Psychology student, Sumarha Mirza

Explains the social mirror from the Radical Humanist Position (RH)

1. RH is about the individual trying to assert him/herself against social conventions and norms. RHs imagine that society is trying to keep them down. Their job is to break free. The feminist movement is associated with radical humanism because it claims that patriarchal male power has given women the false idea that they are weak, submissive carers. Because of this feminists belief that women have taken on a false consciousness (they are not able to be their true selves). RH believe that patriarchal (male) power has caused women to feel alienated from themselves.

2. In terms of Cooleys social mirror: the RH looks in the mirror at the reflection which society provides, and then subjects it to critique; refusing to conform to the image it produces. So RHs are usually people who are struggling to be free from limitations imposed by the prejudice of others.

Examples:

1. The fight for the right for women to vote was a violent revolution for the rights of equal citizenship led by Emmiline Pankhurst and her fellow Suffragettes. The following is a brief account of their fight for equal rights, and the women who were part of that sometimes bloody and violent fight.

In Manchester on October 10 1903, Emmiline Pankhursts patience finally ran out. Tired of being pleasant to MPs in order to get them to give women the vote, she called for more militant action. Deeds, not words was to be the motto of the Womens Social and Political Union. (W.S.P.U.) Emmiline expected a fight but little did she envisage the violent and often savage struggle that was to follow on the basis of that motto. Her movement was confined to independent women only, with no party affiliations. They were women of principle and pursued their goal with great passion, determination and fortitude.

On May 19, 1905, a deputation of ten women went to speak to the Prime Minister. Amongst those women was Emily Davies LL.D., who was seventy-six years old. It was Emily who handed the first womens suffrage petition to the Prime Minister. In return all they received was some advice about being patient. This was not the result they wanted. They wanted to be taken seriously.

The suffragettes were arrested, imprisoned, chained up and force fed.

2. One day, Mrs. Rosa Parks boarded a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was tired. She sat down.

"Get up," the bus driver said.
"Give this white man a seat."

Mrs Parks said, "No!"

When Mrs. Parks was arrested, Dr King told the people of Montgomery that if Blacks couldn't ride the buses with freedom and dignity, they shouldn't ride at all. And so they walked. Men and women, boys and girls, through rain and cold. For months and months. For miles and miles. They walked.

The social mirror was thereby smashed!

Clearly, Pankhurst and Parks smashed the social mirror in which they were being cast.

In the same way, this BE-ME respondent would not accept the negative self image her nursing matron was attempting to impose upon her.

See clip mb21 id11