...Society, Oppression, Insanity, and the Women that Endure It. Throughout history there are countless examples of men who feel obligated to protect women. In fact, it has become such a standard of interaction between men and women that it has often led to a patriarchal society in which men are superior to women. The men, despite their genuine intentions, are often unaware of the negative effects that their dominating influences have on the women they love. Women in these societies often experience alienation, isolation, low self-esteem, and even insanity. The protagonists in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” both portray the subordinate position of women in late nineteenth-century society. “A Rose for Emily” is an unsettling tale of an aging spinster, Miss Emily, who clings to the past and lives in a world of her own making. Miss Emily is a mysterious character who was once a hopeful young woman from an affluent family but is transformed into a reclusive, eccentric old woman through the acts of her controlling father. Her community views her as having “a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (Faulkner 30); and she is a monument to the past in a small, modernizing southern town in the late nineteenth century. Throughout her life, her father routinely dismisses all of her potential suitors until the day of his death. Alone and betrayed, Emily is unable to accept his passing; and it is several days until the body...
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...2013 Oppression, Sexual Violence and Their Effects on Native American Women Isabella J. Baxter '15 Gettysburg College, baxtis01@gettysburg.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship Part of the Native American Studies Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Baxter, Isabella J. '15, "Oppression, Sexual Violence and Their Effects on Native American Women" (2013). Student Publications. Paper 87. http://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/87 This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution. Cupola permanent link: http://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/ 87 This open access student research paper is brought to you by The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of The Cupola. For more information, please contact cupola@gettysburg.edu. Oppression, Sexual Violence and Their Effects on Native American Women Keywords Native American Women, Sexual Violence, Oppression, Colonization, White Feminism Abstract This paper is a response to the chapter “Sexual Violence as a Tool of Genocide” in Andrea Smith’s book Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide. Smith argues that U.S. colonial culture strategically uses sexual violence against Native women as a weapon to ensure the oppression and...
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...Michelle Barrett (1980) argues that the role ideology plays in convincing women that unpaid domestic labour is fulfilling is important. Barrett discusses the ideology of ‘familism’ the notion that female fulfillment lies in the family. For Marxist feminists, the cause of female oppression is rooted in capitalism. They argue that although individual men benefit from women’s subordination, the main beneficiary is capitalism. Women are an unpaid labour force, as unpaid housewives, and have been used in WW1 as a reserve army of labour. This oppression is believed to be maintained by the role women adopt within the capitalist’s system as the unpaid homemaker in the family. Women are conceived that this unpaid role is natural and normal, through the ideology of ‘familism’ that promotes female fulfillment as achieved through motherhood intimacy and sexual satisfaction. Marxist feminists believe that in order to end female subordination, we must overthrow capitalism as well as the ideology of familism. This would free the sexes from restrictive family roles and ensure that domestic labour was shared equally. Strengths of Marxist feminists include the fact that they have demonstrated the power of structural factors, such as capitalism and ideology in constructing an explanation for women’s subordination. However, Marxist feminists have been criticised for failing to explain women’s subordination in non-capitalist societies. Marxist feminism also places insufficient emphasis on the way in which...
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...identify, implement and protect the status of women with regard to their political, social, economic and cultural rights. Members of such groups are persuaded that the womenfolk ought to have same opportunities in employment and education as their male counterparts. The study of the roles of women in society and space women have generally occupied in society is known as feminist theory. This theory has its roots in the Feminist movements. There are various forms of feminism depending on the functions and its attempt to explain the nature of the relationships between the men and women. Such include Liberal Feminism, Radical Feminism, Marxist and Socialist Feminism, Eco-Feminism, Cultural Feminism (Hannam p589). Liberal feminism is a type of feminism that operates or is actively undertaken in any conventional society so as to incorporate women into the structure of that society. It started after the American Revolution and was pioneered by Mary Wollstonecraft and Abigail Adams with its main focus being to campaign for equality for women (Fisanick p757).Radical Feminism is that type of feminism that is attributed with having given rise to many of the other form of feminism. These radicals as they came to be known started this pressure group in the year 1967-1968 after the civil rights and peace movements ended. They didn’t just desire to achieve social change at a local level but in revolutionary proportions. This association held female oppression and inequality as the highest form of...
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...The history of women striving to earn equality in society hasn’t been an easy task because men have been historically dominating and ruling the society in their own way. Women have been through many discrimination regardless their race, class, and color just because men believes women has less ability to take charge of the society. Both Collins in the “Matrix of domination” and Beauvoir by “Woman as other” presents us the history of gender discrimination from a feminist perspective. These two authors present theories on how men dominate women for their own benefit. Moreover, Collins theorized that there are many forms of discrimination in our society and each is interconnected with the other. On the other hand, Beauvoir shows us many tactics...
