursof intimidation and m o b i l i d by the Clamshell Alliance nded, and the clam-rthe 24'25th at shell Alliance decided, after cona rally to P r o f i t against the siderabfe inernal debate, to call mclear powr pm being hilt at

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ttu uppar dmk. Thçris no Viable alternative to closure.

The truth is. the r e o w 1 fell mainly because the PLA got its fingers burnt i n the property spec197a& boom of the {PLA property values fall by m m i n 1975 alone.) The other drain on is the k v y interett charges r-es the PLA h 1l o pay on its loam because of its financial structure over f21m during the past four port isn't bankrupt itshave b u n undervalued and it actually made an operating profit of tS%m over the past four years end this at the time of the worn recmsion i n world trade sin- the hungry thirties.

Looes i n the upper docksfell from tSVm i n 1976 t o £4 i n 1977 H world trade picked UP again. The Royal Group handled 10%more cargo in 1977 than i n 1976. Losses arcs* mainly bwausa labour costs that should be s p r d over the whole port were put down to the upper docks. I n future conv e n t i d mn-conulnflied ewp mainmy of u m r e i m docks will Hibilk SpMuli,qnn)aç fit dilution is t o G-I

Keep London Alive

. ...

Don't Close The Docks The Port o f London Authority wants to scrap London's upstream docks the West India and Mil- , wall Group i n the Ide of Doe and the R o y l Group in Newham.

Tint m+na East London will km 4,000 more jobs ilnmediately half of thaw will be i n Tower Hamlots where over 7.000 are elready on the dole.

The effect on the surrounding communities will be far worse.

Thousands of j o b depend on the docks. Up to 20,000 jobs will ba t h r ~ t w i e d factories, shops, offices, pubs, busÑ hospitals throughout Eat London. Everyone will be affected, local firms and shopkeepen as much i workert and -.dents.

The PLAclaims to be bankrupt 1 renrves have fallen from E52m i n 1974 to £2 i n 1977. Loin the upper docks show they have outlived their usefulness. Everything nowi n wnminws. Job* must b* lost to save thà Port. The chÑp

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off the occupation in part to Protect local supporters. As Wassermar put it 'this is not a defeat -,we'll hand out more leaflets this weekend than ever before and it does not mean that we are renouncing - ... -. .

-- --civil disobedience, We are still of opting for a repiat of latfyl^i committed to direct action to StW occupation. The a^thfaritias'id#f$ nuclear power'. learnt their lesson well ~ndcon*?j( In fact some hints of direct tamed and manipulated &e~)amÈ action survived even this time challenge. It's one thing around: a picket was mounted tiate a withdrawalionce vou^b&&'' against the offshoritlrilling rig established an occupation; being used to construct cooling another to be forced t o tunnels for the plant, with a flobefore you've occupied.:f*:> tilla of small boats manned by So what happens w x t 7 - W Clamshell supporters. A dry (wet?)

'Seabrook National Guard' 6 ?'' run for next year's Blockade (see Washington DC areplanningto".

UC 2817 ~ & p ythe offices of the The rally itself was a great Government agency respotis*, i success - attracting extensive for issuing reactor licence*rtf^ media coverage nationwide. The Nuclear Regulatory Cornmd i &, Clams careful planning and attento protest against thetominutd tion to detail paid off Around construction of the Seabrook< 5~:; 2,800 Clams, all pre-trained in plant. Whether it's a n o d i d e a ' n-n-viotence tactics, andtlivided to shift the focus of action , into colour coded brigades, from Seabrook itself isftebat- ' marched on the site on the Saturable.

8eforeantf day. and set UP camp. Thousands M,ons can be oroan~itium more foHowedlttibsequentl~.an viwl consolidaM toed <(i~~drt,estimated 10.000 in all. AlterThe next major citizantdM&x& native Technology demonstrations, ãÃus win be on Almost discussions,minic andgoodwill 6th at the Diablo Canyon nuke ,8 tiourished. Shades of ~orness! near Louis Osbi&; , But the part built reactor, California, organised by the @#- , protected by a chain and Wart* 260

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will expand dramatically. With modern faciliti* th> uppar docks of the their hre expanding trade.

Closure will cost £SO i n redundancy payments t o the PLA's workform. Tha loss of the dockrelated jobs will cost ElBOm more i n unemployment pay, last production and rate income. The Ion# term cost o f letting East London die industrially is simply inealnilable. Furthermore, there if the an. vironmental cost of lorry traffic.

The PLA'i plan will make the M.l look like a country lane compared o the A13. mçr a real an# practical 4. tarnative t o the PLA's approach.

Modu-nising the docks would take them into the 21st century. And it would be c h u p compared t o the vestment

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For further inforrnptton contact joint ~ j ^ a d s , f $ ~ w G "aft

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The PLA h i lost cargo md confidence. ThÈir th* path of in dustriel vandalism indocklands.

We say that the docks are an aaet to London and that they are the life blood of the community. mekTheir closure would to cry of Government Vi'" the great cities of Our are dednndim: No dock closure i n v a t n m t in both docks to secure their naic future and t o provide employmen<for the community.

Government money t o m ~ t e NOT d d r o y job*.

Investment i n the docks to be controlled not by the PLA alone which hat I t Our community down but by a body which also i n dud= rapresontatim o f the trada unio

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four times the size.

Perhaps this has t o do with living on the mouth of the Rhine at the receiving end of everyone else's polliition. Or mavbe alternative life styles are viewed more svmP* thetically because those who Practise them cannot take t o the hills and do their own thing i n solitude.

Since there are no hills, and not much spare space anyway, they must live their livesclose t o the rest of the world; they may have t o adjust their habits t o avoid causing offence t o the neighbours b u t they can also set an example t o them.

A case i n point is furnished b y a group called MeMO. MeMO stands for 'Men* en Milieuvriendeliik Ondernemen' and that translates as'Enterprises Friendly t o Man and the Environment MeMO's objectives are to assist small scale enterprises and to promote their cause. Apart from technical, administrative and legal advice i t can give financial assistance through a guarantee fund. Ultimately it hopes t o become an alternative bank.

The exhibition mounted b y MeMO i n late May was intended t o be a showplace for small scale enterprises and a meeting-ground for those involved i n them. A l l those involved were determined t o show that appropriate technology was not just for the Third World b u t for Holland as well. I n tune with this attitude the exhibition had a distinctly practical air. Most of the stands were devoted t o small scale cooperative ventures.

Alternatives The Dutch are internationally recognised for their commercial printing and here, at the alternative level, there were a number of printers at work Also on show was a simple b u t ingenious machine for the rapid printing of tee-shirts and other articles.

There were quite a few bookshops, with many magazines devo Ted t o alternatives. These clearly enjoyed the support of an enthusiastic readership who accounted for a good many of the 15,000 visitors t o the exhibition. A fair selection o f crafts were also displayed, particularly weaving and t o a lesser extent pottery. As with everything else at this exhibition the crafts were distinctly practical - corn dollies were distinctly absent' Of course, the bicycle had its place as well. There was the First National Cyclists Union, formed t o improve conditions for cyclists.

Dutch cyclists feel that they have been losing ground t o the motor car and that the time has come t o fight back. So the Union Campaigns against the environmental effects o f motor transport. MeMO's own stand demonstrated the Rodale

325 finish the I-ondon - Brighton C pedal power machine derived from the bicycle and used i n this case t o grind corn and drive a wood drill.

On another stand a collective converted bicycles into pedal driven delivery carts. There was also a man who spkialised i n re-building old cycles. Clearly the bicycle is alive and well i n Holland, even i f i t needs a union t o f@ht for its rights.

