Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site phs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hpda!fortune!amdcad!decwrl!decvax!mcnc!duke!phs!sam From: sam@phs.UUCP (Sherry Marts) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: "Mr. Goodbar" and self-dislike Message-ID: <983@phs.UUCP> Date: Sun, 16-Dec-84 14:11:37 EST Article-I.D.: phs.983 Posted: Sun Dec 16 14:11:37 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 19-Dec-84 00:35:16 EST Organization: Duke Physiology Lines: 18 I found the article about women's reactions to "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (which I've never read) interesting considering the experiences I've had in participating in self-defense classes. For many women, the first step in learning self-defense is convincing themselves that they are worth defending. In the case of a woman who has been abused as a child or spouse, the "I'm bad and I deserve whatever I get" attitude is understandable. But many women who have not suffered such abuse still carry within them the notion that if they are assaulted it is somehow their fault, that it is inevitable, and that they are not worth fighting for. The experience, or simply the though of being assualted will always raise strong emotions; what has amazed me is the number of women who don't feel ANGER. I've heard a lot of arguments over the value of self-defense courses. If the only good that comes out of such courses is an increase in self-respect, a change in a woman's attitude about herself, then I think they're worthwhile. Sherry Marts