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...Assess the contribution of feminist perspectives to our understanding of society. (33 marks) Feminism is a set of ideologies used to advance the cause of women’s equality and to end the sexist theory and practice of social oppression. It is a structuralist theory which is made up of several versions, but they all argue that society is patriarchal. The types of feminism I will be reviewing are liberal feminism, radical feminism, marxist feminism, and difference feminism. Aside from all agreeing that society is patriarchal, these versions of feminism disagree on two levels; the extent of patriarchy in society and also what needs to be done to create gender equality. Firstly, liberal feminism. Liberal feminists believe all humans should be treated equally; however they believe that women aren’t treated equally to men in society. Liberal feminists suggest that to create greater gender equality laws that are unfavourable to women need to be changed in order to present women with greater opportunities. Oakley distinguishes between sex and gender, referring to sex as the biological differences between males and females such as their reproductive role, whereas she refers to gender as culturally constructed differences between masculine and feminine roles and identities assigned to males and females. Liberal feminists therefore disagree with the functionalist Parsons who believed that males and females perform the roles they are biologically suited to do, contrarily believing...
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...Feminism is a structuralist theory. There are several versions of feminism but common theme throughout them all is that they argue that society is patriarchal, i.e. society is male dominated and all institutions serve and maintain male dominance. Feminists do however disagree on the extent of patriarchy in society and what need to happen to create gender equality. Liberal feminism is a march of progress theory as it sees a trend towards improvement and believes all humans should be equal. Oakley, as a key sociologist, distinguishes between sex and gender; sex refers to biological differences whereas gender refers to the culturally constructed differences between the roles and identities assigned to men and women. Liberal feminists argue there has been a move towards greater gender equality and that a gradual reform is necessary through changing laws and cultural changes away from gender stereotypes. They also believe that the ideas about gender are culturally constructed and transmitted through socialisation. For example, the mother is supposed to look after the children rather than go to work. Oakley criticises Parson’s assumption of gender roles being based on biological differences by arguing that men and women are equally capable of performing both roles within society yet this is prevented by the traditional gender roles. Liberal feminists make a fair point by stating that gender roles are not ingrained as they show to an extent that roles are not determined. However Liberal...
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...Male privilege…In black and white Dorrell Anthony Alexander Western Washington University What is “Privilege”? When we speak of privilege, what exactly are we speaking of? Many find it easy to get the basic fundamentals of a “right” and a “privilege” confused, so for foundational purposes, I would like to lay out how they differ. First, let’s talk about two of the different kinds of rights; “natural” and “legal”. According to Merriam-Webster (2013) Natural rights are “rights which are "natural" in the sense of "not artificial, not man-made”; “as in rights deriving from logic, from human nature, or from the edicts of a god”. They are ”universal”, (they apply to all people, and do not derive from the laws of any specific society),”They exist necessarily, inhere in every individual, and can't be taken away” ( Merriam-Webster, 2013). For example, it has been argued that humans have a natural right to life. They're sometimes called inalienable rights. Legal rights, in contrast, are “rights based on a society's customs, laws, statutes or actions by legislatures” (Merriam-Webster, 2013). An example of a legal right is the right to vote of citizens. “Citizenship, itself, is often considered as the basis for having legal rights, and has been defined as the "right to have rights"(Broidy and Agnew, 1997), Legal rights are sometimes called civil rights or statutory rights which Broidy and Agnew (1997) believe are “culturally and politically relative”, since they depend on a specific...
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...Introduction Oppression and resilience of people have been in practice since the beginning of human existence. Oppression can be defined as a person or group of people weighted down by a dominant force. This force has the power to define and label groups. They control societal ideologies of every aspect of our lives including sexuality, family relationships, and self respect. Those who have this power hold it sacred and dear. Their fear of a power shift from the dominant to the subordinate or the majority to the minority continues to guide them in enforcing ideas and laws within society that a particular gender or race has little or no value. Resilience is the ability of those oppressed to continue surviving after being compressed by such a powerful force. It is the oppressive forces of the majority group that have smothered minority groups (women and people of color) for hundreds of years and it is the resilience of those oppressed who continue to inspire change throughout history. Historical Oppressive Forces The Noel Hypothesis is a social learning theory that explains the development of a minority group. It suggest that if two or more groups come together characterized by a differential in power, ethnocentrism, and competition the result will be ethnic/racial stratification (Guadalupe lecture notes, 2008). This theory can also be used to explain the development of gender stratification as well. The majority group in relationship to this paper would be...
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...Assess the contribution of feminist perspectives to our understanding of society (33 marks) Feminists see society as patriarchal. They seek to describe, explain and change the position of women within society. The first ‘wave’ of feminism appeared in the late 19th century with the suffragette’s campaign for the right for women to vote. Even though all feminists oppose women’s subordination, there are disagreements on its causes and how to overcome it. Liberal or reformist feminists believe that traditional prejudices and stereotypes about gender differences are a barrier to equality. They believe all human beings should have equal rights. Since both men and women are human beings, both should have the same opportunities. Liberal Feminists argue that laws and policies against sex discrimination in employment and education can secure equal opportunities for women. Campaigning for changes in law can bring about change and we can bring about change through a cultural shift within society. They reject the idea that biological differences make women less competent or rational than men or that men are biologically less emotional or nurturing than women. To bring about change we must shift society’s socialisation patterns. For example society must seek to promote appropriate role models in education and the family by doing this we will benefit from a cultural shift and gender equality will become the norm. Liberal Feminists believe that changes in socialisation and culture are gradually...
