A Fantasy of Belonging?
Discusses the personal experience of coming to the realization of one's marginal status while occupying the roles of mother, wife, teacher, & woman. Little of the emerging feminist theorizing penetrated the life of one who graduated from Oxford U (England) in the late 1960s & quickly entered into the role of young motherhood. However, experience as a part-time instructor catalyzed a movement toward feminist & class concerns & allowed the development of female friendships that spurred a process of self-discovery. Helping revise an introductory class on feminist history offered an opportunity to reflect on the dilemmas & possibilities of embracing this marginalized status. This reflection has revealed a deep desire for belonging & corresponding fear of being an outsider, which are linked to a more generalized fantasy of stability. It is concluded that true intellectual freedom means facing such desires & fantasies & forging beyond them into the liminal state of marginality. 12 References. D. M. Ryfe