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MattSimpson
ProfessorHarbolt
WGST39001
August28,2015

CodinginWomensCultures

Itisunderstoodthattheexperiencesofwomenvaryfromindividualtoindividualandthat
genderitselfisasocialconstruct,suggestingthatthetermwomensculturedoesntimplya
universalworldview.Still,accordingtoRadnerandLanserinFeministMessages,most
societieshavearealmofpracticethatisprimarilyorexclusivelywomensdomainthrough
whichbeliefs,understandings,andbehaviorscreateaculture,a
womensculture
,whichisnot
necessarilyaccessibletomenofthesamegroup.(2)
Thisseparationofmenscultureandwomenscultureshouldnotbeconsideredtobe
parallel,however,andinfact,RadnerandLansersaythetwospheresusuallyexistina
relationshipnotsimplyofdifferencebutofdominance.(2)Thisdominanceoccursintheformof
womensperceivedsocial,economic,andemotionaldependanceonthegoodwillofthemen.
(2)Inthisrelationshipofdominance,womenareoftenfacedwiththedecisiontoexpress
themselvesinwaysthatmightcompromisetheirrelationshipwiththemalecultureortoremain
silent.Thissilenceoftenexpressesitselftothemalecultureasanaffirmationoftheir
subjugation,anacceptancetotheirlotinlife.Therealityis,manywomenbecomeawareofthis
negotiationandinstead,choosetocreatemoresubversivemeansofexpression.This
subversiveexpressioniswhatRadnerandLansercallcoding.

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RadnerandLanserbelievethatcodingcanbeawayfordominatedculturestocovertly
expressideas,beliefs,experiences,feelings,andattitudesthatthedominantcultureand
perhapseventhedominatedgroupmightfinddisturbingorthreatening(4).Withaparticular
focusonexpandingfeministconsciousness,thecodingbetweenthedominatedwomenandthe
decipheringofthiscode,or,whatthetextcallsfeministmessages,canbeameansbywhich
thedominatedgroupcanbegintoreinterprettheirownlives,aswellasthelivesofthecoder.
Thisreinterpretationoftheselfanditsrelationshiptotheoppressorprovidesafoundationfor
theprocessofliberation,aprocesswhichultimatelyempowerstheoppressedcommunityand
strengthensfeministcriticalconsciousness.
ThedocumentaryPeoplesStuffisinterestingfirstforthesuperficialentertainment
valueofpeeringintothelivesofseeminglyordinaryAmericans.But,takingintoconsideration
whatwehavelearnedaboutfeministmessagesinthetext,itisenlighteningtoexaminethe
segmentIrenesSeashellsunderafeministreading.
Firstly,thereisthequestionofwhetherornotweshouldevenconsidercodingwhenit
comestoIrene.Tostatemoreclearly,isIrenecodingwhenshedescribesherseashell
collection?
Thetextaddressesthisquestionbydiscussingatlengththeideaofimplicitcodingand
intentionality.Implicitcodinginvolveactswhoseverycodenessisarguable.(6)Itisdifferent
frombothcomplicitandexplicitcoding:actsofcodingwherethecodesaremanifestly
deliberate,unambiguouslyconsciousandintentional.So,whendiscussingIrene,wewillsay
thatthecoding,ifitexists,wouldbeimplicitthereisnoindicationthatIreneisintentionallyand
consciouslycreatingaseriesofcodesforustodecipher.
Instead,thetextsuggeststhatitistheoreticallyfeasibletoarguethatintentionalityis
builtintocommunicativecontexts(9)andthatwithcarefulscholarship,itshouldbesafetoat

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leastsuggeststhepossibilitythatanactofcodinghasoccurred.(9)Thatcommunicative
contextexistswhenthereisasituationofoppression,dominance,orriskforaparticular
individual.
InIrenescase,itshouldbeobviousthatshewasprobablybornsometimeinthe1920s.
Thismeansshehaslivedthroughmanydecadeswherewomenweretreatedaslittlemorethan
mensplaythingsandcaregiversanddelegatedtoextremeinjustice,rangingfromcareer
limitationstotheinabilitytoevenvoteinelections.Itwouldbesafetoassumeshehasliveda
lifeatonepointwhereshewasinasituationofoppressionanddominance,asmanywomenof
thattimeperiodwere.Tome,thisseemstofulfilltherequirementstoatleastpositthepossibility
thatanactofcodingmightoccurinthevideo.
IarguethatIrenescollectionisanunconsciousactofcodingthatilluminatesherideas
ofmaternity,herfeelingofbeingtrappedinamaledominatedword,andasenseofhopelessto
everbeliberated.
Irenebeginsbytellingusthatshenevermovedoutofthestate.Shetalksaboutthe
shellsabilitytogrow,explainingthatoneshellgets2andahalffeethigh,and5inahalffeet
long.Theshellhasuseitsusedasbathtubsandeatingutensils.Thehorseconch,shesays,
evenhasafootwhichitcanwalkwith.Irenehowever,havingstayedinthesamestate,astate
which,inherformativeyears,wasnodoubtmaledominated,seemstohavelessmobilitythan
eventheshell.Theycomefromfarofflands,landsshewillneverbeabletovisit.Sheseemsto
wonderifshewillhaveasmuchuseastheshellwithcanevenbeabathtub.Doessheadmire
theshellsabilitytowalkwhensheseemstostationary?
Ireneseemstospeakaboutmaternitywhentalkingabouthershells.Shementions
specificallyfriends,sisters,aunts.Butshemakesnomentionofkidsorahusband.Itisunclear
ifshewasevermarried,butgiventhetimeperiod,itisprobablylikely.Instead,Irenesmaternity

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seemstobeexpressedinhercaregiventotheshell.Sheknowsthembyname.Sheknows
theirpeculiarities.Andsheshowslovetoeventhetroubledonestheonespulledfromdumps
andyardsales.Theyrejustlikeafamilyshesays.Whatisreallyilluminatingthoughisnear
theend,whenshesaysIsitthereandlookatthem,andseeiftheresanythingdifferent,and
theychange.Ireneiswatchinghershellchildrengrowupandperhapsyearningforor
lamentingthefactthatshemissedoutonchildrearingherself.
Ultimately,weleaveIreneinwhatseemstobeamelancholicstate.Aftergivingusatour
throughhercollection,sheseemstoreachapointofunderstandingthatshemaynothave
realizedbeforedoingthevideo.ShetellsusthatsheneverthoughtIwouldhavethismany
andthenlooksaroundathercollection.Shedoesntsmilehere,andinfactgrowssilent.Itisas
ifthecollectionhas,withoutherrealizingit,grownintosomethingthatisnowoutofhercontrol.
Shesaysshewillhavetostoponeofthesedaysbut,givenherapparentlyage,itseemsher
collectionwilloutliveher.Whatwasoncehermeansofhavingcontrolofherfemininityinamale
dominatedworldhasnowgrowntoshowherthehopelessofhersituation.

Works Cited
Radner, Joan N. and Susan S. Lanser.
Feminist Messages: Coding in Womens Folk
Culture.
Chicago. University of Illinois Press. 1993. Print
Other Peoples Stuff. LeAnn Erickson. 1992.
http://www.folkstreams.net/film,244

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