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...“I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves” (Wollstonecraft, Poston). This quote, which Mary Wollstonecraft eloquently stated in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, portrays the exact feelings of Offred, the main character in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Taking place in a dystopian future, The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a totalitarian government under which women are harshly subjugated. Instead of accepting her current position as a handmaid. Offred longs to return to her previous life; however, in the Republic of Gilead, gender-based oppression is commonplace and often prevents Offred from achieving both her short and long-term aspirations. Similar to the painting Fair Rosamund by Arthur Hughes, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale examines how sexual oppression leads to the loss of identity, shaming of...
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...the declaration of the rights of women, have many things in common and serve similar purpose‘s. All of these documents were set in place by the people and for the people. These documents were made to protect and uphold the rights of the people. All state that Men and Women are created equal with certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The aim of the many writers who collaborated on these documents is to protect the rights of liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. That government must protect these natural rights, and that political power is derived from the people. Every citizen has the right to speak freely, write, and print. Both the declaration of man and woman, and the declaration of independence were written under the oppression of two Kings considered to be a tyrants. The declaration of independence fought for the freedom from English oppression and the rights of men and women. As for the declaration of the rights of Man and Woman, fought for the rights of the French people under the oppression of king Louis XVI. Both declarations were written to protect the rights of the people who wrote them, as well as ensure a future not governed by a dictator, but one that is governed by the natural imprescriptible rights of free Men and Women. Many of the rights created by these declarations were put in place to protect the equal rights of men and women. The aim of these documents is to...
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...Oppression of Women in Ancient China Society in Ancient China, more specifically during imperial China, promoted gender inequality. This fostered the oppression of women in marriage. Society proved to have business-like views of marriage through their arrangement as well as foot binding and Nushu, a woman’s secret language. Further, religious views such as Confucius ideals on a woman’s role in society impacted how women were treated in society. Because religion and society viewed them as inferiors, women were forced to enter marriages that promoted oppression and gender inequality. In Ancient China, marriage was seen as a business decision rather than a union of love between two people. During the reign of the Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BCE), marriage among the elites was often viewed as the combination of two families. When a woman married a man, she often brought sisters along with her. These sisters, and sometimes female cousins, would be presented as accessory brides. (Shaughnessy, E., 2010) Women were never offered this luxury, therefore demonstrating how women were viewed as inferior. “Prejudice in China existed long before Confucianism. However, it was Confucianism that turned the marriage system into bondage of women, treating them as possessions for their husbands.” (Gao, X. 2003) Confucius was a man who...
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...Feminism and its relevance in today’s society Diamond V Nesbit ITT-Technical Institute When you hear or read the term feminism what image pops into your mind? Is it a woman with a short haircut, unshaven legs and/or armpits, over-weight by at least 20 pounds, a strong hatred of men and all things pertaining to men? Well this could be due to the image society burns into your mind. When watching television or browsing on the internet you cannot help but run across an image of angry women with picket signs automatically placing the group in a negative light. Feminism is more than picket signs, protests, and unshaven legs. Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. Feminism is frown upon in today’s society but is still very relevant and important to many. The media and feminism have a love/hate relationship. In movies, books, and even cartoons feminist are portrayed as angry, unkempt, lesbian “man haters”. They are shown looking down on men and judging women for their attire or life choices. On rare occasions the media actually shines a positive light on feminism and its beliefs only when it can be beneficial to its rating or purpose. The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women," said Pat Robertson, a television evangelist and former Baptist minister during...
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...Feminists study society today through the viewpoint of oppressed women who are seen to be subordinated by men. Their main aim is to liberate women from men, patriarchal society and the socially constructed stereotypes of women. In order to do so, there are different strands of Feminism, which are, Liberal, the least extreme or violent, Marxist, who link in capitalism to Feminism and Radical Feminists, the most extreme. These groups seek to bring about equality through different means and on different levels of severity. In addition to these, there are smaller and more modern groups of Feminism which are Dual Systems Feminists, who are similar to Marxist Feminists and Poststructuralists who believe other Feminists disregard differences between women. Liberal Feminists are concerned with the human civil rights, therefore they seek legal reforms and changes in attitudes and socialisation to bring about gender equality, which does not require a violent revolution. They are the closest Feminist theory to a consensus view on today’s society even though it focuses on the conflicts between men and women. Liberal Feminists reject the idea that biological differences make women less competent or rational than men or vice versa. They distinguish between sex and gender; whereby sex refers to the biological differences such as their reproductive role and physical differences and gender refers to culturally constructed differences between ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ roles. As gender is culturally...
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