A larger enterprise, thoughstill of modest proportions, was a 99 year old factory selling paint made from natural materials. Of course, organic gardening methods were well represented, along with a variety of ideas on solar heating and wind energy. Although no particularly novel ideas or designs stood out.

However, although the MeMO exhibition was a lively gathering of sincere and enthusiastic people, who, i f not committed, were definitely sympathetic t o the ideas and practicalities of an alternative lifestyle.

I owe a personal debt t o MeMO. After m v short visit, nourished by a diet consisting entirely of health foods, my digestion was in better shape than it has been for years. 1 must t r y and keep it up.

California Decides Atomic Power Unsafe ,

There are several parallels between the controversy over nuclear energy in California and in Sweden. ' For one thing, they both have laws forbidding new nuclear reactors until a proven technology for the disposal of radioactive wastes can be demonstrated. But, while Swedish experts seem t o be buying discredited reports on the safety of nuclear energy, the California authorities have decided that it is impossible t o safely deal with radioactive wastes The California Energy Comv i s i o n has unanimously agreed that no proven technology t o safely dispose of wastes exists. Thus, no nuclear reactors can be licenced in the state.

I n Sweden, on the other hand, the pro-nuclear State Power Board is convinced that wastes can be safely contained for the necessary hundreds o f thousands of years. Thus, while Prime Minister Thorbjorn Falldin says the law forbids new reactors as long as the scientific community is at Anthony Hopkinson all divided on the question, his Melboum B&, Royston, liberal and Conservative coalition Herts SG8 6DE partners have already decided that the law allows new plants t o go into operation The Swedish press recently Death Penalty Abolished hailed the coming of the author in Denmark of the Rasmussen Report on the The last vestiges of the death dangers of nuclear energy when penalty have been abolished in he arrived to testify before the Denmark. A new law passed by Swedisn Energy Comm@ssion, desthe Danish parliament removes pite the report's having been the penalty for certain acts in warcompletely discredited for several time or under enemy occupation. years in the United States, as a Denmark has not had the death whitewash ignoring many of the penalty i n peactime since 1930. risks of atomic power.

GERMAN TERRORISTS According t o a letter from the West German Friends of the Earth. the description of 'terrorism' i n West Germany is now being exfndMI t o environmentalists.

Writing in the magazine of the Swedish FOE, 'Jordvannen; West German member Holger Strohm says, 'Anti-nuclear power groups are being called enemies of $0 . state and terrorists. Political ^dol-fti^ sion against environmental activists is becoming common'. ' Strohm mentions the m a n arrests made during anti-nuclear demonstrations in the Federal Republic, and comments, 'Politicb an$, who are demanding a harder me, are hoping that a conviction will criminalize the entire environmental movement, and i n that way vindicate the harder police aCtions against environmental activists'.

One of those arrested during the Brokdorf demonstration i n 1976 is Walter Knolle, a member of the West German FOE. A pacifist, Knolle is charged with resistance against the State, disturbing order, and possession of a weapon. The weapon was a spray used t o defend against police dogs.

An International Committee for the Defence of the Gmhnde and 8 n dorf Anti-Nuclear Power Plant Defendants has been set up and is collecting signatures on petitions protesting the arrests and trials. Tht committee is calling on environmentalists around the world t o senc letters towestGerman !f Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, A+ nauer allee, 0-5300. Bonn wmt Germany.

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Womens Undercurrents

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and t o ensure noloss of Èçit put off again and again. or f ~ i l i ? ~ : ; ' ; ~ , & : Then, o n Mav leth, Dmkj En. MISecretary S, of State, announced that EGA would finally clou on %?, .? . ' .

I,,,~h;~i&lv tcrub, . , July 21s. The struggle to survive was on i n earnest Staff and cam- bura,~*à nol§ È cM r~,~i~à w t¥  paign supporten swing into action z , qintouçn lnma l again. The magnificent solidarity , .> ' &,df,l of o+,a, rçdicnfunlniits , action of the Ernerpncy Bed S m - { ~  ¥ < 1 ~ & $ ~ ~cry , ~ rwntlv l l y i ~ thtt vice, who continued 10 refer Pat- :,L,,:: * inià hypwbola cought of

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victims, and pits Spanish women =hi& be'tbsted. Thewomen's' against spanish men i n i n element? n o v e ~ e n.is t fragmented. and,some way. of the TIdetprmined,feminists oppose political lobbying.-In the In February, 16-yearold'~irl*" named Carnwitxu; herface bloody, face of awesome tasks,ocyisciout-': railingoften c o d firn:' . ' 7 cairn running inpanic2ir6ma Bar-' celona sports field t o w i d ~'gi(Sup " y , ' I n the back foom o f Bar4& n m a mmu? her viewÈ:"'~hat of young people. A police car apwe want is each xlomantob* her peared at the girl icrnamad'that she had been raped and beaten'. The polPf~tag~ni~t." ."0

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BOOKS RE-VIEWE

Living o n a Little Land by Patrick Rivers Turnstone Books. f i 9 5 . ~~~

'To live each day surrounded b y beauty rather than bustle, t o breathe sweet-scented air i n place o f fumes, eating f o o d that tastes as i t used t o do, in short, t o provide most o f y o u r needs with y o u r own hands from y o u r own land.'

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This i s the opening paragraph and theme o f Patrick Rivers' new book, Livinu on a Little Land. But don't be fooled bv the beautiful .orose, or the marvellous image o f Arcadia it projects. Read on, and you will discover exactly what 'providing most of your needs with your own hands from your own land' i s all about.

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are spent in unruffled calm.

All is beauty and order,

cider, and hay safely in the'stack,' you will be sadly mistaken about the contents o f this book. for it has both its muddy wellie boots

much needed hay, or when the rats made a feast o f the precious seed potatoes, o f such sheer hard work that it often seemed wiser 'not t o go t o bed . . . for we often wake up more tired than when we lie down - feeling as i f we have someone else's bones in our bodies'. I t i s a book about living on and o f f the land, totally committed t o it, and the responsibilities that this way o f life brings, n o t least being the health and vitality o f animals, plants, land and humans which can only be achieved by mutual respect amongst all four.

Having lived on eight acres for the past tour years, t o a 70 per cent degree o f self-sufficiency, Patrick and Shirley Rivers, in their enormous task ofgetting their semi-derelict cottage and all b u t waste land t o rights, have experienced most o f the setbacks that would beset anyone in a similar situation. They are anxious t o share,the fruits o f their experience with others, both t o ease the painful and expensive mistakes that would be made by the unwary or the just plain ignorant, and, hopefully, t o inspire a few others into doing the same thing, because, as the general thesis o f the book suggests, i t is the only course open t o us, living i n this present age of pollution, nuclear power, exploitation, and generally misguided values. This is one o f the main reasons why they have WWOOFF-US t o come and work with them. I n exchange for the younger muscle power, they give food, hospitality, friendship and hopefully pass on some o f their ideals.

Although the book is written by Patrick, on reading it, it becomes vers obvious that Shirley plays a vital part in the whole project - this speaks well o f the honesty and humility with which the book i s written - so I went t o pay Shirley a visit t o find out more about her life and views.

Shirley Rivers is a very capable, intelligent and hard-working lady with a warm personality and ready open smile. I n London she divided her time between housework, a part-time job in publishing, and various theatres, concerts and dinner parties. N o t the ideal material, y o u would think, for hard-working self-reliance on a steeo hillside. True. she had been with Patrick when they were regular commercial h farmers w i t h a laree

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bmens Unde rley points out, that was long ago i d it was a far cry from the intensive ~ i t i v a $ mof the land that she is involved I now.

