tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7083730.post3010930594907490374..comments2023-06-02T17:54:44.641+02:00Comments on Connaissances: SarkozyJonathan Wonhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09862200571016427320noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7083730.post-33049301677347897482007-05-09T20:17:00.000+02:002007-05-09T20:17:00.000+02:00It should be added that Royal's performance was in...It should be added that Royal's performance was in no way a poor one. She managed to rally the diverse factions of the left, the turn out for the election was almost as high as it has ever been, her result was much better than Jospin's in the last election and, at 47% of the vote comes close to socialist president Mitterand's result of 1981 in which he gained 52% of the vote (and won). She is therefore in a good position to consolidate her role and perhaps stand again in the next presidential election.Jonathan Wonhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09862200571016427320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7083730.post-90492793126286586352007-05-09T01:31:00.000+02:002007-05-09T01:31:00.000+02:00My feeling is that France is not very advanced on ...My feeling is that France is not very advanced on the equality front. Women are still encouraged to value themselves on the basis of physical appearance, hence the emphasis on slimming (almost every pharmacy window has a huge slimming poster) and lacy lingerie (ditto in every other bus stop hoarding).<BR/><BR/>Royal is said <A HREF="http://politique.fluctuat.net/segolene-royal.html" REL="nofollow">here</A> to have "des airs d'institutrice un peu froide mais intègre" and in some TV clips she has been portrayed as positively fierce. I don't believe this 'masculine' behaviour plays well in a country where the 'femininity' of a woman is so valued.<BR/><BR/>I found the quote below on a petition of support for Royal found <A HREF="http://forum.aceboard.net/60786-1281-15162-0-Presidentielles-femmes-pour-Royal.htm#id137763" REL="nofollow">here</A> which puts these comments into some further context and which, I think, supports my original conclusion.<BR/><BR/><I>Mais ce n’est pas tout. Nous entendons des amies déclarer que « jamais elles ne pourront voter pour cette personne », elles ne la trouvent pas assez « sympathique » ou « engagée », « elle fait du tort à la cause des femmes », on croit rêver.<BR/><BR/>Le masculin est général, le féminin est particulier. Et tous les efforts de la candidate pour neutraliser cet « effet de genre » échouent et se noient dans l’infinie variété des commentaires des consommateurs.<BR/><BR/>Il fut un temps où l’on disait : « le privé est politique ». Aujourd’hui, le politique est réduit au sentiment privé, au caprice individuel, au j’aime/ j’aime pas, au consumérisme et à la frivolité définitivement sexiste.<BR/><BR/>Nous, femmes et hommes de la République, nous disons assez !, marre du machisme ! : nous voulons une femme Présidente pour construire enfin une République fondée sur l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.</I><BR/><BR/>Amen to that.Jonathan Wonhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09862200571016427320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7083730.post-53420766412863125862007-05-08T17:47:00.000+02:002007-05-08T17:47:00.000+02:00Fascinating stuff, Jon. I'd like to link to this f...Fascinating stuff, Jon. I'd like to link to this from my site where I gave some space to Kristeva's article on Royal.<BR/><BR/>Odd about the 'woman' question. Germany currently has a woman chancellor, the UK had Maggie Thatcher, Norway has been there, India has been there, etc. There have been close to fifty women leaders in the world since the beginning of the twentieth century. Care to expand as to why it may be different in France?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com