The Tyranny of Stuctureless

THE
TYRANNY of STRUCTURELESSNESS
by Jo Freeman
aka Joreen

The
earliest model of this text was given as a chat at a convention
referred to as by the Southern Feminine Rights Union, held in Beulah, Mississippi
in Might 1970. It was written up for Notes from the Third Yr (1971),
however the editors didn’t use it. It was then submitted to a number of motion
publications, however just one requested permission to publish it; others did
so with out permission. The primary official place of publication was
in Vol. 2, No. 1 of The Second Wave (1972). This early model
in motion publications was authored by Joreen. Completely different variations
had been printed within the Berkeley Journal of Sociology, Vol. 17,
1972-73, pp. 151-165, and Ms. journal, July 1973, pp. 76-78,
86-89, authored by Jo Freeman. This piece unfold everywhere in the world.
Quite a few individuals have edited, reprinted, minimize, and translated “Tyranny” for
magazines, books and web pages, normally with out the permission or information
of the creator. The model beneath is a mix of the three cited right here.

Throughout
the years through which the ladies’s liberation motion has been taking form,
an amazing emphasis has been positioned on what are referred to as leaderless, structureless
teams as the primary — if not sole — organizational type of the motion.
The supply of this concept was a pure response in opposition to the over-structured
society through which most of us discovered ourselves, and the inevitable management
this gave others over our lives, and the continuous elitism of the Left
and comparable teams amongst those that had been supposedly combating this overstructuredness.
The
thought of “structurelessness,” nonetheless, has moved from a wholesome
counter to these tendencies to turning into a goddess in its personal proper. The
thought is as little examined because the time period is way used, nevertheless it has develop into
an intrinsic and unquestioned a part of girls’s liberation ideology. For
the early improvement of the motion this didn’t a lot matter. It early
outlined its foremost aim, and its foremost technique, as consciousness-raising,
and the “structureless” rap group was a wonderful means to
this finish. The looseness and informality of it inspired participation
in dialogue, and its usually supportive ambiance elicited private perception.
If nothing extra concrete than private perception ever resulted from these
teams, that didn’t a lot matter, as a result of their objective didn’t actually
lengthen past this.

The
primary issues did not seem till particular person rap teams exhausted
the virtues of consciousness-raising and determined they needed to do
one thing extra particular. At this level they normally foundered as a result of
most teams had been unwilling to alter their construction once they modified
their duties. Ladies had totally accepted the concept of “structurelessness” with out
realizing the constraints of its makes use of. Folks would attempt to use the “structureless” group
and the casual convention for functions for which they had been unsuitable
out of a blind perception that no different means might presumably be something
however oppressive.
If
the motion is to develop past these elementary levels of improvement,
it should disabuse itself of a few of its prejudices about group
and construction. There may be nothing inherently unhealthy about both of those.
They are often and sometimes are misused, however to reject them out of hand as a result of
they’re misused is to disclaim ourselves the mandatory instruments to additional
improvement. We have to perceive why “structurelessness” does
not work.

FORMAL
AND INFORMAL STRUCTURES

Opposite
to what we want to consider, there isn’t a such factor as a structureless
group. Any group of individuals of no matter nature that comes collectively for
any size of time for any objective will inevitably construction itself in
some trend. The construction could also be versatile; it could fluctuate over time; it
might evenly or inconsistently distribute duties, energy and assets over the
members of the group. However it will likely be shaped whatever the skills,
personalities, or intentions of the individuals concerned. The actual fact that
we’re people, with completely different abilities, predispositions, and backgrounds
makes this inevitable. Provided that we refused to narrate or work together on any
foundation in any way might we approximate structurelessness — and that’s
not the character of a human group.
This
implies that to try for a structureless group is as helpful, and as misleading,
as to intention at an “goal” information story, “value-free”
social science, or a “free” financial system. A “laissez faire”
group is about as practical as a “laissez faire” society; the
thought turns into a smokescreen for the robust or the fortunate to ascertain unquestioned
hegemony over others. This hegemony will be so simply established as a result of
the concept of “structurelessness” doesn’t forestall the formation
of casual constructions, solely formal ones. Equally “laissez faire”
philosophy didn’t forestall the economically highly effective from establishing
management over wages, costs, and distribution of products; it solely prevented
the federal government from doing so. Thus structurelessness turns into a manner of
masking energy, and throughout the girls’s motion is normally most strongly
advocated by those that are probably the most highly effective (whether or not they’re acutely aware
of their energy or not). So long as the construction of the group is casual,
the principles of how selections are made are recognized solely to a couple and consciousness
of energy is proscribed to those that know the principles. Those that have no idea
the principles and should not chosen for initiation should stay in confusion,
or endure from paranoid delusions that one thing is going on of which
they don’t seem to be fairly conscious.

