grammar book filled with lifescript crap

I have to study some grammar for my language course and the book i'm working currently from is full of lifescript crap. I'm just working on some noun cases and almost all the exercises have examples like:

The woman is pregnant.
The child is born premature.
The mother protects her children.
The woman who expects children is pregnant.
The family's first child is born after two years.

And there is a whole exercise which seems to describe a woman's life: as a child, as a tenneger, as a student, as a bride, as a young mother etc.

WTF? Not even my studies spare me from this crap Does the fact that the book is written by a woman say something?

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blackpearl

WTF? Not even my studies spare me from this crap Does the fact that the book is written by a woman say something?

It is the sacred LifeScript. You MUST submit! Or...you will get a lot of dirty looks and snide comments from "real" women.eyes2

What is the title of this book? Author? Where is this course being given (high school, college, adult education)? I was a language major and taught language courses for several years; I never saw anything like this.

the writer might want to reach out to breeder communities, who need this book more than any other people in the world.

still, better books could use neutral, common classroom settings, though.

OMG, what year was that textbook published? I wouldn't be surprised if it was 2011. I have a collection of old textbooks, mostly law and medical related, I have run across over the years here and there, but occasionally someone will give me one on different topics. One of my FAVORITE is a textbook from a secretarial school published in the 1950's. I wish to God those books were'nt packed up and stored away where I can't easily get to them because I'd like nothing better that to quote directly from it or look it up by name(if I could remember it) and see if there's anything about it online to link!

However, I'll make an attempt to list the most unbelievable "lessons" in it by memory. The bulk of it is actual job-related materials-lessons, but then there's the chapter that includes the following:

1)Always keep yourself trim and attractive because no boss wants an unattractive secretary because you represent him and his business
2)Take extra care to always have on a clean, well pressed, and tailored skirt-dress, making sure to look feminine, but not flashy or inappropriate. Looking feminine is especially important as no woman wants to appear as if she is competing for her boss' job!
3)Always speak in a low, soft, and well modulated voice. This sounds more professional and is soothing to a man's ear
4)Always arrive a little early so you can have a fresh hot pot of coffee for the boss and greet him with a cup after he gets in his office
5)Take care to always wear makeup, but don't overdo it! The natural approach works best because it highlights your natural beauty and gives you an overall polished look
6)Always wear appropriate under garments and make sure that hosiery remains clean and has no runs! It's a good idea to always keep a second pair as a back up!
7)Never question your boss or NAG him! He is the boss and will likely be offended if questioned and annoyed if nagged! You are his secretary, not his wife!
8)If you must eat lunch at your desk, try and do so while the boss is out to lunch himself! No boss wants to watch his secretary eating and make SURE you tidy up your desk afterwards and make a quick overall check on your appearance after eating, taking special care to reapply lipstick and powder your nose! This is a good time to clean up any accidental spills on clothing, if necessary. It's always a good idea to keep a clean blouse on hand in case of accidental food-drink spills or ink-carbon stains.
9)Be prepared to stay late or come in early. Your boss may have more important things to do than be in his office and he depends on you!
10)When you decide to get married, understand that starting a family will be the wonderful end to a secretarial career and offer ANY assistance your boss may need during the transition of locating another secretary. Remember, YOU will be hard to replace!


etc.................................There are stock photographs throughout it too, to give them examples to follow I suppose. In addition to some other ridiculous pictures, the one that stands out in my mind is the well coiffed secretary standing lovingly behind the boss as he is seated behind a big ass desk looking important. She has a cup of coffee in her hand as she leans down to set it by his hand and he is puffing away on a cigar.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

Indoctrination.

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learnernotlurker
What is the title of this book? Author? Where is this course being given (high school, college, adult education)? I was a language major and taught language courses for several years; I never saw anything like this.

The book is a Finnish language grammar book with exercises published in 2009 and aimed to the ones who learn Finnish as a foreign language. It is used mainly in adult education. I was surprised to see that also, until now i've never had these problems with language books (i also finished foreign languages). But meeting these examples in the first five exercises of one of the chapters made my eyebrow lift.