Shirley is not a person to do things y hal<As, so when Patrick got the sack om Mb London job, and they knew that ieir resulting plan o f action was going t o e a life o f self-reliance, she 'weaned her;If o f f the theatre, concerts', and arted educating herself in organic garening jmd farming, and living life off ie la*. She now lives an extremely busy fe. Her day starts at six i n the morning ¥heshe gets up to give the goat kids ieir first feed. She dividesher time etween garden, animals, housework, nnkiqg, cheesemaking, breadmaking, ig and preserving. She will do all i e work outside that Patrick will do, xceptuse machinery that is too heavy i r her. Her days are full and she says i a t the laundry has a bad habit of piling p andshe does get tired, but never sed - 'I enjoy what I'm doing so Life is exciting, not dull, therem never depressed'. When she does e t tired, she simply takes it a bit easier. n do so much because, as she says, 'atruck is much more liberated than nen I know, therefore he is able na willing t o do a lot o f menial jobs lost men would consider women's such as washing up, hanging out w n g and general household chores; p e s me for cheesemaking, baking

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Birds do i t , .'

Bees do it ... ,:

A Co-operatihe Methodo f Natuml Birth Control by Margaret Nofziier The Book Publishing Company. £2.0.

The main requiremenkfor relying on 'natural birth con*P is 1 belief that it works. By which I mean a belief based on atunement with your own body and m i n k a belief that your own body knows the answers, rather than's doctor, an'd that you can achieve control over your own body functions without recourse to drugs and mechanical aids.

My interest in natural birth control grew out of a dissatisfaction with all other forms o f contraception and desperate conviction that there must be another way other than keeping my legs crossed.

For several years I have been practising yoga, meditation, massage and training as a dancer, all of which are bringing me more and more in touch with the inner workings o f my body and so it seemed natural to believe that fine day I would be able t o control my own fertility.

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b) The cervical mucus alters i n consisten-" cy before and during ovulation so that by taking a sample every day you can work out the time o f ovulation and a b stain accordingly. c) The body temperature rises after ovulation. So by charting your temperature you can tell when you have ovulated, but not when you are going 'to.

By combining these three methods you can work out about 4 days i n a cycle when you are fertile. Every woman's cycle is unique so it takes several months to familiarise yourself with your own pattern. I kept the thermometer i n my mouth for ages every morning before it finally clicked that there is n o such thing as a universal normal temperature.

Mine hardly goes above 97 degrees F or 36 degrees C, and, of course, if you use the cap and cream when you are not sure o f your infertility, you then can't tell what sort o f mucus you have until ' all the cream has disappeared.

v

she finds the hardest e frustration of there hours i n the day t o do like t o do, or the ch day I'm getting old-

o f birth control which are beginning to 8

ing her if she misses anything from life-style she answers no, but she iss the few good friends who d what she is doing at present ndships that are worth cultivatthe countryside are with the real not the commuters who tend to

wedom. 'Living on a little land', i s (ally living for her, and she knows it g a t is why she keeps on emphasising (W desire t o share her good fortune Bth others.

This is a book about country living people dedicated and respectful of who fight with it and against it and t to leave it a richer dace than hev found it.

Barbara Girardet ,

a) the calendar rhythm method b) cervical mucus changes and c) body temperature changes is the old Roman Catholic Safe

Why

'If you slip up, or miscalculate, or just do it anyway, and end up pregnant with a baby you don't want, you can

can't shes or hes do i t ?

What Society Doe's t o Girls Joyce Nicholson, Virago £1.50 Non-sexist Childraising Carrie Carmichael, Harper & Row £5.95 Often drawing on her own experience, Joyce Nicholson shows how throughout their childhood girls are conditioned and limited so that usually they end up fulfilling the accepted roles of women i n a sexist society. Mary Leunig's witty illustrations capture the essence o f the contradictions inherent in this process.

There are suggestions for observation and discussion and the book ends with an annotated reading list. This is not an indepth study, rather a very readable introduction. As such it is recommended for anyone new t o the subject and should certainly be ordered for every school library.

Carrie Carmichael deals less ably with similar material. She also discusses some strategies for change and includes count-

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less from parents and 'experts' with relevant experience. The book suffers from superficiality and unnecessary exaggeration; 'non-sexist childraising' comes over as a commodity that the author is trying to sell. She appears not to understand its full implications and to neither foresee nor desire any other change in her all-American world.

Jola Scicinska

Head Trip The Continuum Concept

Â¥b)'eon Liedloff Futura Publications Limited. 75 pence paperback. 142pp + appendices The message o f this book is that mothers ensure the happiness and maturity of their offspring only by holding their babiesfrom nought to crawling age every minute o f their waking and sleeping lives. jean Liedloff talks o f grief-stricken, desolate, weeping babies, of eternities passed between one exhausted slumber and the next, o f the hell o f constant loneliness.

"The infant's waking hours are passed in yearning, wanting, and interminable waiting for rightness to replace the silent void. For a few minutes a day his longing is suspended and his terrible skin-crawling need to be touched, t o be held, to be moved about, is relieved." f have not met or known any mothers who left their babies t o cry for more than a few minutes. But, for Jean Liedloff, this horrifying picture is typical o f western civilisation, indeed it is a symptom o f the disease o f civilisation itself. Among the. other symptoms are people who rely on labour-saving devices, golfers, lesbians, homosexuals, western meditators, and adventurers (such as mountain-climbers): all these people are really searching for the lost comfort and assurance of their mothers' arms.

All this is a result o f a theory, 'the continuum concept', which the author developed after visiting a stone age tribe called the Yequana i n the jungles o f Venezuela. They are a happy breed o f men, living according t o their instincts - i.e. their 'continuum' - and continuously holding their babies.

What went wrong after the stone age was that the fallible intellect developed and made inappropriate choices; so we fell from grace and the 'continuum'. But, what about other stone-age tribes, with equally unadulterated instincts? They are not all known for their loving kindness. Indeed the author admits, without noticing the damage it does to her argument, that another nearby tribe, the Sanema, who all carried and were carried in arms, made raids on neighbouring villages, killing the men and carrying off the women.

If Jean Liedloff interprets the baby's continuum to me thus: "The change from the total hospitality o f the womb is enormous but.. he has come prepared for the great leap . t o his place in arms.

What he has not come prepared for is a greater leap o f any sort, into . . a basket with dead cloth in it. . . " then I can reply that after twenty-five years of independence the women's leap into motherhood is enormous; she comes

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Encyclopaedia o f Metaphysical Medicine by Benjamin Walker. Routle<^te; and Kegan Paul. £6.7 297pp.

This book, as the title woylrfsiigges<? is a mine of information on e theorefel al principles forming the basis o f medicine. As such, it renders transparent; the often outrageous, frequently confl ingand sometimes just plain daft, noti that form the framework which governs the actions of medical practitioners from various stables (and not, incide ly, just the university-trained 'doctor* A bibliography follows each of the t o covered and, i n general, the arbitrary nature o f much o f medical ' m e t a p h y s i e is made clear by the presentation of an impressive range of views/opinions hekt by opposing schools o f thought. How- Vz ever, some of the author's own unquestibp ed constructs colour the presentation,";; causing him occasionally t o ignore - in that he fails to take issue with - what the initiated would recognise as the mostcrass assumptions. Take, for example, the following quote from the section on Drug Therapy: 'It has been suggested, on the analo&*~ o f tests carried out on rats, that a pregnant woman on barbiturates wk give birth to a homosexual son. Ifshe takes the masculinizing hormone progesterone. she may produce, a clever but 'butch'daughter, as the drug causes virlllzation o f the female foetus '.