For
everybody to have the chance to be concerned in a given group and
to take part in its actions the construction should be express, not
implicit. The foundations of decision-making should be open and out there to
everybody, and this could occur provided that they’re formalized. That is
to not say that formalization of a construction of a bunch will destroy
the casual construction. It normally does not. But it surely does hinder the
casual construction from having predominant management and make out there
some technique of attacking it if the individuals concerned should not at the least
accountable to the wants of the group at giant. “Structurelessness” is
organizationally not possible. We can not determine whether or not to have a structured
or structureless group, solely whether or not or to not have a formally structured
one. Subsequently the phrase won’t be used any longer besides to refer
to the concept it represents. Unstructured will confer with these teams
which haven’t been intentionally structured in a selected method.
Structured will confer with these which have. A Structured group at all times
has formal construction, and might also have a casual, or covert, construction.
It’s this casual construction, notably in Unstructured teams,
which kinds the idea for elites.

THE
NATURE OF ELITISM

“Elitist”
might be probably the most abused phrase within the girls’s liberation motion. It
is used as steadily, and for a similar causes, as “pinko”
was used within the fifties. It’s not often used appropriately. Inside the motion
it generally refers to people, although the private traits
and actions of these to whom it’s directed might differ broadly: A person,
as a person can by no means be an elitist, as a result of the one correct software
of the time period “elite” is to teams. Any particular person, regardless
of how well-known that particular person could also be, can by no means be an elite.
Appropriately,
an elite refers to a small group of people that have energy over a bigger
group of which they’re half, normally with out direct accountability to
that bigger group, and sometimes with out their information or consent. An individual
turns into an elitist by being a part of, or advocating the rule by, such a
small group, whether or not or not that particular person is well-known or not recognized
in any respect. Notoriety will not be a definition of an elitist. Essentially the most insidious
elites are normally run by individuals not recognized to the bigger public in any respect.
Clever elitists are normally sensible sufficient to not permit themselves
to develop into well-known; once they develop into recognized, they’re watched, and the
masks over their energy is now not firmly lodged.
Elites
should not conspiracies. Very seldom does a small group of individuals get collectively
and intentionally attempt to take over a bigger group for its personal ends. Elites
are nothing extra, and nothing much less, than teams of associates who additionally occur
to take part in the identical political actions. They’d most likely keep
their friendship whether or not or not they had been concerned in political actions;
they might most likely be concerned in political actions whether or not or not
they maintained their friendships. It’s the coincidence of those two
phenomena which creates elites in any group and makes them so tough
to interrupt.
These
friendship teams perform as networks of communication outdoors any common
channels for such communication that will have been arrange by a bunch.
If no channels are arrange, they perform as the one networks of communication.
As a result of persons are associates, as a result of they normally share the identical values
and orientations, as a result of they discuss to one another socially and seek the advice of
with one another when frequent selections should be made, the individuals concerned
in these networks have extra energy within the group than those that do not. And
it’s a uncommon group that doesn’t set up some casual networks of communication
via the buddies which can be made in it.
Some
teams, relying on their dimension, might have a couple of such casual
communications community. Networks might even overlap. When just one such
community exists, it’s the elite of an in any other case Unstructured group, whether or not
the individuals in it need to be elitists or not. If it’s the solely such
community in a Structured group it could or might not be an elite relying
on its composition and the character of the formal Construction. If there are
two or extra such networks of associates, they might compete for energy inside
the group, thus forming factions, or one might intentionally choose out of the
competitors, leaving the opposite because the elite. In a Structured group, two
or extra such friendship networks normally compete with one another for formal
energy. That is usually the healthiest state of affairs, as the opposite members are
able to arbitrate between the 2 opponents for energy and thus
to make calls for on these to whom they offer their momentary allegiance.
The
inevitably elitist and unique nature of casual communication networks
of associates is neither a brand new phenomenon attribute of the ladies’s motion
nor a phenomenon new to girls. Such casual relationships have excluded
girls for hundreds of years from collaborating in built-in teams of which they
had been an element. In any career or group these networks have created
the “locker room” mentality and the “old fashioned” ties
which have successfully prevented girls as a bunch (in addition to some males
