Dorothy Dinnerstein (April 4, 1923 – December 17, 1992) was an American academic and feminist activist, best known for her 1976 book The Mermaid and the Minotaur . Drawing from elements of Sigmund Freud 's psychoanalysis, particularly as developed by Melanie Klein , Dinnerstein argued that sexism and aggression were both inevitable consequences of child rearing being left exclusively to women. As a solution, Dinnerstein proposed that men and women equally share infant and child care responsibilities. Her theories were not widely accepted at the time they were published. Dorothy Dinnerstein was a feminist, expressing her position by stating that “it's easier for women than for men to see what's wrong with the world that men have run".
42-503: Dinnerstein is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Dorothy Dinnerstein (1923–1992), American feminist Harvey Dinnerstein (1928–2022), American figurative artist and educator Leonard Dinnerstein (1934–2019), American historian Simon Dinnerstein (born 1943), American figurative artist and educator Simone Dinnerstein (born 1972), American classical pianist [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with
84-607: A heart attack in 1972, at the age of 53. After completing grade school in The Bronx , Dinnerstein attended Brooklyn College and received her undergraduate degree in 1943, earning a bachelor's in Psychology. Dinnerstein started her graduate studies at Swarthmore College and earned the Ph.D. in psychology from the New School for Social Research in 1951. After earning her degree, Dinnerstein
126-439: A march from Seneca Falls to the encampment by way of Waterloo on July 30 August 1 – central demonstration involving approximately 1500-3000 people September 5 – camp closes for the year There were many different people and organizations involved in the planning and running of the encampment. Both local and outside women alike participated. The policy of the encampment was to not single out any specific women for their efforts in
168-542: A million people participating) and for the Conference on Global Feminism and Disarmament that preceded it. After 1983, only a few women lived on the campground, but their annual demonstrations were still large gatherings of nearly 800 women. By 1990, however, camp leaders responded to dwindling numbers by holding a "transform or die" discussion about the future of the Women's Encampment for Peace and Justice, which went on to establish
210-543: A number of different techniques in their protests to bring their causes and issues to the attention of the outside world. They used many ritual elements. The women would protest in large circles, holding hands, and weave webs of yarn around each other and around the fence of the Army Depot, with objects of meaning also incorporated. They performed slow walks, where they would walk in slow-motion; twisting, turning, and pulling each other along. In one protest they tied themselves to
252-486: A professor of psychology from 1959 until 1989. Her early work involved laboratory studies on the influence of overlapping structures on various aspects of sensory perception. While working at Rutgers University, Dinnerstein recruited Asch and they co-founded the Institute for Cognitive Studies at Rutgers. In addition to teaching, research and writing Dinnerstein also had a lasting commitment to feminist politics. Dinnerstein
294-406: A result of false perceptions that they are associated with the realm of childhood as opposed to the world of adulthood. Women become the scapegoats of adult resentment towards authority figures because they served as controlling authority figures during childhood. Women are blamed for life's pitfalls because of the early-childhood perception that one's mother takes care of everything, so if something
336-406: A significant number of men shared interest in the encampment's cause, they were neither allowed to join the encampment nor participate in the protests. Any male over the age of twelve was not let onto the main grounds, though there was a place in the front lawn where they could stay. This decision was highly controversial. Many women argued that the group was being exclusionary by not allowing men into
378-594: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Dorothy Dinnerstein Born on April 4, 1923 in the Bronx, Dinnerstein was raised in a Jewish community and was raised by her parents, Nathan Dinnerstein and Celia Moedboth, both progressive Jews. Nathan was an architectural engineer and Celia worked in administration at the Bronx Family Court. Unfortunately, Nathan's architectural engineer business did not survive
420-687: Is now the storage site for the neutron bomb and most likely the Pershing II missile and is the departure point for weapons to be deployed in Europe. Women from New York State, from the United States and Canada, from Europe, and, indeed, from all over the world are committed to nonviolent action to stop the deployment of these weapons. The existence of nuclear weapons is killing us. Their production contaminates our environment, destroys out natural resources, and ... our human dignity and creativity. But
462-760: Is the birthplace of women's rights , and Waterloo , the birthplace of Memorial Day . The area was a station on the Underground Railroad and home to Elizabeth Cady Stanton . The encampment patterned itself on the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp in England. Other camps were set up in Italy and the Netherlands. In June 1982, many people met in New York for the largest U.S. antinuclear demonstration to date (with half
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#1732851982748504-612: Is wrong, it's the mother's fault for not making it all right. Men use sexism and patriarchal means to control resented authority figures (women). Men are isolated from the world of emotions and interpersonal relations usually associated with childhood, creating an impossible and harmful standard of male infallibility, invincibility, and invulnerability. As a solution, Dinnerstein proposed that men and women equally share infant and child care responsibilities. Dinnerstein concluded her book by saying that she recognized that families had started to move toward shared parenting for reasons unrelated to
546-476: The Syracuse Post-Standard . The articles characterized the participating women as " lesbians " and " vegetarians " and noted specific information about their witchcraft and feminist practices. At the time the activities at the encampment were declining and while the articles did not have a major impact, they did confirm for many their assumptions about the movement's supporters. The encampment utilized
