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PAGLITE

                                   April 13, 1992 

Given the idea that women
are somehow inherently 
intuitive, non-rational, 
what is the ideal role                     
of women in society?                                        
                                                            
One answer might be                                         And Fritz Leiber's
Sterling's _Islands in                                      _Conjure Wife_?
the Net_.  His female  
protagonist is an      
executive manager, a       He accuses her of
"people" person.  Her      being blind to the actual  
husband is more            potential of the technology
interested in the          of a sub-culture they're   
technical side of          studying together.  From his
things.                    point of view, he's doing the 
                           real work.                 
                                     
If you buy the maternal     
instinct business, then    
why wouldn't women be             
an ideal choice for            Why is it that the           
any managment position?        actual roles don't             
                               seem consistent                
Other possibilites             with the sterotypes
artistic                       in this case?                 
creative                       Other aspects      
writers                        need(ed) to be     
and so on?                     challenged: women  
                               as weaker.         
                               
                                                          
What occupation is             
an intuitive style                                  
*not* suited for?       
                   BOUNDARIES
                             
Especially considering the 
possible roles of teamwork, 
pairing an intuitive and 
an analytic character. 

So that's one: 
a culture with a policy of         This would start 
assigning couples to a job,        as the policy 
rather than individuals.           of a single 
Presumption of team work,          company.  
etc.  
      
Typically, a male-female,
analytic-intuitive pairing.
But not necessarily?  
Gender inversions allowed?

      (Or if not allowed, 
       switch handled 
       undercover, internal
       to the two-unit...)

Married work-couples might        Home life no longer an
be common.  What if you're        escape from work.        
not married?  Might you                                    
not wind up "assigned" into       Possible conflicts            Vauge assoc.
an only semi-voluntary unit?      between a work-pairing        Poul Anderson's
                                  and a marriage-pairing.       "The Saturn 
Pressures to marry early                                         Game"
for business purposes? 
                       
Widows/widowers forced
to adopt a new partner
rapidly. 
         
A taboo *against* marrying 
somone you have too much 
in common with.  
         
(possibilities of 
parent-child      
business work?) 
                
                           So, for fiction purposes there
                           are possibilites here, precisely 
                           because the practicalities are 
                           so hard to work out. 


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