individually) from having equal entry to the sources of energy or social
reward. A lot of the vitality of previous girls’s actions has been directed
to having the constructions of decision-making and the choice processes
formalized in order that the exclusion of ladies could possibly be confronted instantly.
As we effectively know, these efforts haven’t prevented the casual male-only
networks from discriminating in opposition to girls, however they’ve made it extra
tough.
As a result of
elites are casual doesn’t imply they’re invisible. At any small group
assembly anybody with a pointy eye and an acute ear can inform who’s influencing
whom. The members of a friendship group will relate extra to one another
than to different individuals. They pay attention extra attentively, and interrupt much less;
they repeat one another’s factors and provides in amiably; they have an inclination to disregard
or grapple with the “outs” whose approval will not be crucial for
making a choice. However it’s crucial for the “outs” to remain
on good phrases with the “ins.” In fact the traces should not as
sharp as I’ve drawn them. They’re nuances of interplay, not prewritten
scripts. However they’re discernible, and so they do have their impact. As soon as
one is aware of with whom you will need to verify earlier than a choice is made,
and whose approval is the stamp of acceptance, one is aware of who’s operating
issues.
Since
motion teams have made no concrete selections about who shall train
energy inside them, many various standards are used across the nation.
Most standards are alongside the traces of conventional feminine traits.
As an illustration, within the early days of the motion, marriage was normally
a prerequisite for participation within the casual elite. As girls have
been historically taught, married girls relate primarily to one another,
and look upon single girls as too threatening to have as shut associates.
In lots of cities, this criterion was additional refined to incorporate solely these
girls married to New Left males. This normal had greater than custom behind
it, nonetheless, as a result of New Left males usually had entry to assets wanted
by the motion — akin to mailing lists, printing presses, contacts,
and data — and girls had been used to getting what they wanted via
males fairly than independently. Because the motion has charged via time,
marriage has develop into a much less common criterion for efficient participation,
however all casual elites set up requirements by which solely girls who possess
sure materials or private traits might be part of. They steadily
embody: middle-class background (regardless of all of the rhetoric about relating
to the working class); being married; not being married however residing with
somebody; being or pretending to be a lesbian; being between the ages of
twenty and thirty; being school educated or at the least having some school
background; being “hip”; not being too “hip”; holding
a sure political line or identification as a “radical”; having
youngsters or at the least liking them; not having youngsters; having sure
“female” character traits akin to being “good”;
dressing proper (whether or not within the conventional model or the antitraditional
model); and so on. There are additionally some traits which is able to virtually at all times
tag one as a “deviant” who shouldn’t be associated to. They embody:
being too previous; working full time, notably if one is actively dedicated
to a “profession”; not being “good”; and being avowedly
single (i.e., neither actively heterosexual nor gay).
Different
standards could possibly be included, however all of them have frequent themes. The traits
prerequisite for collaborating within the casual elites of the motion,
and thus for exercising energy, concern one’s background, character,
or allocation of time. They don’t embody one’s competence, dedication
to feminism, abilities, or potential contribution to the motion. The previous
are the standards one normally makes use of in figuring out one’s associates. The latter
are what any motion or group has to make use of if it will be
politically efficient.
The
standards of participation might differ from group to group, however the means
of turning into a member of the casual elite if one meets these standards
artwork just about the identical. The one foremost distinction will depend on whether or not
one is in a bunch from the start, or joins it after it has begun.
If concerned from the start you will need to have as many of 1’s
private associates as attainable additionally be part of. If nobody is aware of anybody else very
effectively, then one should intentionally kind friendships with a choose quantity
and set up the casual interplay patterns essential to the creation
of a casual construction. As soon as the casual patterns are shaped they act
to keep up themselves, and some of the profitable ways of upkeep
is to constantly recruit new individuals who “slot in.” One joins
such an elite a lot the identical manner one pledges a sorority. If perceived as
a possible addition, one is “rushed” by the members of the
casual construction and ultimately both dropped or initiated. If the
sorority will not be politically conscious sufficient to actively have interaction on this course of
itself it may be began by the outsider just about the identical manner one
joins any non-public membership. Discover a sponsor, i.e., choose some member of the
elite who seems to be effectively revered inside it, and actively domesticate
that particular person’s friendship. Finally, she’s going to most definitely carry you into
the inside circle.