588-419: The surname Dinnerstein . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dinnerstein&oldid=1097501129 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
630-505: The "'patriarchal society' that created and used those weapons." The encampment continued through till 1994 when it "transitioned" into a "Women's Peace Land." Through its entire existence it continued to make the same principled philosophical connections between militarism , patriarchy , racism, high rates of inflation , unemployment and global poverty , sexual & physical violence, addiction, oppression, & abuse in its many forms, and global environmental destruction . As it evolved
672-699: The Encampment, the Women's Encampment, the Women's Peace Camp, the Peace Camp, the Seneca Peace Camp and the Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice. The following statement was taken from the back cover of the encampment handbook: "Women have played an important role throughout our history in opposing violence and oppression. We have been the operators of the Underground Railroad,
714-812: The Minotaur: Sexual Arrangement and Human Malaise (1976) (also published in the UK as The Rocking of the Cradle and the Ruling of the World ). She wrote from the perspectives of a microsociologist, a feminist, a humanist, an ecologist, and a psychoanalyst. Drawing from elements of Sigmund Freud ’s psychoanalysis, particularly as developed by Melanie Klein , Dinnerstein argued that sexism and aggression are both inevitable consequences of child rearing being left exclusively to women. She argued that women are infantilized and degraded as
756-578: The Saturday, July 30, 1983, several women from the NYC Women's Pentagon Action wrote a letter to the sheriff of Seneca County to inform him of their plans. They intended to walk from Seneca Falls, through Waterloo to the peace camp in Romulus at the Army Depot, stopping at historic sites regarding the women's rights movement on their way. There were no local laws requiring a permit and so none could be issued. The walk
798-680: The Seneca Army Depot, which is where the protesters believed the nuclear weapons were stored, was closed and the Army acknowledged that the base's Special Weapons mission had ended. Not long after the base was listed for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure Act. The depot was finally decommissioned and shut down in September 2000. Since the mid-1990s, the base has been undergoing redevelopment for non-military purposes. Among those now in place
840-411: The Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice. Mima Cataldo participated in the summer of 1983 and documented the encampment through her photography. Leeann Irwin was an early organizer of the Women's Pentagon action and an active participant in the Encampment, having committed to live at the Women's encampment for a year before it opened, and later organizing a speaking tour of Europe in 1984 on
882-425: The consequences of female-dominated childcare; nonetheless, she wanted shared parenting to be “fortified by full awareness of these considerations." She added, "This effort of theirs [parents' effort toward shared parenting], moreover, is supported by all the forms of action now being taken toward equity in the economic, political, legal, etc., spheres". Dinnerstein's theories in this book were not widely accepted at
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#1732851982748924-452: The depression; Nathan found a job keeping the books at Mott Haven Salvage, owned by his brother-in-law Benjamin Moed, until his death at 49. During her collegiate years, she met and married Sidney Mintz, who later became a well known anthropologist. Their marriage ended shortly after WWII. Dinnerstein then married Walter James Miller. Miller was a poet and professor at New York University . In
966-486: The encampment's events. The civil unrest also caused resentment by law enforcement agencies because of the extra work associated with monitoring the protests and managing traffic problems which resulted from the events. Events from July 30 to August 3 led to more than $ 100,000 in additional policing costs; although they were a local expense at the time, the money was later reimbursed by the federal government. In November 1984, articles titled "Witches of Seneca" were published in
1008-444: The encampment, and mothers argued that sons over the age of twelve who were firm believers in the anti-nuclear cause should be allowed to come. The encampment did not integrate well with the surrounding conservative community. Damage was done in an early publication by the encampment which denigrated the educational level of local residents and was seen by many to be patronizing and condescending. Regular counter-protests took place at
1050-439: The fence with ribbons and yarn, and moaned and screamed. There was a 'zukes not nukes' week where they stormed the fence and filled it with zucchinis. Other demonstrations featured singing, dancing, masks, costumes, makeup, and signs. Sometimes die-ins were performed, to imitate war casualties. There was even a laundry ritual, in which women hung up signs in a local laundromat while doing their laundry. Preceding their march on
1092-555: The first summer, it became a living expression of all women's skills & empowerment, as well as a visible celebration of a joyful lesbian sub-culture. The encampment continued as an active political presence in the Finger Lakes area for at least five more years, supporting anti-nuclear education and the connections between ecofeminism , nonviolence , the need for civil disobedience and ideas of permaculture and sustainability . The encampment has also been referred to as: Seneca,
1134-522: The following Wednesday. The largest protest at the depot organized by the encampment took place on Monday, Aug. 1. The peaceful event, which did involve many women climbing the depot's fence, took place while the women were still in custody. On August 3 the women were transported to the Seneca County Fairgrounds in Waterloo where a makeshift court room was set up so the women could appear before
1176-641: The main encampment ended in the summer of 1983, several smaller demonstrations occurred at the depot the following summer. While a token presence at the encampment continued for a few years, the activity declined each year. In 1986, the Window Peace project in New York City paid tribute to both this encampment and the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. In the early 1990s, the Special Weapons area at