Unfortunately, it seems rather uh that the author has let this pass unre ed because he is aware that its several inanities are so obvious that it contains its own condemnation (it becomes clear from sections on other topics that there is no doubt in the author's mind about the intrinsic 'wrongness' o f homosexual: -, ity, for instance). To be fair though, the, final paragraph on the topic of Drug Therapy goes some way towards counter-. acting the effect o f these blind spots. I will include it, for balance: 'Voltaire defined medical treatment as the business o f pouring drugs, o f which doctors know little, to cure a diseases o f which they know less, into human beings o f which they know nothing'.

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prepared for it, but what she has not come prepared for is total bondage. This is as good a line o f continuum style argument as Jean Liedloff s, and the overtones in 'bondage' are not more tendentiousthan those in 'weeping' (which she uses for 'crying' throughout). The baby's skin may 'crave the expected embrace" but mine craves freedom and privacy for some part o f every day.

But, even if we put the mother aside (and Jean Liedloff always puts the mother aside), I question her assumptions about the babies' needs. From about three months onwards a baby seems positively to demand to be put down. Also it often seems that the author is vague as to the different stages a baby goes through before crawling. Sometimes what sounds like a baby of three months or younger turns into one that sounds more like seven months; or one o f seven months suddenly behaves like eighteen months. jean Liedloffs book is provoking because it is silent on so many matters. One can only guess at the way the Yequana organise themselves, at the extent t o which families and friends share the work communally. There is probably so much else about the Yequana which would account for their wellbeing, and which might be relevant to women now.

Most western mothers, unlike the Yequana women, are alone with their children for dost o f their time. They have neither relief nor privacy. It is positivly mischievous to try to load them with yet another burden, binding them with warnings o f psychological damage. Starting from the true, but not new observation - that babies need to be held - she stretches this idea t o the point o f zealotry. (Why is it only the female who i s assumed to be responsible for this task?

Ed.) Julie Hankey

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Val Robinson

deny the expression o f spontaneous feelings and value relationships between people only in terms of contribution to achieving-corporation oals. The conffict between the 'mwulfniD ethos o f competitively striving to reach positions of power and (he 'ferninhe' ethos o f emotionality and relationships may be more obvious for women managers than for men; but a man who enters management with the belief,that sue cess as a man means being successful in corporation terms may himself be entering what is just a different form o f ' enslavement to that to which women have traditionally been bound.

B.orn First The Managerial Woman by 'Margaret Hennfs and Anne Jardim. Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd. £4.95 221pp.

Despite equal opportunities legislation, statistics reveal that i n the US only 11,000 women managers e m more than mpared with 449,000 men. and the formal systems of n make it theoretically possiyefor more women to achieve top ent on the basis

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book, Written by two business school is.

Success in climbing the management

torfder depends on the ability to adapt

behaviour t o the business environment. %-environment is a male rea at ion and fte informal systems of organisations tBflect male values, so WOmen entering business enter alien territory. The authors point t o a number of necessary &ttitudes for ascendence i n business.

They include the Perception of ~neself ,It an active career maker - which .wolves developing a long term PfWecb e on one's career and the taking of Calculated risks to achieve a longer 'term payoff. It involves also the non*reparationof personal and career goals go that these aspects o f life do not appear in conflict - success as a * .Â¥pfcreonnecessarily involves business success.

According to the authors, women are generally far less 'gamey' in their approach to a career. They are fearful of risk and perceive themselves as passive i n that they often feel they haw been 'pushed' into higher positiom. And i n our culture success as a 'woman* does not include business 'sucless - this kind o f success is seen as obtainable only with some diminution :of the traditional feminine role - so &at all women who push for a senior f p l ~ i ~ e r t i e job n t have t o take into ^account what they will be seen as 10stog of themselves as women.

The explanation o f these feminine 'failures is described in the book not bust i n terms of attitudes and assump$ons currently held by men and womer ¥buthe roots o f these failures are seen it) the earliest experiences o f women.

-The different methods by which little bris and boys can resolve the Oedipus complex result i n boys having far 'better defended egos and a much stronger sense of their own power. ' This psychoanalytic approach is sup1 ported by the authors' research on the histories o f 25 successful U.S. 'business women. Each o f these women ^was either the only o r elder child, all ¥othem had exceptionally dole relatonships with their fathers, who did 'dot confine them to traditional femin@ways b u t involved them i n their

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masculine pursuits. The authors claim that the early experiences of the successful 25 confirmed them both as loved women and as competent in terms.

The message for women who aspire t6 become top managers is that they need t o underttand how it will'be difficult for theni and to work hard to. develop' the unfamiliar skills and strategies they will need. The authors assume changes in society wilt necessitate more women taking top fobs.

This i s a thought-provoking book which goes a long way to reveal that the 'failure* of women I n management has to be seen against a set o f male assumptions and that our society leaves women psychologically fH-equipped t o cope with the business world. Howeven it does not deeply challenge the model of the large U.S. style corporation with hierarchical power structure. Corporation values emphasise competitiveness,

Earth. Water. Wind and Sun D.S. .

Halacy, Jr. Harper a n d ~ o w  . £4.

Earth, Water, Wind and Sun again ' I describes energy alternatives in chatty style with sufficient figures to indicate the proportional contribution each alternative might make to world energy consumption. Books like this were writte when people were worried about the increasing demand for coal until they discovered oil, and the same familiar techniques o f geothermal power, sea thermal energy etc. are dealt with here ^bqt at least Halacy sees no panacea i n the nuclear power industry and produces economic irguments against it; sound thinking, for if any arguments against nuclear power are to have an effect on our government they will be the economic rather than the environmental. Clearly written, the book should help t o popularise ideas of AT amongst middle Ameri( but I should hope Undercurrents readers would be well acquainted with most that it contains. lit. ^_ . .

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Woman and Labour by Olive Shreiner. Virago. £1.7 paperback.

283pp.

I started t o read this book thinking, 'Oh well, reprinted from 1911, can't be . and I was amazed! much relevance' She says very clearly and very well why women are. revolting today and why the labour (read socialist) movement won't solve women's problems. She thinks highly of men, but sets out veryclearly why women must work independently for their freedom.

Her main thesis is that women need' to take all work f o r their province, and need the training to fit them for it. If they are unfit, there's no need to legislate against them - they won't be able to do the work anyway. She states that women recently have been forced into a state of parasitism which is neither good nor healthy for women o f humanity in general. In earlier times, women and men both had a lot of responsibilities and work t o do, quite apart from the women giving birth t o and nurturing children. Now (Victorian times) women of the middle and upper ctosses have this other work removed from them by servants. They are then told; 'All that you need t o do is be a woman and have children' - but even by this time women were having fewer children, so it couldn't possibly take up all their time. She argues stronglyefor labour being essential for the dignity and selfrespect o f human beings, and therefore women as well as men should be able to work as they want. She doesn't explicitly state this in her book, but I understood this to mean the labour in question i s the sort you can feel proud of, rather than an 8 t o 5 factory job with no noticeable relationship t o the end product.

I quite definitely recommend this b o o k t o anyone who is interested i n early feminist writing in reading a clear statement of why feminism and where men fit i n - and generally for anyone who wonders where it's all got to these days. An important book (hat is asvalid now as in 1911 (so much for 50 years o f the vote in this country).

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Sexism and Science by Evelyn Reed.

Pathfinder Press. £1.9 paperback, £6.6 hardback, 180pp + bibliography and index.