All
of those procedures take time. So if one works full time or has an analogous
main dedication, it’s normally not possible to affix just because there
should not sufficient hours left to go to all of the conferences and domesticate the
private relationship essential to have a voice within the decision-making.
That’s the reason formal constructions of determination making are a boon to the
overworked particular person. Having a longtime course of for decision-making
ensures that everybody can take part in it to some extent.
Though
this dissection of the method of elite formation inside small teams
has been important in perspective, it isn’t made within the perception that
these casual constructions are inevitably unhealthy — merely inevitable.
All teams create casual constructions on account of interplay patterns
among the many members of the group. Such casual constructions can do very
helpful issues However solely Unstructured teams are completely ruled by
them. When casual elites are mixed with a fable of “structurelessness,” there
will be no try and put limits on the usage of energy. It turns into capricious.
This
has two probably detrimental penalties of which we ought to be conscious.
The primary is that the casual construction of decision-making can be
very similar to a sorority — one through which individuals hearken to others as a result of
they like them and never as a result of they are saying important issues. As lengthy
because the motion doesn’t do important issues this doesn’t a lot matter.
But when its improvement is to not be arrested at this preliminary stage,
it should alter this development. The second is that casual constructions
don’t have any obligation to be accountable to the group at giant. Their energy
was not given to them; it can’t be taken away. Their affect is
not based mostly on what they do for the group; subsequently they can’t be instantly
influenced by the group. This doesn’t essentially make casual constructions
irresponsible. Those that are involved with sustaining their affect
will normally attempt to be accountable. The group merely can not compel
such accountability; it’s depending on the pursuits of the elite.

THE “STAR” SYSTEM

The
thought of “structurelessness” has created the “star”
system. We dwell in a society which expects political teams to make selections
and to pick individuals to articulate these selections to the general public at giant.
The press and the general public have no idea pay attention critically to particular person
girls as girls; they need to understand how the group feels. Solely three strategies
have ever been developed for establishing mass group opinion: the vote
or referendum, the general public opinion survey questionnaire, and the choice
of group spokespeople at an applicable assembly. The ladies’s liberation
motion has used none of those to speak with the general public. Neither
the motion as a complete nor a lot of the multitudinous teams inside it
have established a method of explaining their place on numerous points.
However the public is conditioned to search for spokespeople.
Whereas
it has consciously not chosen spokespeople, the motion has thrown up
many ladies who’ve caught the general public eye for various causes. These girls
symbolize no explicit group or established opinion; they know this and
normally say so. However as a result of there aren’t any official spokespeople nor any
decision-making physique that the press can question when it desires to know the
motion’s place on a topic, these girls are perceived because the spokespeople.
Thus, whether or not they need to or not, whether or not the motion likes it or not,
girls of public observe are put within the position of spokespeople by default.
This
is one foremost supply of the ire that’s usually felt towards the ladies who
are labeled “stars.” As a result of they weren’t chosen by the ladies
within the motion to symbolize the motion’s views, they’re resented when
the press presumes that they converse for the motion. However so long as the
motion doesn’t choose its personal spokeswomen, such girls can be positioned
in that position by the press and the general public, no matter their very own needs.
This
has a number of detrimental penalties for each the motion and the ladies
labeled “stars.” First, as a result of the motion did not put them
within the position of spokesperson, the motion can not take away them. The press
put them there and solely the press can select to not pay attention. The press
will proceed to look to “stars” as spokeswomen so long as it
has no official options to go to for authoritative statements from
the motion. The motion has no management within the choice of its representatives
to the general public so long as it believes that it should not have any representatives
in any respect. Second, girls put on this place usually discover themselves viciously
attacked by their sisters. This achieves nothing for the motion and
is painfully damaging to the people concerned. Such assaults solely
end in both the lady leaving the motion entirely-often bitterly
alienated — or in her ceasing to really feel accountable to her “sisters.”
She might keep some loyalty to the motion, vaguely outlined, however she
is now not vulnerable to pressures from different girls in it. One can not
really feel accountable to individuals who have been the supply of such ache with out
being a masochist, and these girls are normally too robust to bow to that
sort of private strain. Thus the backlash to the “star” system
in impact encourages the very sort of individualistic nonresponsibility
that the motion condemns. By purging a sister as a “star,”
the motion loses no matter management it could have had over the one that
then turns into free to commit all the individualistic sins of which she
has been accused.