1218-407: The marchers had not yet been to the encampment, the sheriff sent to the encampment to have leaders brought to the scene in an effort to resolve the situation. When many women continued to refuse to leave the road, they were charged with disorderly conduct and taken into custody; some marchers did clear the road and were not charged. One local woman, the wife of a bank president, felt that those blocking
1260-432: The most critical danger they represent is to life itself. Sickness, accidents, genetic damage and death. These are the real products of the nuclear arms race. We say no to the threat of global holocaust, no to the arms race, no to death. We say yes to a world where people, animals, plants, and the earth itself are respected and valued." Romulus is located within fourteen miles of both Seneca Falls , which
1302-550: The non-profit land trust Women's Peace Land. Chronology: February, 1983 – local officials first alerted to peace camp through Buffalo newspaper April – formal camp name chosen May 23 – camp land purchased – peace camp organizers held first press conference Early June – women invited to local churches June 9 – Local resident offers American flag to the camp (rejected on June 13) July 4 – camp opened (activities include slow walk to depot) July 17 – New York City women's letter to Seneca County sheriff gave notice of plans for
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1344-692: The organization or running of it. Rather, it was a collective effort and its organizational and political strategies have been analyzed. The main organizations involved were the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom , Catholics against Nuclear Arms, the War Resisters League , Women Strike for Peace , Women's Pentagon Action, Rochester Peace and Justice, and the Upstate Feminist Peace Alliance. Some participants wrote about, photographed, or otherwise documented their experiences at
1386-578: The peace work being done at the camp. Sybil Claiborne collected correspondence, meeting notes, mailing lists, clippings, and leaflets of the Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice. Cynthia Butler (Cynthia B. Costello) wrote a 13-page document, "Report from Seneca" with Amy Stanley, describing the history of the encampment and providing an analysis of related issues. The encampment attracted thousands of women, from many different places and with different political views, sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds. Although
1428-615: The road, not the marchers, should be arrested and she joined the marchers and was charged as well. A total of 54 women were detained; nearly all refused to identify themselves, and so they were held in lieu of bail which they refused to post. They were taken by school bus to the Seneca County Jail where they were arraigned. They were then taken to the South Seneca Elementary School in Interlaken where they were held until
1470-459: The spirit of the equal rights movement and the strength among tribes. In 1848 the first Women's Rights Convention met at Seneca Falls giving shape and voice to the 19th century feminist movement. Once again women are gathering at Seneca – this time to challenge the nuclear threat at its doorstep. The Seneca Army Depot, a Native American homeland once (nurtured?) and protected by the Iroquois,
1512-409: The time they were published. The book became a classic of U.S. second-wave feminism and was later translated into seven languages. On December 17, 1992, at the age of 69, Dinnerstein was killed in a car accident. She was survived by a daughter and two step-daughters. Women%27s Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice The Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice
1554-494: The village justice. After several hours of individual court proceedings, the justice called a break in the proceedings. When he returned, he called all the defendants into the building and dismissed the charges against them in the interest of justice. Another anti-nuclear weapons protest occurred at the depot in October 1983, which was not sponsored by the Women's Encampment, although some encampment participants did participate. After
1596-662: The year 1955, the two had their only child, Naomi May. They divorced in 1961. Dinnerstein married Daniel S. Lehrman in 1961. Lehrman was a psychologist as well. Lehrman, who was previously married, had two daughters of his own, Nina and June, who lived with their mother Gertrude Lehrman in Queens, NY. Daniel and Dorothy lived in the Greenwich Village section of NYC and then in Leonia NJ. Lehrman taught and did research at Rutgers University , as did Dinnerstein. Lehrman died suddenly of
1638-485: Was a women-only peace camp formed to protest the scheduled deployment of Cruise and Pershing II missiles before their suspected shipment from the Seneca Army Depot to Europe in the fall of 1983. The camp took place mainly during the summer of 1983, from July 4 through Labor Day , concluding with a Labor Day Action honoring workers and highlighting the inflation and job loss that militarism brings. Thousands of women came to participate and rally against nuclear weapons and
1680-564: Was central to the first Federal lawsuit against gender-based pay inequity in academia, and was an active participant in the Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice in the early 1980s. Before her death in 1992, Dinnerstein was involved in a new project about environmental issues called "Sentience and Survival" which explored the ways in which human cognitive structures interfere with taking appropriate actions to prevent environmental devastation. During her time at Rutgers University, she began writing her first book, The Mermaid and
1722-553: Was engaged in fighting for progressive causes including women's rights, environmentalism, an end to the Viet Nam war, and against nuclear proliferation. As part of her passion about these issues, she participated in a demonstration that briefly shutdown Wall Street . Dinnerstein did her doctoral research under Solomon Asch , a prominent social psychologist. A resident of Leonia, New Jersey, she taught at Rutgers–Newark in New Jersey as
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1764-412: Was without incident until its path was blocked at a bridge on Washington Street in Waterloo. A large group of local residents blocked the road and refused to leave. The marchers responded to the situation by sitting down on the road in an effort to reduce the confrontational atmosphere. The standoff lasted for some time as the sheriff tried to convince the marchers to give up their march. Although many of
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