By the way...like kidlesskim mentioned have you ever had textbooks, school books in which there was this propaganda woman=mother or any other lifescript stuff?

While I couldn't locate secretarial school texts from the 50's, I DID run across this gem. Although I believe we've ripped this one a new asshole in the past, it's WELL worth repeating for those who may not have ever seen it:


http://www.snopes.com/language/document/goodwife.asp

Snopes won't let you copy-paste, so below came from the article published in Good Housekeeping in 1955 which is nearly identical. Also, it's been circulated this is a fake and I can personally attest to the fact that this and that "Fascinating Womanhood" shit is FOR REAL. My mother actually had handbooks and took classes on this at a community center in our town when I was probably 7 or 8 years old. I remember she had a "workbook" diary type of thing to keep up with her "progress" because the class required them to document the reactions they got from their husbands due to their changed behavior.

My paternal grandmother is the one who got her to sign up and I specifically remember overhearing Granny encouraging her and telling her to NOT let my dad know she was taking classes and to not expect him to become happier right away, or whatever it was they were trying to accomplish, because it took TIME and effort for him to believe he was important and revered like the class taught.

1)Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
2)Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
3)Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
4)Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
5)During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
6)Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
7) Be happy to see him.
8)Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
9)Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
10)Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
11)Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
12)Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
13)Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
14)Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
15)A good wife always knows her place.



My mother followed this shit to the letter and also made US (all girls, of course) participate in this nonsense. However, if she was anticipating positive changes in my dad due to the new "Fascinating Woman" she had become, she was SORELY disappointed. I was too young to understand the details, but I remember her having quite a few weeping crying jags during that time period as he sat, like a lump of clay, in front of the TV after he got home from work until he passed out in front of the television in his "chair".. It was an AWFUL thing to have witnessed as a kid too.:smn

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

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kidlesskim
While I couldn't locate secretarial school texts from the 50's, I DID run across this gem. Although I believe we've ripped this one a new asshole in the past, it's WELL worth repeating for those who may not have ever seen it:


http://www.snopes.com/language/document/goodwife.asp

Snopes won't let you copy-paste, so below came from the article published in Good Housekeeping in 1955 which is nearly identical. Also, it's been circulated this is a fake and I can personally attest to the fact that this and that "Fascinating Womanhood" shit is FOR REAL. My mother actually had handbooks and took classes on this at a community center in our town when I was probably 7 or 8 years old. I remember she had a "workbook" diary type of thing to keep up with her "progress" because the class required them to document the reactions they got from their husbands due to their changed behavior.

My paternal grandmother is the one who got her to sign up and I specifically remember overhearing Granny encouraging her and telling her to NOT let my dad know she was taking classes and to not expect him to become happier right away, or whatever it was they were trying to accomplish, because it took TIME and effort for him to believe he was important and revered like the class taught.

1)Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
2)Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
3)Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
4)Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
5)During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
6)Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
7) Be happy to see him.
8)Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
9)Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
10)Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
11)Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
12)Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
13)Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
14)Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
15)A good wife always knows her place.



My mother followed this shit to the letter and also made US (all girls, of course) participate in this nonsense. However, if she was anticipating positive changes in my dad due to the new "Fascinating Woman" she had become, she was SORELY disappointed. I was too young to understand the details, but I remember her having quite a few weeping crying jags during that time period as he sat, like a lump of clay, in front of the TV after he got home from work until he passed out in front of the television in his "chair".. It was an AWFUL thing to have witnessed as a kid too.:smn

My mother followed this too...and tried to teach it to me!! Ofcourse, as I came of age and married in the 70's... I usually worked later than he did...or we worked different shifts. It was 'every man/woman for themselves' as far as meals. Sorry Mom... times have changed. Ofcourse, now I am 'retired' but I still do my charity work so he better not expect me to fall back into that 40's and 50's housewife nonsense.

I am glad you know what I am talking about starlady!wink For those members (or lurkers) born a decade or later than we were and mercifully didn't actually experience the nonsense during the time it was going down or live during the time period or areas when it was commonplace and rarely questioned, it DOES sound ridiculous and far fetched! I was kind of surprised that Snopes came close to what I would consider debunking it by their commentary that it was exaggerated, because it absolutely was NOT.

