I’ve been a little stuck more recently, as usual my problem is that I’m too interested in too many things. I know I need to move forward and pick a direction, or more specifically a question, to follow and narrow down what I am doing. In class we had to do some drawing/diagrams about the project including some of the negative things or humps we are trying to overcome. I was in a really grumpy mood that day and defo had no trouble thinking about all that was negative! Continuing on with the question “If porn is Sex Ed, how do you make porn Sex Ed?” has shown me just how difficult it is to get almost anyone to talk about pornography let alone have much constructive conversation that can help kids navigate it too and at times this can feel both overwhelming an exhausting. I am however sure that this is a good place to start. I do think, and so far all interventions and interactions have backed this up, that a foundation of conversations about Sex Ed give us great in roads to all kinds of conversations moving forward so I am happy to stick to this as my entry way and concentrate on opening this up.
Richard made a super interesting point about power and how choosing to be silent in a workshop is a massive flex of power and I have been thinking of this loads since. I’m not sure where it’s taking me yet but I think it goes somewhat hand in hand with the growing conversations about ‘learned or deliberate helplessness’ and ‘the masculinity of doing the least’. This massively applies to parenting, relationships, the mental load, the second shift and the language with which we discuss these things so there is another interesting example of a starting to point that leads to so much more. I’ve found some groups for men and dads that I am going to contact once I am a little surer of what exactly I am contacting them about. Both Richard and Jack, interestingly, did exactly what the men in the previous workshops did though which is to look at the subject matter from a wider macro view of evolutionary behaviour, questioning men’s motivations and behaviours as almost separate from a choice, as innate and ingrained and I think this is really interesting. I guess it’s something I cannot ignore if this is really the way in to getting “them” to consider any of this at all. I wonder what it is in our social conditioning that makes men remove themselves by stepping out and trying to position a less personal more socio-anthropological view and women seemingly do the opposite. In fact the book I am madly in love with – “Why Does Patriarchy Persist?” ( Naomi Snider and Carol Gillingham) does go some way in helping me figure this out. Deepening my understanding of patriarchy has been vital and fascinating. I’m not finished with the book yet but it’s been like a little revolution in my thinking and understanding.
I know I want to focus the next intervention around porn and trying to discuss it. I just don’t understand why there isn’t more cultural conversation happening here. How can something that gets more hits a month than Facebook, Netflix and Twitter combined not be considered a major part of the conversation on cultural and social influences?!?!? This is bonkers to me!! I also know that since I am hitting a wall and feeling a bit overwhelmed by that to do next that I need to make something. So I shall spend some time away from the computer and attempt to create an artistic process that can be used in a making based workshop using porn. Creating makes everything better so off I go….