H I E R A R C H Y
"The logical ordering of reality into hierarchies, dualisms, and binary
systems presupposes a...gender dichotomy of man/womany
(Dallery 53).
Women have historically operated outside systems
of hierarchy (Boulding
212).
In fact, the heyday of hierarchical social organization
occurred during the Industrial Revolution when household production
"went
public" and administration became increasingly important. While men
struck out
into this new public sphere, the women were anchored to home by the
presence of children.
So instead of dealing with public markets and bureaucracies, women dealt
with neighbors. And therefore they developed their social, communicative,
and compromising skills (Boulding 212).
Thus goes the story of the historic role of women as mediators,
operating in the interstices of sticky relationships and
connections.