In addition to that, I worked with an office full of men, some of whom were only in their late 20's and 30's, and since their moms were of that time period, they too still expect this unrealistic nonsense and have impossible expectations for their wives as far as thinking they should work full time, do all of the grunt work, all of the cooking and all of the kid-related crap too. Other than the lack of desire to shit loaves, THIS mindset is absolutely a primary reason I am childfree. I'll be damned if I am willing to go through what I saw my mother go through and STILL SEE other women deal with and the best way to combat that is to NOT spawn. At least that way the woman can just grab her purse and leave if a man starts making unreasonable demands without worrying about any kids, which is what these types of men know and capitalize on when there's a kid(s) involved.

EVEN IF it's their bio kid and NOT yours, if you marry a childed man they expect their unchilded wives to pick up right where the bio moo left off. I realize this is mostly a geographical-regional thing and pretty much a Southern United States cultural phenomenon, based on what my Northern friends have told me, but MY GOD it blows my mind how ANY rational adult, male or female, would think it's "okay" to dump (or DO) ALL the "famblee work" on the female AND expect her to work full time and earn a paycheck while doing it. "NOT I", said the cat. In this day and age if a woman allows this shit it is her OWN fault and she has no one to blame but herself, unlike women in the 50's who had little recourse or choices.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

It still doesn't sound believable to me. You should be able to supply the title and author (you said you knew it was a woman) as I asked. If I can't verify that this text exists, I'm going to keep thinking "troll."

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learnernotlurker
It still doesn't sound believable to me. You should be able to supply the title and author (you said you knew it was a woman) as I asked. If I can't verify that this text exists, I'm going to keep thinking "troll."

I agree. UNLESS it was just a random book for grammar learning purposes that happened to be a mid wife text book or something, I might have to get out my Lt. Columbo Coat.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

Harjoitus tekee mestarin: http://kauppa.tietosanoma.fi/9789518844313

Good luck with learning Finnish! I dunno if the book is published online though i doubt it and the author's name Marja-Liisa sounds very womanly to me

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blackpearl
Harjoitus tekee mestarin: http://kauppa.tietosanoma.fi/9789518844313

Good luck with learning Finnish! I dunno if the book is published online though i doubt it and the author's name Marja-Liisa sounds very womanly to me

See, this is a non-troll response, as far as I'm concerned. No whiny 'but I promise it's aaaaaaalllllllllllll truuuuuuuuue.'

The cynicism is taken well, and evidence provided.

Well done, BP wink

(hope this doesn't sound as condescending as I just realised it might )

It was my bad, i should have been more specific. I just thought that the material, not being in English wouldn't be of great significance and i dunno if there are any other speakers of Finnish on this board besides me (and it's not even my mother tongue...hence the grammar book).
I just got carried away since the languange is kinda difficult, i sometimes get frustrated i don't get all the grammar issues and when examples like "nainen on raskaana" (the woman is pregnant) keep popping up i feel like hurling the book out of the window.
I would like to share here articles, news and this kind but since there's the language barrier you would need an overdose of google translate I actively speak 5 languages, so i've got lots of material about CF not only in English.

LMAO at the secretarial training guide...I got into watching "Pan Am" and forgot the days when "stews" had to be single, size four or less and never caught without a girdle or high heels.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

kidlesskim said:

My mother followed this shit to the letter and also made US (all girls, of course) participate in this nonsense. However, if she was anticipating positive changes in my dad due to the new "Fascinating Woman" she had become, she was SORELY disappointed. I was too young to understand the details, but I remember her having quite a few weeping crying jags during that time period as he sat, like a lump of clay, in front of the TV after he got home from work until he passed out in front of the television in his "chair".
___________________________________

Reminds me of a grim scene from "Anne of the Thousand Days" (this was said to Anne Boleyn's sister by her father after the sister's affair with Henry VIII ended unhappily):

However much Thomas Boleyn might ache for the unfortunate Mary, he was only too aware in which direction the path of fortune lay. "One never gets used to these things," he told her softly. "There's always a hell to go through. But when a girl gives herself so completely--"

Mary flushed. "You know why I gave myself to the King!" she cried. "Since I opened my bedroom door to the King you have lived well by it. Steward of Tunbridge and Penshurst, Sheriff of Bradsted, Viscount, and now King's Treasurer." Her lips curled in scorn. "You don't want to lose any of these revenues, do you, Father?"

