Subject-Subject Consciousness

Subject-Subject Consciousness

Subject-SUBJECT consciousness, a concept proposed by Harry Hay believed by Hay to be queer people's unique perspective on the world. Hay saw heterosexual society existing in a subject-object dynamic; where men, who had the culturally acceptable power, saw only themselves as subject and therefore higher than women, who were treated as objects and property. Hay extrapolated this interpersonal-sexual dynamic (male-power:female-subordinate) into a broader social context, believing that the subject-object relationship was the driving force behind most all of societies ills. Objectification served as a barrier, emotionally separating an individual (subject) from another individual by dehumanizing them, making them object.

When Hay looked at homosexual relationships, however, he saw a different dynamic at work. He believed that homosexual relationships were based on mutual respect and empathy for the other, a longing for a companion who was as equally valuable as the self. Hay termed this interpersonal-sexual dynamic subject-SUBJECT (which Hay capitalized for emphasis in all of his writings). He believed that this subject-SUBJECT way of viewing the world was queer people's most valuable contribution to the greater society. By empathizing with all people, relating to each other as equal to equal, society would change drastically and social injustices would be eradicated.

Bibliography

*Harry Hay, Will Roscoe (ed.); Radically Gay: Gay Liberation in the Words of its Founder; Beacon Press (1996)
*Stuart Timmons; The Trouble with Harry Hay: Founder of the Modern Gay Movement; Alyson Publications (1990)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Subject — may refer to: *An area of interest, also called a topic meaning , thing you are talking or discussing about . It can also be termed as the area of discussion . See Lists of topics and Lists of basic topics. **An area of knowledge; **The focus of… …   Wikipedia

  • Consciousness — • In its widest sense it includes all sensations, thoughts, feelings, and volitions, in fact the sum total of mental life Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Consciousness     Consciousness …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Consciousness Explained —   Author(s) Daniel C. Dennett …   Wikipedia

  • Consciousness-based healthcare — (CBH), an emerging field of complementary and alternative medicine, is the application of consciousness based interventions to achieve tangible, beneficial outcomes across a wide range of health concerns including physical and emotional issues.… …   Wikipedia

  • Consciousness raising — (often abbreviated c.r. or CR) is a form of political activism, pioneered by United States feminists in the late 1960s. It often takes the form of a group of people attempting to focus the attention of a wider group of people on some cause or… …   Wikipedia

  • Subject (philosophy) — Not to be confused with the subiectum or hypokeimenon in Aristotelianism. In philosophy, a subject is a being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness or a relationship with another entity (or object ). A subject is an observer… …   Wikipedia

  • Consciousness — Representation of consciousness from the seventeenth century. Consciousness is a term that refers to the relati …   Wikipedia

  • consciousness — [[t]kɒ̱nʃəsnəs[/t]] ♦♦♦ consciousnesses 1) N COUNT: usu sing, usu poss N Your consciousness is your mind and your thoughts. That idea has been creeping into our consciousness for some time. Syn: awareness 2) N UNCOUNT: with supp The consciousness …   English dictionary

  • consciousness — Possibly the most challenging and pervasive source of problems in the whole of philosophy. Our own consciousness seems to be the most basic fact confronting us, yet it is almost impossible to say what consciousness is. Is mine like yours? Is ours …   Philosophy dictionary

  • subject — n., adj., adv., & v. n. 1 a a matter, theme, etc. to be discussed, described, represented, dealt with, etc. b (foll. by for) a person, circumstance, etc., giving rise to specified feeling, action, etc. (a subject for congratulation). 2 a… …   Useful english dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”