Sexism and Science is described on the cover as a supplement to Reed's major work Woman's Evolution. It's a collection o f articles in which she takes issue with some o f the sacred cows of modem anthropology and sociobiology, showing how sexist views distort the , facts. She very effectively demonstrates the absurdities that a number of anthropologists have written themselves into by refusing to entertain for one moment the idea of society ever having been other than patriarchal, with womer very much the inferior sex. Modern anthropology also rejects completely the idea of evolution in a social sense i n contrast with archaeology, a related subject which relies on an evolutionary approach. This again leads t o absurdities, even toanthropology declaring itself a non-subject and finally vanishing into its own navel.

To counterbalance this, she describes some of her findings about the earliest social organisations being matriarchal and matrilineal, with women held in high regard, and how clan and kinship systems grow from this, bringing men Into'fratriarchal' relationships. She also sets out the theory (due originally to Engels) that it is the function of toolmaking and labour activities which necessitates some form of social organisa tion, and bring about the birth of language. These ideas are much more fully , stated i n Woman's Evolution, which I highly recommend.

It is important to find out that society has changed; t o know that aggression is not necessarily always with us; that the present patriarchal structure hasn't been the case from time immemorial, and is not biologically determined, as Lionel 'Men in Groups' Tiger (among others) would like us to think.

Other male supremacist popularisers o f anthropology demolished in the book are Desmond 'Naked Ape' Morris and Robert 'Territorial Imperative' Ardrey.

The work o f Levi-Strauss, one-time leading light of anthropology, whose ideas are still very influential, is analysed i n some depth and refuted.

All i n all, this book does indeed supplement and complement Woman's Evolution, and contains some useful criticism of particular writers' theories.

However, I found Reed's Marxist views much more obtrusive i n this book, and the repeated assertion that the socialist revolution would set everything to rights somewhat naive.

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-Biology as a Social ~ & o n Anir =-Arbor, Science for the People. Burgess $5.95 153pp. Available soon through PDC. What do racism, clasywperiority, sexismand human nature all have in common? They are all formsof biological determinism, i.e. explaining these social norms as an inevitable consequence o f the biology o f certain sectors o f the Community.

The book 'Biology as a Social Weapon' consists o f 10 papers by various authors, all experts i n their field, on the topjc o f biological determinism. Most of the papers were originally produced for a symposium called 'Bwlogiqal Determipisir A Critical Appraisal' which wasorganised by the Ann Arbor group o f Scieflqqfor, the People (their sister organisation here is British Society for Social Responsibility in Science). The ideas idthis book could easily become the centre o f controversy, as the authors analyse the assumptions and evidence on which theories such as / male dominance are based, and they find serious flaws in the methodology, evidence and assumptions involved. What they are saying is that these tenets are just a load o f rubbish. : they find, though that evidence which is contrary to biological determinism does exist, but only in academic journals - it is never picked up,by.the popular authors or the press, so the general public never hears of it.

A fact that is brought up i n many of the articles is that the proponents of biological determinism are all members of the ruling class, i.e. white, middleclass, 'successful', usually male. Furthermore, all forms of biological determinism serve the purpose o f maintaining the itatus quo. To give a few examples which ire mentioned i n the text: the developers i f IQ tests design them so that the successful' candidates conform to ruling :lass standards; by saying that blacks lave a lower 1Q than whites, jensen and friends provide a reason for the racist deology of the state; findings that may ~psetpatriarchy(yes, there are some) are lever taken up by popular scientific writers.

The papers i n this book are afl-very ieadable, but at least some of them pre.uppose some background knowledge if the subject. Pauline Bart's chapter i n sexism and the article on the XYY nale (what?) come into this category.

Pie basic ideas are all explained, but ~omeo f the terminology used may be infamiliar t o some people.

Overall, this book provides a muchneeded political perspective on the brms of biological determinism. It is >mustfor all people either studying

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non-racist, egalitarian and ecological society.

Lewana Veal Words and Women by ~ a s e y , ' ~ i l l and er Kate Swift. Victor GoUancz. £4.50 Casey Miller and Kate Swift, in their book Words and Women, have attacked a vital and yet difficult issue: thesexist structure o f the English language. I t s obvious that the insidious way in which language affects our thoughts and hehaviour must be examined in a cornideration o f the oppkssion o f women. Yet many's the feminist who will draw the line in thekcpersonal struggle at language. Is this a result o f the almost passionate scorn that greets the usage of the 'person' words, or that has born the like of 'don't step in the persanhole' and 'ace your pewnstruating'? The emotionalism investedin the opposition to a change i n the 'mother' tongue is great and i s probably an indication o f the need for a thorough examination of,the problem.

Miller and Swifthavemanaged t o be thorough - evidence of extensive research is given throughout - and at the same time immensely readable, quoting from a wide range of sources, somepoignantly funny: 'Dear God', wrote a littlegirl named Sylvia, 'Are boys better than girls? I know you are one, but try to be fair', all precise and to the point; 'The degree to which words, as we customarily use them, minimize the humanity of women and maximize their status as bbjects, we are all, females and males, he losers'. An important chapter ex,mine<the ways in which the Bible has keen gradually twisted, over the years ind translations, to give us, sometimes, startlingly different story than was ntended. Quote Miller and Swift, ' .the tory (of the creation, in Genesis) as if , /as recorded in the original Hebrew eveals some significant aspects of this ncient human view o f ourselves that ave been lost i n English translations. "he 'man' formed out o f the dust of he ground. is Adham, a generic term I Ancient Hebrew for humankind. The iriginal person i s seen in the story as an ndrogynous being, having the potentialties of both sexes'.

This is an important book, and if I ould afford £4.5 a shot I'd give a opy t o everyone I know, not least for ie suggestions in the epilogue about 'hat we can start doing now t o make i e necessary changes in the words we reak.

Linda Lee Welch

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Womtpts Undercurrents

WRITERS READERS

"

....rdost Wickedly subversive

propaganda ever t o be printed."

South Wales Echo "I would recommend a set of these i infants, junior and secondary schools."

Area Contact 'They are beautifutly designed, with stunningly imaginative illustrations."

Times Educational Supplement "The appearance i n Great Britain of such non-sexist images in children's picture books is long overdue."

Time Out JUDGE FOR YOURSELVES!

** A

Arthur and Clementine, The Real Story of the Bonobos who Wore Spectacles, Sugar Pink Rose, A Fortunate Catastrophe, The Five Wives of Silverbeard, Of Cannons and Caterpillar!, and The Breadtime Story.

Seven beautifully illustrated Feminist Fables for children. HIB £2.5 each from: Readers and Writers Publishing Co-operative,

Witches, Midwives and Nurses - A History o f Women Healers - by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deidre Eenlish. Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative 65 pence 63pp "Women have always been healers.

They were the unlicensed doctors and anatomists o f western history. They were abortionists, nurses and counsellors. They were pharmacists, cultivating healing herbs and exchanging the secrets of their uses. They were midwives, travelling from home to home and village to village. For centuries women were doctors without degrees, barred from books and lectures, learning from each other, and passing on experience from neighbour to neighbour and mother to daughter. They were called "wise women" by the people, witches or charlatans by the authorities." (from the preface o f Witches, Midwives and Nurses.)

Ehrenreich and English, the authors, have written a very readable, fascinating account about women healers which puts an entirely new perspective on the history of medicine. The authors suggest that this book should be read in conjunction with their other book, Complaints and Disorders - the Sexual Politics o f Sickness, which is concerned with women as recipients o f medicine.

Lowana Veal

Little Girls by Elena Gianini Belotti (with an introduction by Margaret Drabble) Writers and Readers Publishing CooperativetfO.85 158pp.

Anyone who has not read this book, and spread news o f it t o three other people (at least one o f which must be her/ his mother) by January 1st 1979, will be excommunica@d.

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Also..

Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative have issued seven children's books, all originally published in Italy, which are well worth anyone's attention.