Boleyn stared at her thoughtfully, remaining silent for a long moment before he finally replied. "Mary, I've always loved you," he told her. "And all those things are true. The King was generous with me because you were generous with him." He thought, as he looked at her, how quickly her bloom had gone. She looked peaked and too thin: a tired cat where there had so recently been a silken sleek kitten. "But you're a fool," he said sharply, "because you gave him everything and asked for nothing. What Henry is denied he goes half-mad to obtain. And what he gets freely he despises." His look changed to one almost of contempt. "You've lost him."

(end)

Don’t wait for others to do right by you. You have to ASK.

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blackpearl
Harjoitus tekee mestarin: http://kauppa.tietosanoma.fi/9789518844313

Good luck with learning Finnish! I dunno if the book is published online though i doubt it and the author's name Marja-Liisa sounds very womanly to me

hankyou wink Detective work can be rather tiresome.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

What amazes me is that "Fascinating Womanhood" was written as late as 1976!

I first heard about it in detail in Carolyn Jessop's "Escape," the autobiography of an ex-Mormon fundamentalist. What's interesting is that even some of the teen girls in HER former community (circa 1984) thought FW was a stupid book!

You can read that chapter from Jessop's book here:

http://www.epubbud.com/read.php?g=ZKW3G8ZL&p=11

FW gets mentioned in the second quarter.

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lenona
What amazes me is that "Fascinating Womanhood" was written as late as 1976!

I first heard about it in detail in Carolyn Jessop's "Escape," the autobiography of an ex-Mormon fundamentalist. What's interesting is that even some of the teen girls in HER former community (circa 1984) thought FW was a stupid book!

You can read that chapter from Jessop's book here:

http://www.epubbud.com/read.php?g=ZKW3G8ZL&p=11

FW gets mentioned in the second quarter.

It is alive and well and has been translated into God only knows how many languages. The last time this topic got brought up on here I looked up stuff about it and at that time the author was still alive. Classes for Fascinating Womanhood are STILL being held, apparently, all over the world. Ironically, this woman who literally wrote the book on women being subservient and only choosing being a homemaker-wife-moo as a "career", has made a career out of her books and classes and management of a huge enterprise. It's the same for that "Above Rubies" founder who has a similar format and books, VERY active online site, etc........She's the one who thinks the only time a woman should work is just long enough to snag a husband or in an "emergency", like the husband lost his job, got hurt, etc.... but even then she MUST not in any way make the man feel emasculated at her earning an income.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

She's the one who thinks the only time a woman should work is just long enough to snag a husband or in an "emergency", like the husband lost his job, got hurt, etc...
_________________________

As if employers WANT to hire someone, on the spot, who hasn't been keeping her skills sharp....

WHY do so many conservatives still fail to realize the following?

From "Ms." Magazine, Oct. 1987:

(About the complaints that feminism doesn't support housewives)

"Six months ago I too was a self-described "happy homemaker" I baked bread, grew roses, played with my toddler. Then I woke one morning and found my husband (and our car, our stereo, our checkbook, etc.) gone. I was COMPLETELY surprised; I had assumed he was as happy as I was!

"I had to immediately find a job (which pays a third what his does); arrange
for day care: try to scrape together enough money for food, mortgage, and
utilities.

"Housewife is NOT a valid career option because you have no control over your own life. If you lose your husband you can't go down to the employment agency and apply for another one!"

(end)

OTOH, I do think it's a shame that the role of the housewife got such a nasty rap in the 1970s, if only because that wasn't the best way to convince little boys to do their share of the dishes without making them feel degraded. (Or without having the boys break the dishes "by accident.")

But it clearly had to be done, since so many girls were still growing up in backward communities that were giving them no incentive to think twice before getting married right after high school.