POLITICAL
IMPOTENCE

Unstructured
teams could also be very efficient in getting girls to speak about their lives;
they are not excellent for getting issues performed. It’s when individuals get drained
of “simply speaking” and need to do one thing extra that the teams
flounder, until they modify the character of their operation. Sometimes,
the developed casual construction of the group coincides with an out there
want that the group can fill in such a manner as to present the looks that
an Unstructured group “works.” That’s, the group has fortuitously
developed exactly the sort of construction finest fitted to partaking in
a selected challenge.
Whereas working in this sort of group is a really heady expertise, it’s also uncommon
and really onerous to copy. There are virtually inevitably 4 circumstances
present in such a bunch;

1)
It’s activity oriented. Its perform could be very slender and really particular,
like placing on a convention or placing out a newspaper. It’s the activity
that principally constructions the group. The duty determines what must
be performed and when it must be performed. It gives a information by which individuals
can decide their actions and make plans for future exercise.
2)
It’s comparatively small and homogeneous. Homogeneity is critical
to insure that individuals have a “frequent language” for interplay.
Folks from broadly completely different backgrounds might present richness to a consciousness-raising
group the place every can be taught from the others’ expertise, however too nice
a variety amongst members of a task-oriented group means solely that they
frequently misunderstand one another. Such various individuals interpret phrases
and actions otherwise. They’ve completely different expectations about one another’s
habits and decide the outcomes in line with completely different standards. If everybody
is aware of everybody else effectively sufficient to know the nuances, these will be
accommodated. Often, they solely result in confusion and infinite hours spent
straightening out conflicts nobody ever thought would come up.
3)
There’s a excessive diploma of communication. Data should be handed
on to everybody, opinions checked, work divided up, and participation assured
within the related selections. That is solely attainable if the group is small
and other people virtually dwell collectively for probably the most essential phases of the
activity. Evidently, the variety of interactions essential to contain
everyone will increase geometrically with the variety of individuals. This
inevitably limits group individuals to about 5, or excludes some from
among the selections. Profitable teams will be as giant as 10 or 15,
however solely when they’re the truth is composed of a number of smaller subgroups which
carry out particular elements of the duty, and whose members overlap with every
different in order that information of what the completely different subgroups are doing can
be handed round simply.
4)
There’s a low diploma of talent specialization. Not everybody has
to have the ability to do every thing, however every thing should be capable of be performed by
a couple of particular person. Thus nobody is indispensable. To a sure extent,
individuals develop into interchangeable elements.

Whereas
these circumstances can happen serendipitously in small teams, this isn’t
attainable in giant ones. Consequently, as a result of the bigger motion in most
cities is as unstructured as particular person rap teams, it isn’t an excessive amount of
more practical than the separate teams at particular duties. The casual
construction isn’t collectively sufficient or in contact sufficient with the individuals
to have the ability to function successfully. So the motion generates a lot movement
and few outcomes. Sadly, the implications of all this movement are
not as innocuous because the outcomes’ and their sufferer is the motion itself.
Some
teams have shaped themselves into native motion tasks if they don’t
contain many individuals and work on a small scale. However this manner restricts
motion exercise to the native degree; it can’t be performed on the regional
or nationwide. Additionally, to perform effectively the teams should normally pare themselves
all the way down to that casual group of associates who had been operating issues within the
first place. This excludes many ladies from collaborating. So long as the
solely manner girls can take part within the motion is thru membership in
a small group, the nongregarious are at a definite drawback. As lengthy
as friendship teams are the primary technique of organizational exercise, elitism
turns into institutionalized.
For
these teams which can not discover a native challenge to which to commit themselves,
the mere act of staying collectively turns into the explanation for his or her staying
collectively. When a bunch has no particular activity (and consciousness elevating
is a activity), the individuals in it flip their energies to controlling others
within the group. This isn’t performed a lot out of a malicious need to govern
others (although generally it’s) as out of a scarcity of something higher to
do with their abilities. Ready individuals with time on their fingers and a necessity
to justify their coming collectively put their efforts into private management,
and spend their time criticizing the personalities of the opposite members
within the group. Infighting and private energy video games rule the day. When a
group is concerned in a activity, individuals be taught to get together with others as
they’re and to subsume private dislikes for the sake of the bigger aim.
There are limits positioned on the compulsion to remold each particular person in our
picture of what they need to be.