Each one is produced in hardback and very pleasantly illustrated (in colour).

The stories are aimed at different age ranges - about 5 t o 11 or so but all have an allegorical meaning which can be appreciated by any adult who comes across them. Each one is determinedly non-sexist, and manages to be entertaining while questioning and reversing traditional roles.

Highly recommended - but as they're £2.5 each suggest you get your local school and/or library t o buy the set just get your favourite(s) for yourself. and furthermore.

In conjunction with the above, if you're after adding weight t o your arguments, or seeking facts t o back up your convictions, or just simply curious then you definitely will have a use for the following two collections: 1) Racist and Sexist Images in Children's Books. Papers on Children's L i terature No. 1. by the Council Qn Interracial Books for Children. New York, 45 pence.

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2) Sexism in Children's Books, Facts, Figures and Guidelines. Papers on Children's Literature No. 2, edited by the Children's Rights Workshop.

A collection of introductory articles on sexism in children's literature.

60 pence. both from Writers and Readers Publishing Co-operative (yet again).

The Rocking o f the Cradle and the Ruling of the World by Dorothy Dinnerstein. Souvenir Press. £2.9 paperback. £5.0 hardback. 277pp + notes & bibliography.

This book struck me as not only excellent, but also as particularly relevant to the themes o f this issue.

It i s concerned with the dynamics of the mainstream o f human relationships 4n our culture which serve t o preserve the status quo and which, if allowed to continue unaltered, will lead to an end to all of humanity's problems by leading to the end o f humanity.

Our species has made itselfland its knowledge i s its vehicle for changing itself. This book could bring to its reader's consciousness a powerful instrument for change.

So read it.

Val Robinson

rad mags -

AU the magazines below are distributed by

Publications Distribution Co-op, 27 Qerkenwell dose, London, EC1R OAT 01-251 4967. It is by no means an extensire list, but it is a start . ..

Women's Voice: 'Fights for women's rights' a socialist feminist magazine, positive, News page, short stories, health page, 'Your voice', a 2-page spread of letters presents political-feminist iss ues.

Spare Rib: A women's liberation magazine 35p. Reaches a broad readership by packing in a lot of readable articles, stories, pictures, news-items, reviews, letters, Very well presented, always changing.

Women Speaking: Bi-monthly pamphlet made up of four academic articles relating to the Womens movement. 30p. An editorial commentary, book reviews and T o r the record' which lists responsible posts held by women around the world.

Mens News. Produced by Dalston men's group 20p. 'We believe that part of the process of linking the personal and the political involves bringing together socialist politics and personal sexual politics! Hope ful to see such a publication for men!

Zero; an anarchist-feminist news magazinemonthly 2@. Excellent layout, covers world news, reviews, letters, agit-prop. Run by a mixed collective. Presented in newspaper format, lots of photographs.

Red Rag: socialist Feminist magazine.

30p. Long articles, good information. Special issues feature various facets of the Womens Movement, e.g. non-violence group, "THe Matriarchy Study Group, Revolutionary Feminists etc. Run by a small all-women collective.

Women's Report: A bi-monthly feminist news magazine 30p. A very practical, factual publication set out under specific headings, such as Money, Education, Abortion, Health, Legal etc. At the back 'Clearinghouse', a listing of groups and societies which can be contacted, from theatre groups to a group who want to discuss child-care.

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The local centres are as follows: ~ a l t h a r n s t w : - 1 6 ~ ~ aHouse r k Road, El7 Dublin: 45 Artbury Grove, Dundrin, ', Whitechapel:,3.~delina Grove, E l Dublin. 14. , 4 k (01-515 117È ,..

ENGLAND Women's Art&&l!iaflce: 10 Cambridge Birtningfram: 76 BrightowRoad, Balsall Mews, off-Oieste~~fite, NW1.01Health, Birmingham 12 (021 4492931) 935 1841.

--Brighton: Old Presbyterian urch, North * Manchester: 62 Nelson Street. Manchestel Road, Brighton (0273 669 1) " Norwich: St. Benedict's Street CommunBradford: 4th Idea Bookshbp, 14 Southity Centre, Nonyich, Norfolk gate, Bradford 1, West Yorks, Wottingham: 26 Newcastle Chambers, Bristol: 44 The Grove, Bristol 1 (0272 ' Anfeel Row, NotSngham (0602 41147; ' 22760) Oxford: 88 Bullingdon Road, Oxtord Cambridge: 48 Eden Street; Cambridge ' (0865 724581) (0223-638861 Sheffield: 52 Langsett Road, Sheffield , ~hhtenham:30% Georges ma&, 6 (9742 336514) Cheltenham, Gloucestershife (0242 'Yojk: 32a Parliament Street, York ,L " 24656) (0904 35475) Coventry: 24 Regant St-, Coventry (0203.28955j SCOTLAND Lancaster 86 King StreMi.Lancaster .Aberdeen: St. Catherine's Community (0524 64007) hi Centre, Aberdeen ~eictsterr73 LauteVRCad, Lrfteerter 'Caithness: 2 Bank Place, Thurso, CaithLiverpool: Lark Lane Comfflantty1' nmc 17: Centre, Lark Lane, LIvftiroel ~dinbur~h 160 : Fountainbridge, Edin. r London: . . burgh (03-1 229 0053) Brent: 138 Mirtet AvenfJepdWIO- ' ~Glasgow:<57MiUer Street, Glasgow (01-965 3324) ,, . l(O412211177) Camden: Rosslyn Lodfee,~tL~nelhtf'it

I N F O R M A ~ ON N WOMEN'S GROUPS Over the past few years the women's movement has built up a network of local groups, newsletters, information centres and special interest groups. We have-tried to include as many books and contact addresses as part of the articles but perhaps the following inforhation might be of help to women who,have never previously thought of working with other women..

First 'The Women's Information Referral Service' (WIRES)~~the Women's LiberationMovement's national information service, and also produces a twicemonthly newsletter which con~ms, notie of events, conferences, campaigns, rialtionwide news about the women's movement and subjects of relevance to women, news from groups etc. Ifyou have a query, telephone York 35471, or write to them at 32 Parliament Street, York.

The Women's Researchand feesources Centre (WRRC) acts as aninformation centre forpeople who are doing research on women. They have an index of around 400 research projects in progress. A bimonthly newsletteris published, they hold seminars, and a of periodicals, pamphlets and books is being built up.

They are at 27 Clerkenwell Close, London EC1 Tel. No. 01-235 7568, A Woman's Race is a central information and meeting&ae. There are files of groups and other information concerning all aspects of woinerf'siibferatiort available for.wonm to look at. A weekly newsletter is ~roduced.A Worn&

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Road, NW3 (01-794 5881) Kentish Town: 158 GrafWn Road, ,

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m ahs; : : & DeptF6rd: 74 High Street,SE8 (01-692'7581) North-Paddington, 510'Centre,

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GI wing dope at home/Crotttoe in &e ~ikhebs/C!ommunt~Ham

Undercurrents9 Spec@ Nuclear Power Issue

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~$ndef&rrents 16 Special Habitat Issue

Undercurrents10 JointIssue with Resurgence *

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Wornens Undercurrents

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small H d s 'UBLICATIONS ION-CHURCH-AFFILIATED eaders are invited t o call 01-554 1268 for a k e e copy of the book [ntroducing Quakers'.

'EACE NEWS for non-violent evolution. Reports, analysis, news È non-violent action f o r so& & a m . building alternatives & re-

from 8 Elm Avenue. Nottingham.

