Mothering and Work Among the Futurists

Posted on September 14, 2003 in Crosstalk Reading Sexuality Social Justice

Kathryn Cramer wrote two articles about problems she’s been having bringing her children to science fiction conventions:

I’d say that perhaps the lack of appropriate usable childcare at many conventions occurs in order to show people like me that we are violating societal or moral norms and need to get with the program; perhaps we are even being punished for our insolence, for thinking we “can have [our] cake and eat it too.”

I have to chuckle on her behalf because I know full well the oft-denied sexism of the Sci Fi community. Science fiction writers and fans love the idea of liberating women to be sex objects but want to check out as soon as babies enter into the equation. Then the seralgio without walls goes up and the message women get in the workplace, in the market, in schools, and churches is “stay home with the children. Have no life.”

This shouldn’t be surprising given the media. I cannot think of many science fiction books — outside of the children’s book market– which feature either mothers or children as principal actors. Most imagined futures are either woven out of the 1950s where children and mothers never appeared in the workplace or out of the 1970s where women were lust objects. Where women do appear they resemble Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, a creature who represents the Sci Fi addicts’ classic woman, a creature with a breasts and an orifice for sexual release but no uterus.

It’s a shame that these futurists seek to maintain the same old standards. There’s no rally for change on behalf of human beings such as Kathryn who wants to write, promote her books at conventions, and have children. It’s a new slant on the Female Eunuch, either don’t get pregnant or don’t come to science fiction conventions.

I would find it hopeful if this were unique to that genre, but, alas, I see the same thing in many other places. The prurience and sexism of the Sci Fi fans is just more noticeable to me because they are supposed to be the vanguards of the future. What a future! Can’t we think of another?

Here Kathryn reviews the child care at various conventions.