The
finish of consciousness-raising leaves individuals with no place to go, and
the shortage of construction leaves them with no manner of getting there. The
girls the motion both flip in on themselves and their sisters or
search different options of motion. There are few which can be out there.
Some girls simply “do their very own factor.” This will result in a
nice deal of particular person creativity, a lot of which is beneficial for the
motion, however it isn’t a viable various for most ladies and definitely
doesn’t foster a spirit of cooperative group effort. Different girls drift
out of the motion solely as a result of they do not need to develop an
particular person challenge and so they have discovered no manner of discovering, becoming a member of,
or beginning group tasks that curiosity them.
Many
flip to different political organizations to present them the sort of structured,
efficient exercise that they haven’t been capable of finding within the girls’s
motion. These political organizations which see girls’s liberation
as solely certainly one of many points to which girls ought to commit their time
thus discover the motion an enormous recruiting floor for brand spanking new members. There
isn’t any want for such organizations to “infiltrate” (although
this isn’t precluded). The will for significant political exercise
generated in girls by their turning into a part of the ladies’s liberation
motion is ample to make them keen to affix different organizations
when the motion itself gives no retailers for his or her new concepts and
energies. These girls who be part of different political organizations whereas
remaining throughout the girls’s liberation motion, or who be part of girls’s
liberation whereas remaining in different political organizations, in flip
develop into the framework for brand spanking new casual constructions. These friendship
networks are based mostly upon their frequent nonfeminist politics fairly than
the traits mentioned earlier, however function in a lot the identical
manner. As a result of these girls share frequent values, concepts, and political
orientations, they too develop into casual, unplanned, unselected, unresponsible
elites — whether or not they intend to be so or not.
These
new casual elites are sometimes perceived as threats by the previous casual
elites beforehand developed inside completely different motion teams. This
is an accurate notion. Such politically oriented networks are not often
prepared to be merely “sororities” as lots of the previous ones
had been, and need to proselytize their political in addition to their feminist
concepts. That is solely pure, however its implications for ladies’s liberation
have by no means been adequately mentioned. The previous elites are not often prepared
to carry such variations of opinion out into the open as a result of it could
contain exposing the character of the casual construction of the group.
Many
of those casual elites have been hiding beneath the banner of “anti-elitism” and “structurelessness.” To
successfully counter the competitors from one other casual construction,
they must develop into “public,” and this risk
is fraught with many harmful implications. Thus, to keep up its
personal energy, it’s simpler to rationalize the exclusion of the members
of the opposite casual construction by such means as “red-baiting,” “reformist-baiting,” “lesbian-baiting,” or “straight-baiting.” The
solely different various is to formally construction the group in such a
manner that the unique energy construction is institutionalized. That is
not at all times attainable. If the casual elites have been effectively structured
and have exercised a good quantity of energy previously, such a activity
is possible. These teams have a historical past of being considerably politically
efficient previously, because the tightness of the casual construction has
confirmed an ample substitute for a proper construction. Turning into Structured
doesn’t alter their operation a lot, although the institutionalization
of the facility construction does open it to formal problem. It’s these
teams that are in biggest want of construction which can be usually least
able to creating it. Their casual constructions haven’t been too
effectively shaped and adherence to the ideology of “structurelessness” makes
them reluctant to alter ways. The extra Unstructured a bunch is,
the extra missing it’s in casual constructions, and the extra it adheres
to an ideology of “structurelessness,” the extra weak
it’s to being taken over by a bunch of political comrades.
Since
the motion at giant is simply as Unstructured as most of its constituent
teams, it’s equally vulnerable to oblique affect. However the
phenomenon manifests itself otherwise. On a neighborhood degree most teams
can function autonomously; however the one teams that may set up a nationwide