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blackpearl
It was my bad, i should have been more specific. I just thought that the material, not being in English wouldn't be of great significance and i dunno if there are any other speakers of Finnish on this board besides me (and it's not even my mother tongue...hence the grammar book).
I just got carried away since the languange is kinda difficult, i sometimes get frustrated i don't get all the grammar issues and when examples like "nainen on raskaana" (the woman is pregnant) keep popping up i feel like hurling the book out of the window.
I would like to share here articles, news and this kind but since there's the language barrier you would need an overdose of google translate I actively speak 5 languages, so i've got lots of material about CF not only in English.

The first language I learned was Finnish, though I must admit that since I was born in Sweden and went to a Swedish school and then moved over here to the States, my Finnish is rusty. I still speak it with my family back in Sweden, but still, man... it is indeed a tricky language.

En osaa kirjottaa suomea niin hyvin. Mutta suomenkieleni toimii paremmin kun juttelen perheen kanssa.

Translation: I don't write Finnish all that well. But my Finnish is better when I speak to my family.

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blackpearl
It was my bad, i should have been more specific. I just thought that the material, not being in English wouldn't be of great significance and i dunno if there are any other speakers of Finnish on this board besides me (and it's not even my mother tongue...hence the grammar book).
I just got carried away since the languange is kinda difficult, i sometimes get frustrated i don't get all the grammar issues and when examples like "nainen on raskaana" (the woman is pregnant) keep popping up i feel like hurling the book out of the window.
I would like to share here articles, news and this kind but since there's the language barrier you would need an overdose of google translate I actively speak 5 languages, so i've got lots of material about CF not only in English.

I often look to see if there is an English-language article with the same information, and link to that. Alternately, link to the original article with a note that it is in another language, and translate the worst sections to quote. People can always use Google translate to get a rough idea if they want more information.

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cerebralherpes

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blackpearl
It was my bad, i should have been more specific. I just thought that the material, not being in English wouldn't be of great significance and i dunno if there are any other speakers of Finnish on this board besides me (and it's not even my mother tongue...hence the grammar book).
I just got carried away since the languange is kinda difficult, i sometimes get frustrated i don't get all the grammar issues and when examples like "nainen on raskaana" (the woman is pregnant) keep popping up i feel like hurling the book out of the window.
I would like to share here articles, news and this kind but since there's the language barrier you would need an overdose of google translate I actively speak 5 languages, so i've got lots of material about CF not only in English.

The first language I learned was Finnish, though I must admit that since I was born in Sweden and went to a Swedish school and then moved over here to the States, my Finnish is rusty. I still speak it with my family back in Sweden, but still, man... it is indeed a tricky language.

En osaa kirjottaa suomea niin hyvin. Mutta suomenkieleni toimii paremmin kun juttelen perheen kanssa.

Translation: I don't write Finnish all that well. But my Finnish is better when I speak to my family.

I've been learning Finnish for 3 years but sometimes i get so frustrated and just think that i'll never be able to learn it properly. The grammar seems sometimes like I understand and read it very well, speaking and writing is a bit tricky. I understood what you wrote perfectly though And yes, i do also speak Swedish (it was my minor at uni) and Norwegian I can read French and Italian but i don't speak them anymore.

Back on the topic: I was reading my mom's old magazines from the 70/80's and i was horrified. It sounded a lot like what kidlesskim described and the whole "preparation" was for meeting the "real womanhood" which was being a mother. It's true there weren't articles about sucking cock skills but mostly about how to please your husband by being a "nice and good girl".

I remember the books from which we learned the alphabet had those images of men and women. Women were always portrayed as housewives, cooking and taking care of the kids and men were engineers, mechanics, doctors etc.

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Snark Shark
"The family's first child is born after two years."

that's one LONG fuckin' pregnancy. what are they, a family of ELEPHANTS?

I was wondering the same, too but then it just struck me that what the author meant was: the woman was married for two years and after those two years she shitted the loaf. Ya' know...the "magical" limit in a marriage until the first loaf is shitted. eyes2