SAY NO t o the Fast Breeder Reac& tor. Eco-lftbels 50p per 1 0 0 from friend* of Olf Earth, 1 4 5 Wensleydate Avenue, Clayhall, Ilford, fisaex. Please p u t your own address %low.

U#3%RNATNE course catalogue if e neighbourhood universities ft. D.M. 7.50. Anyone wishing &be inoluded i n t h e 1979 catalogue, ftbugr offering ox requesting a course iftelx own area, should write to: I. Soln d e Boutemaid, Wilhelm laur S t r a w 14.6145 Lindenfelsl Mw. 1,West Germany.

Sell your wombat here! Small Ads at special giveaway price: 3p per word: Box Nos. 75p. Copydate for No. 30 is Aug.30 Please send COPY and replies to Box Nos. &aour London office.

CROPS t o provide fuel and food sufficient for all our needs, could be grown on land now used for livestock. Send l o p stamp for details: Vegan Society, Dent.F. 47 Highlands Road, Leatherhead, Surrey.

"COOPERATIVELY run Alternative Technoloey Workahop has vacancies for committed people. skills desirable but not -wiii& we especially want t o get women involved For more details d -t e t~o Oxford Comtek 29 Castle Street Oxford."

GENUINE FISHERMEN'S

NINEACRE smallholding (animals, arable. ducks, fish. organic garden) needs extra hands, temporary or permanent. Furnished accommodation, communal eating, pocket money. Turner, Brackenber Ha& Appleby-in-Westmoreland. TeL (evenimafl-7) 0930-51124.

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Made in 100% Cotton Drill bv Somerset Home Industrv

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inc.p'+p (money back if not satisfied)

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NAVY BLUE Small, Medium o r Lame. chest size when ordering. Send cheque o r PO to:

RECYCLED Papers and personal letterhead service. Domestic and commercial papers and envelope!, Aha Consewition Society RePaper - Save Trees envelope re-. use labels, posters and comprehen" dve environmental book service.

For details of any of the above, please send a laree sae to: Conservation Books (UC). 228 London Road.

Reading, Berkshire. RG8 1AH.

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I'D APPRECIATE any Monteaaori children's efucation books, infoma-

, tion. materials YOU can mare for the

YOUNG communitv offers land. workshop space and more. ~ e e d s people. Coneenial atmosphere. To exchange detials write the Omega Point, near Oswestrv or nhone URBAN COUPLE (mid-twenties) meek work/involvement in non-sexist collective situation (maybe in the country?) No experience little capital. stuart and sue, 160 canter* bury Road, Croydon, CRO 3HE.

Outrageously expensive course I'm doing later this year. Maria Martinez, 11Brookfield Park, London NW5.

Tel. 485 4511.

HELP! I am a vegetarian ecologicaUy aware, seeking communal alternative t o this sick society, please write t o Maureen Summers. 1 9 Franklin Mount, Harrwate, Yo*shire.

100% RECYCLED STATIONERY Please send r e for sunpies and full details: 'Recycler' Ebrinffton.

- Raw. Crediton, ~ & o n .

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IT'S GETTING LONELY here.

Anyone locally like t o work with us to create alternatives? ~ o o d co-op? What interests YOU? 2 ADULTS and one child living On Ring Sandy & Hilaw. 617 Burton.

1 4 acres with homes goats geese owTrent. 63610. and hens would like more people 7 DAYS residential course in t o come and work and live with us. spiimlng, weaving and dyeing a t Holt laith Holt head. Slaltbwalte, T i a t e m in the Wye = Valley.

Professional tuition. Fee £5all RETREAT: Two-roomed Cottage inclusive. For further details, for side Ide of Mull. Isolated write to: Barbara Girardet, Forest position near sea and hills. A Place Cottage, Trellec Road, Tintern, 10 find peace. Offersaround £4.000 S. Wales, Gwent.

Phil c/;3 Bedfield Rd, Manchester FREE PENPAL SERVICE and M20 OBJ. Free Marriage Bureau. For detail* send a stamped, addressed envelope t o The Adam Trust, 331 Goswell Road, London EC1.

SHELTER

10 Queens St, Wells, Somerset or end for literature: John WiUmott, bUMfe.an, Buneasan, Mull, Argyll.

IEHEARSAL FOR THE YEAR !MO hv Alan Beam. one person's ~peri-&eof the ~lternative lodety È86-76 'I read my life a d thq.llfe of all my friends for ho nçà laveinto it' (Time Out

levdiction &a. 66 Edith Grove, -ondon SW10. Or reserve a COPY brouxh your local library.

L SET Of 1 2 workcards on the sube e t of energy axe now available from SGIS Environmental Information IerÈice North Lodge, EIswlck iemetery, Newcastle upon Tyne 4. it 40f> plus I&P D&P (single set).

Rie cards are for use with lower ec&dary children. A teacher'! pack ¥Be'Energy Resources' (Price 11.76 incl. p k p ) is also available or me with the workcarda.

LASTO ON BURY, Stonehewe, the lew Age, Avebury, stone circles, ows&w.telepathy. UFOs, L%*e life styles.

We want *introduce these subjects t o winners and a new generation. 'or free leaflets o n them send a tumped addressed envelope t o He Adam Trust, 331 Goswell land. London EC1.

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WORK

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FURNITURE DESIGN student wlxhing t o design for the real world meeh aoctallv useful work for final year deezeeprojeet. Solutions to be u k e n t o prototype stage. Starting ~eptetnber.Detaite Steve fncnm, 4 Green Hill G Ã § t Hizh Wvconibe.

WANTED: Trained carpenter, cabinet maker t o help start craft work shop in exntiiu barns on a holding in Suffolk with aim of producing own design quality furniture. For more information write t o Mark Patsons. c/o 66 Mickle Hill, Sandhurst. Camberley, Surrey.

WANTED: Person t o coordinate Oxford Friends of the Earth's recycling campaign and run a community recycling centre. Must be prepeÇ t o work with others in a collect h ~co-operative , way. Must be over 21 with full driving licence and have enthusaism, ideas. persistence and determination. At first not a paying job but wages t o be negotiated contact Oxford F.O.E.. 3 2 St. Bernard's Road, Oxford.

HEALTH & COMFORT

In white ~mtuniwood) or painted (yellow with design).

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Amilibli from:

P.G. Cl-, The h t Wckhim Skeith.

Eve, Suffolk.

Pluw dew S.A.E. if Pricç-LldOrdÃform o r Lxfbta m required.

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USE safe energy and phase out nuclear Power; make YOUR voice heard - collect more sifinatuies. Please send 8.a.e. for forms to: The Safe Energy Petitioners, 42 Vineyard Hill Road, London SW19.

have space for a few others. Garden large hut, like house, needs work Bella Melville, Swansea 52286 (day) or write 4 Cae Honkin. Abencrave, Powy!, SEMI-DERELICT terraced house in Mountain Ash, South Wales.

Mdlna water and drainage. Outside lavatory. Mains electricity but needs rewiring. 82,SOQ nno. , 01-450 9876.

HANDWEAVERS DELIGHT in Hedgehog Equipment. especirily Enelith made curved handcuden. drum carders. economic splnm& and a wide range of hand-picked fleeces. Also flax and luiurv fabric* Hedgehog Equipment, UPP& field. East Sussex.

SINGLE GUY, unemployed ex-art student, seeks permanent place in hippy-type commune. No Previous farm experience but willing t o learn. 1 ain't a time-waster. Thanx.

Ken Hopfood. 39 Kiteleys Green, Leiahion Buzzrd. Beds.

SMALL COMMUNITY on 8-acre smaUbol'ting seeks new people to replace members leaving. Open to any ideas for further growth towards political and spiritual development in an alternative lifestyle. Some capital needed soon. Rob & Cathy, CU-YrYcbtin, Cwm-Arm. Lampeter. Dyfed, Wales.