exercise are nationally organized teams. Thus, it’s usually the Structured
feminist organizations that present nationwide course for feminist
actions, and this course is set by the priorities of these
organizations. Such teams as NOW, WEAL, and a few leftist girls’s caucuses
are merely the one organizations able to mounting a nationwide marketing campaign.
The multitude of Unstructured girls’s liberation teams can select
to assist or not assist the nationwide campaigns, however are incapable
of mounting their very own. Thus their members develop into the troops beneath the
management of the Structured organizations. The avowedly Unstructured
teams don’t have any manner of drawing upon the motion’s huge assets to
assist its priorities. It does not also have a manner of deciding what
they’re.
The
extra unstructured a motion it, the much less management it has over the instructions
through which it develops and the political actions through which it engages.
This doesn’t imply that its concepts don’t unfold. Given a specific amount
of curiosity by the media and the appropriateness of social circumstances,
the concepts will nonetheless be subtle broadly. However diffusion of concepts does
not imply they’re applied; it solely means they’re talked about.
Insofar as they are often utilized individually they might be acted on; insofar
as they require coordinated political energy to be applied, they
won’t be.
As
lengthy as the ladies’s liberation motion stays devoted to a type of
group which stresses small, inactive dialogue teams amongst
associates, the worst issues of Unstructuredness won’t be felt. However
this model of group has its limits; it’s politically inefficacious,
unique, and discriminatory in opposition to these girls who should not or can not
be tied into the friendship networks. Those that don’t match into what
already exists due to class, race, occupation, training, parental
or marital standing, character, and so on., will inevitably be discouraged
from attempting to take part. Those that do slot in will develop vested
pursuits in sustaining issues as they’re.
The
casual teams’ vested pursuits can be sustained by the casual
constructions which exist, and the motion could have no manner of figuring out
who shall train energy inside it. If the motion continues intentionally
to not choose who shall train energy, it doesn’t thereby abolish
energy. All it does is abdicate the suitable to demand that those that do
train energy and affect be answerable for it. If the motion
continues to maintain energy as diffuse as attainable as a result of it is aware of it
can not demand accountability from those that have it, it does forestall
any group or particular person from completely dominating. But it surely concurrently
insures that the motion is as ineffective as attainable. Some center
floor between domination and ineffectiveness can and should be discovered.
These
issues are coming to a head right now as a result of the character of the
motion is essentially altering. Consciousness-raising as the primary
perform of the ladies’s liberation motion is turning into out of date. Due
to the extraordinary press publicity of the final two years and the quite a few
overground books and articles now being circulated, girls’s liberation
has develop into a family phrase. Its points are mentioned and casual
rap teams are shaped by individuals who don’t have any express reference to
any motion group. The motion should go on to different duties. It now
wants to ascertain its priorities, articulate its targets, and pursue
its targets in a coordinated trend. To do that it should get organized
— domestically, regionally, and nationally.

PRINCIPLES
OF DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURING

As soon as
the motion now not clings tenaciously to the ideology of “structurelessness,”
it’s free to develop these types of group finest suited to its wholesome
functioning. This doesn’t imply that we should always go to the opposite excessive
and blindly imitate the normal types of group. However neither
ought to we blindly reject all of them. A number of the conventional strategies
will show helpful, albeit not excellent; some will give us insights into
what we should always and mustn’t do to acquire sure ends with minimal prices
to the people within the motion. Principally, we should experiment
with completely different sorts of structuring and develop a wide range of strategies
to make use of for various conditions. The Lot System is one such thought which
has emerged from the motion. It isn’t relevant to all conditions,
however is beneficial in some. Different concepts for structuring are wanted. However earlier than
we are able to proceed to experiment intelligently, we should settle for the concept that
there’s nothing inherently unhealthy about construction itself — solely its extra
use.