http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/10/nsuffrage10.xml

"Suffragettes 'were like al-Qa'eda'

By Liz Lightfoot,

Claims that members of the Suffragette movement behaved like al-Qa'eda terrorists have led to a furious row among historians."

A new thesis published this week claims that the "so-called heroines" of the fight for the vote for women actually delayed progress by their "carefully calculated, stage managed, cold-blooded crimes".

"The Government of the day dared not be seen to give in to their violent tactics, says Christopher Bearman."

"They became a positive obstruction to votes for women because no Government could appear to surrender to political violence," he says. He accuses "feminist" historians of failing in their duty to tell both sides of the story, allowing "an extraordinary mythology" to grow up around the events of the early 20th century."

"The article, first published in an academic journal and re-printed in the current edition of History, the BBC magazine, singles out June Purvis, the professor of women's and gender history at Portsmouth University, as one of the "feminist historians" responsible for "repeating the propaganda while other sources which contradict it are ignored".Liz

Christine Stolba wrote about 'errors of fact', 'errors of interpretations'and 'sins of omission,' in 'Lying in a Room of Ones Own,' how feminist text books miseducate students.

"Do you know what your daughters may be learning in their "Intro to Women’s Studies" courses? During the Women’s History month of March, IWF released a study by Senior Fellow Christine Stolba entitled Lying in a Room of One’s Own: How Women’s Studies Textbooks Miseducate Students. Stolba’s eye-opening analysis concludes that "the 'knowledge' transmitted by Women’s Studies textbooks is often factually and interpretively at odds with reality.""

Well that is the first time that I have been accused of boasting and chortling (what a delightful word). I assure you Cornflower, that no slip was made. I gather from your post that you are accusing me of being a closet feminist. I will argue however, that when I am looking at issues, I am able to do it from many different theoretical perspectives. For example I am able to look at issues using neoliberalism, behaviouralism, institutionalism, Marxism, capitalism, conservatism, socialism, feminism etc etc. Does this make me a neoliberalist, behaviouralist, institutionalist, Marxist, capitalist, conservative, socialist, feminist? All theories have their merits and their limitations.

I am glad you recognised my facetious comments RObert. And you are right, I have had no experience with DV or FL. I have made a conscientious effort to get on with my ex. Someone at uni is doing a PhD on domestic violence and the police. I will enquire about how men fit into her thesis. Yes, it is being conducted by a female and it will be interesting to find out the scope of her research.

James H, it has been years since someone wanted to hug and kiss me. The fact that it was as the result of what I believe put icing on the cake.

Lizzie4

No, I was thinking more along the lines of hubris. I had been reading a report on Australian law reform along gender lines and that did not prepare me for enjoying your wit for what it was worth.

On re-reading my post I realised it was a bit strong and possibly unfair. I hoped you would not be offended. I had planned to respond in that vein when the response timer allowed it and hopefully before you could take offence.

Allow me to make the lighthearted observation that anyone who can successfully juggle so many 'isms' deserves an award.

cornflower, nicely done. The timer can be very frustrating when you realise that you may have posted a bit too hastily, I've been there occasionally.

Lizzie sad to hear that it's been a long time - we all need hugs and kisses.

I'll be interested in hearing about the approach the PHD student is taking, might be a good general discussion thread.

From a male perspective the kind of issues I've heard of in dealing with the police on DV related issues are
- some officers being instructed not to attend DV complaints where the alleged perpetrator is female unless a weapon is involved.
- a high percentage of males making a DV call in the UK reportedly are the one arrested.
- Reports of police ridiculing males making DV complaints.
- Claims that in some US states the male is removed from the property based on a complaint regardless of evidence. If the complaint is a tactic in a seperation this places in male well behind the eight ball (no access to clothes, paperwork records, tools of trade etc, kids perceiving that daddy has done the wrong thing because the police removed him, patterns of childcare etc). A similar effect can be achieved here by the use of an AVO.

If you want some background on the other side of the child abuse and DV issues have a browse at sites like the stats pages on The Abused Child Trust website (http://www.abusedchildtrust.com.au/./facts.htm), the NSW Child Death Review team reports(http://www.kids.nsw.gov.au/director/resources/publications/childdeathreview.cfm), the summary of the DV section of a long term study run in Dunedin (http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/170018.pdf) or Australian research into the genderisation of DV (http://www.fact.on.ca/Info/dom/heady99.htm)

None are (as far as I'm aware) front's for mens groups or advocacy research.

R0bert

I was not offended Cornflower although I did a little chortling. What I was trying to say about different "isms", is that I try not to limit my responses to an issue by looking at it through only a feminist lens (or an anti-feminist lens for that matter). My research at the moment entails making a choice between institutionalist and behaviouralist approaches for example. My choice will be the one that I consider answers most effectively the questions raised. So, no offence taken.

RObert, I looked at the PhD student's site and it deals with domestic violence with women as the victims and the changes that have occurred with making it a criminal offence. I will ask when I see her though, what she has discovered about men as victims in her research.

Certainly the points you made in your last post suggest that men face severe structural problems in even obtaining acknowledgement of domestic violence concerning males.

By the way, don't feel sorry for me. Living alone has distinct advantages and a lot of "needs" are really "wants".

Lizzie4,

I remember reading more than a few years ago about how (some) female partners would push to get an emotional response from their male partners when discussing issues.

Psychologist Toby Green has written about what she calls the BANG (BAM) factor.

("Bang!" happens when physical and emotional limits crash into each other and explode. The ingredients for "Bang!" are fatigue, frustration, anger, confusion and the fact that there's too much going on to be able to verbalise and cope with what's happening at the same time.

John Gray talked about men going into caves with their upsets and coming out when they calm down. Women think when a man goes there it's because he isn't willing to stay put and be rational, that it's a cop out. Because most men can't explain "Bang!", women often think nothing is going on.)Green
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21224271-5006049,00.html

Mothers are being screened for DV in the Hospital Maternity wards. I made a comment to some midwives and asked why are they not also screening the fathers and I was told that other men have also asked the same question.

I witnessed one occasion recently where there was conflict between a midwife and a father. It was not until later reflection that I realised it was the midwife who was aggravating the situation and the bloke had made, I think an admirable attempt not to loose his cool.