.2BAR-RINGS 84.40 from Jeanette Honan, 3 5 Prospect Rd Momley,

B'ham 13.021-449 0881.

ETCETERA OUR Lavatbry's Working Now! Corn in.and sample it. Also ferninlst socialist bookslmagazines & tea. First of May 4 5 Niddry St. (off High St). dinb burgh 1. 031657-1348. Open 12-6 pm.

and

TWO young teachers, with 3 year old son, interested in alternative education* would like t o contact others, possibly with view t o joining community. Details from Box No. 01

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COSMETICS WITHOUT SUFFERING TO ANIMALS Send for FRAME'Sleaflet WHAT PRICE VANITY which gives a list of humanely produced cosmetics and suggests ways of reforming present testing methods.

FRAME 312a Worple Road London SW20 SOU

Womens Undercurrents

STILL GOING MONTHLY We're still hoping to bring out Vndercurrents monthly - juit as soon as we can raise enough money. At the moment it lookt like that might be in the late Autumn, cr early next year.

To be precise, what we want t 6 do i s bring out the magazine ten times a year - i.e. monthly except for a PWse t o recover our collective breath in mid-Summer and mid-Winter - instead of thà present six-times-a-yearfrequency.

First, the good news. We hope, on present estimates, to reduce the cover price' to either 35 or 40 pence for a 36 or &page issue b ~ ~ ~ p awith red at the moment).

6 A major reason for going monthly is that it would enable us to give better coverage to current events. A t present, if a story catches our final deadlineit appears in 2-3 weeks, i f not, it can't reach our readers for 10-11week*. And that's very late news! Similarly, our event listings wotld be improvedsubttantially.

Weoften hear about forthcoming events that we think you would like to know about too late for inclusion in one hue, an9 by the next they're over.

The only snag is that going monthly willcost money. We reckon we need something like £3,!50 - to pay for advertiling and promotion, to pay a couple more members of thecollective t o work on the mag part-time, add to tide us over the anticipatedcash-flow deficit until monthly production becomes viable.

Initial response to our appeal for funds for 'going monthly' has been a bit disappoi-ting; although what there has bean is appreciated. But we don't give up easily. So once again we're asking for help in one of two ways: 1. Take out a Supporting Subscription.

It'll cost you £2 and will entitle you to 5 years subscription.

2. Take out a Life Subscription.

IfIIcost you £10and will entitle you to Undercurrents, whether monthly or bi-monthly, for as long as you live.

All Life and Supporting subscriptions are, for the moment, being paid into & separate bank account. If we don't go monthly vour money will be returned.. .A

Printed by Thomas Henry 06ok Ltd, CowcroSSSt. London Eel. Telephone 01-253 7B41

U.S. Mailing Agents Expeditersof the Printed Word, 527 MBdiwn Am, MY. 2nd class poitego paid at New York City.

DIS'TRI BUTION British Ittec Publicttiom Dtributwn Co-op, 27 Clerkenwell dote, London EC1.O1-251 49È USA: Orrier Pi9Èon.8 F i s w Ave., Boston, MM! 16171 4459380' AudCUl: Book -of &ltrele.690 Little Bourke St., Melbourne 3000.679 249 frsnw Ubraire Alterrntive. 36 Rue des & Wudonnais, 75001 Paris. ITel. 223 08 40) Holknd: Bas Momel, Nobçlm108,Wapninoen. meode 13160241.

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(MM Gçrnmn& Austrk: Pro Media. W e r w Vox

Ofnm 64,1000 Berlin 42, Wnt Gernwiy Hut of World: PIÑ i d d m mII h u m to Chris Hutton Squirm at our ¥ditoriloftte*.

vvomens

Undercurrents

Don't let education tie you down!

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Keep your options open on our BSc (Honours) Social and Physical Science degree.

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This unique series of working papers attempts t o question and rethink the underlying concepts of many of our institutions and t o propose alternatives t o industrial society. Using the book as an open forum, experts in various fields make their ideas available t o the general public who are invited to participate critically i n the process of finding a solution t o some of the most pressing contemporary problems, TITLES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ENERGY & EQUITY Ivan Illich £1.2 paperback £3.9 hardcover

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PROFIT OR PEOPLE? James Robertson £1.5 paperback £3.9 hardcover

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LIVING ON THE SUN Godfrey Boyle £2.2 paperback £4.9 hardcover PLANNING OR PREVENTION? Peter Diggory & John McEwan £1.9 paperback £4.9 hardcover

HOUSING BY PEOPLE John F.C. Turner £2.2 paperback £4.9 hardcover POWER MONEY & S E X James Robertson £2.2 paperback £4.9 hardcover DISABLING PROFESSIONS Ivan Illich a t a1 £1.9 paperback £4.9 hardcover

DECODING ADVERTISEMENTS Judith Williamson £3.9 paperback £7.9 hardcover

LIMITS TO SATISFACTION William Leiss £2.2 paperback £4.9 hardcover

Whatever your 'A' level subjects, with two passes am three '0' levels (including maths and science) you can appls t o join this challenging three year course which looks a science and its relation t o society.

The course relates studies in the social and physics sciences t o an examination of the nature, origins and use o scientific knowledge in a modern industrial society.

A final year investigative project is a special featur~ o f the course. Topics chosen have included the decline o the U.K. motorcycle industry, use o f drugs in menta illness, press coverage o f the nuclear debate and technolog! in the cinema.

Graduates can compete advantageously for jobs when ability t o practise and balance a range of skills is o f mon use than specialist training in any one discipline.

For further information write t o : Dr Colin Snape BSc (Honours) Social and Physical Science Coursi Admissions Tutor, Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic Ellison Building Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE'

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Marion Boyars Publishers 18 Brewer St., London W1R 4AS.

MiddlesexPolytechnic

What is your image of 'science' in society?

A

Lillian Halegua The Pearl Bastard  1.25 Barbara Hanrahan The Albatross Muff  1 .SO Karen Petersen & J. J. Wilson Women Artists £3.9

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Who controlsscience 7 Whyare there so few women in science dnd technology Are the problemsof poverty, population andpollution technological or political ?

Who gains what from advanced industrial society ?

Is'alternative technology'the only wayforward?

If you're interested in questions like these, and in acquiring someof the relevant know-how of both the natural and social sciences. write for details of the BScend BSc (Honours) I n Societyend Technology (CNAA) course.

It lastslour years (ten terms plus a placement period) 1 You will need any two A levelsor equivalent or appropriate experience Writs t o the Admissions Office (ref. C204B1, Middlesex Polytechnic, 114 Chase Side, London N14 5PN, or taleohone 01-882 1074

Ellen Moers Literary Women £2.5

The Women's Press Ltd 12 Ellesmere Road Bow, London E3 5QX

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A new interdisciplinary CNAA degree Cwefproblemsare herelostay.They raise complex issueswhich are political. .ethnical an*! economic. They are lascinating. olten contro\ersial and they aiiect you. Our new ticgree aim* 10 gibe you a iirm understandingol these issues through studies ranging ao-ost the p h ~ ~ cand a l social sciences.

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You need 2 A levels (or equivalent) but the subject requirements are broad enough to accommodate students with backgrounds in science, science/arn i r lor examnle I t \ou are interciied and want to know more t i l l in the coupon and send this advertiiea'tent to the 1-sculty Regislnr (Ref:UC/103), Faculty of Science, Sunderhnd Poiy-

K, Chester Roxl, Slinderbnd S R I 3SD. or telephone 107831 76191.

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BiiiiiiiH - SUNDERLANO

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