Who-Stole-Feminism.-How-Women-Have-Betrayed-Women

242 WHO STOLE FEMINISM?This is not to say that there is no room for improvement. An obviouscase in point is the modern university's failure to adjust its tenure systemto the growing number of females entering academic careers. Since allnew professors are required to "publish or perish" in the first six years oftheir career, the tenure clock ticks away at exactly the same rate as youngwomen's biological clocks. 50Adjustments are called for since this state ofaffairs seriously affects equality of opportunity. It is important to note,however, that the slow adjustment of the universities to changed circumstancesis at least in part because they are public or nonprofit institutionsthat are somewhat insulated from the market. The private sector, arguably,has been more creative with respect to flextime, on-site day care,and home office options, and is likely to evolve further, out of economicimperative, rather than through the kind of government intrusion favoredby many of the gender warriors. 51The generally sober economics profession has a few of its own genderfeminists, too. One of its more prominent exponents is American University'sprofessor of economics Barbara Bergmann, who claims "widespread,severe, ongoing discrimination by employers and fellow workers." 52ProfessorBergmann recently surprised some of her fellow feminist (and nonfeminist)economists by opposing a long-standing proposal to include thevalue of nonmarket activity, such as housework and child care, in theofficial gross domestic product figures. Her reason was revealing: "Part ofthe motive [of the proposal] is to lend some dignity to the position ofhousewives. What I think feminism is about is getting women off of thehousewife track." 53Professor Bergmann has proposed that all candidatesfor office in the American Economic Association be questioned regarding"their memberships in feminist and antifeminist organizations." 54She didnot specify which "antifeminist" memberships she was targeting, butthe tone of her proposal is particularly disturbing because she had recentlyserved as president of the American Association of University Professors.As Ms. Nasar reminds us, women have not yet achieved parity. Nevertheless,the glass is at least three-quarters full and getting fuller. Someoneought to inform the University of Pennsylvania English department aboutthis—and, more crucially, the many Backlash readers who may have beendiscouraged by misleading statistics.According to Faludi and Wolf, there are three kinds of women toconsider. The majority are naifs who are in one way or another pawns ofthe patriarchy that shapes their minds and desires. The sophisticated