...Women’s Roles Then and Now Kimberly Lane Dr. Ed. Yancey HUM-World Culture II November 24, 2011 Phillis Wheatley was purchased by Peter Gwinn as part of a cargo of slaves in a region his employer describes as “Sinagall,” most likely today’s Senegal. She was brought to Boston around seven years old to market of John Avery; there Mrs. Susanna Wheatley purchased the diminutive and sickly Phillis. When Phillis came to the Colonies, she did not speak any English, but she quickly learned to read and write Latin and English. John Wheatley, her master, said she was able to read the Bible fluently in sixteen months. Susanna Wheatley and her daughter Mary did not have a scholarly interest themselves but simply fostered Phillis’ interest in Alexander Pope, Milton, and Homer. Phyllis joined the Old South Meeting House in 1771, solidifying her Puritan faith. The Wheatley family took pride in their “experiment” and showed Phillis off to other prominent families in the Boston Area. Her role as a young woman in the family was complex. She had few domestic tasks, but was still the property of Mr. and Mrs. Wheatleys. She had privileges that other slaves seldom had, such as a lighted and heated room. Kenny Williams’ quotes friends of the family as saying that she “dined modestly apart from the rest of the company...where she could certainly expect neither to give nor receive offense.” Her role was unclear in the family and in society in general: “She inhabited a strange, ambiguous twilight...
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...Assignment 2 – Ancient Chinese Contributions Shalley L. Whitesides HUM 111 Professor Loftin Montgomery December 1, 2013 Whenever we think of China, the first thought that may come to mind is the Great Wall of China, the cuddly pandas, cars, or even their wonderful cuisine. For more than fifteen hundred years, the Chinese culture have developed inventions and made contributions to things that not only be used on a daily basis, but to used in years to come. Some of the greatest inventions to come out from China are: alcohol; the mechanical clock; tea; silk; porcelain; iron and steel smelting; paper; printing; gunpowder and the compass. Of the four greatest inventions are paper, tea, silk and the mechanical clock. Before paper was invented, the people of China wrote on used grass stalks to write on “various natural materials by ancient peoples-on grass stalks by the Egyptians, on earthen plates by the Mesopotamians, on tree leaves by the Indians, on sheepskin by the Europeans and strangest of all, even inscribed on bamboo or wooden strips, tortoise shells or shoulder blades of an ox by the early Chinese.” (www.chinese-embassy.org.za) Until the Second Century, Cai Hun invented an idea that will include bark, rags and wheat stalks that was very cheap and light and became “suitable for brush writing. Today, paper is used on a daily basis for when we read our favorite entertainment magazine, a hot and steamy fiction novel, and even the textbook. Money serves...
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...“there have been huge changes…” (182) in gender equality. Gender equality has changed dramatically over the years and the shift toward gender equality will continue over the next years to come. It all started in the 19th century something important was born and it was the birth of the women's rights movement. Women were tired of being the “caregiver[s]” (Gender Roles Within American Marriage) while the men were the “breadwinners” (Gender Roles Within American Marriage). Women had to do change things around because they could not live the same life they were living. Many of the “women were suffering under the dominance of men in their lives” (Gender Roles Within American Marriage). It was time for women to fight for “gender equality in family and society economics, social, cultural, and educational fields” (Gender Roles Within American Marriage). It was not easy for women to fight for their equality. The ones who did were punished for speaking out what they believed in. One has to remember that women did not have any kind of power or a say decades ago, but that did not stop them from fighting for their rights. Thanks to World War II women roles began to change dramatically. According to Gender Roles Within American Marriage “Gains in equality for women were...
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...One of the most debated subjects in society now is the topic of women’s rights. Women’s Rights is a topic that includes many different aspects, such as equal wages and equal access to health (“Women’s Rights” Gale). Women’s Rights should be acknowledged and implemented. While many believe that women’s rights should not and do not exist, others believe that America, as a whole, should be fighting back. Because of history, government, and the process of fighting back, it is easy to say that women’s rights should be examined and applied to everyday life. One important thing about women’s rights is the history. According to an article published in 2016, “The earliest known set of laws, Hammurabi’s Code, spells out certain rights of women, including...
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...Abigail Slekis Mr. Jacobs Research Paper May 24, 2016 Betty Friedan and the Women’s Rights Movement For many years, women in the United States were trapped within a strict set of social norms: they were expected to marry young and have children, not attend college, and quit their jobs in order to care for their children. It was not until the mid-1800s that women began to break away from this norm, but even then they were cautious not to disrupt society’s rules. Betty Friedan, a graduate of the University of California Berkeley and Smith College, was a key revolutionary whose involvement became a turning point in the women’s rights movement. Born Elizabeth Naomi Goldstein, Friedan was the daughter of former journalist Miriam Goldstein and...
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...The 1920’s is a very important time in American History. No decade saw as much change in regards to the role of women in society as the roaring twenties. Men and women each have a unique role in society, and likewise also share many roles equally. Up until this point in American History women were oppressed by a male dominated society and intern were not given the rights, respect, and freedom they deserved. The 1920’s marked the beginning of a great event in which women began stepping up and having a voice. It was a time of liberation for most women. One part of this liberation included the Flapper lifestyle. This lifestyle, not only helped change the role of women outside of the home, but also affected the female influence in politics. The Flapper Lifestyle was a trend that took America by...
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...Women’s Roles in the Nineteenth Century: Invisibility and Visibility In nineteenth century, women in the United States were expected to fill the separate sphere of civilization. They were most likely living their lives mainly as caregivers and homemakers, whereas men were expected to live a public life and work in a factory and became a primary breadwinner in a household. Due to these traditional expectations for women in the nineteenth century, only a handful of women had the opportunities for higher education as men. Women had fought for equal rights and opportunities with men throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. It had been long journey and a painful struggle for the females. Some groups often seen educated women as rebellious...
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...Women’s social status has been steadily increasing within the last fifty years. Due to capitalism, education opportunities, and what Kristof and WuDunn call the “girl effect,” women’s positions in society have been elevating. In short, the “girl effect” allows women to have the same opportunities in education, jobs, and other aspects. Women are given opportunities to work more help benefit the family and community, but most importantly, it benefits women themselves. Because women are able to work outside the home, women’s gender roles are changing financially, and giving more independence. However, the unequal treatment between men and women still exists: women who work in the same position as the men may not earn as much. In “From the Frying Pan into the Fire,” Hochschild argues that the work requirements under capitalism change people’s thought and behaviors. Due to capitalism, women are jumping in the working field, and there exists a continuing competition between the home and the workplace. “The Girl Effect” shows how capitalism changes women’s gender roles,...
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...something that I have never really looked into but have always wanted to. The role of women in society, and how prevailing orthodoxies have changed along with the cultural landscape to further shape this often misconceived topic. With the matter of gender equality ever present in today’s society, something that could not always be said, I feel now is a great time to investigate further what factors have ultimately sculpted popular thought in regards to this tender topic. Women’s role’s in family and in society is constantly changing. What was expected of a woman 25 years ago has made a complete 360 to what is expected of them now. The role of women in society has definitely changed, in the past 30 years especially. Women and girls have a lot more opportunities and face different challenges. The playing field is not level, but neither is gender bias as black and white as it once was. I still feel that women do not have the same position as men, though a lot of progress has definitely been made in society to bring women to a stage where they have equal rights and equal pay, but still I think the old age conception of man as the ultimate ruler is still very prevalent in most 21st century mindsets. To try and understand how peoples mind work with topics such as this, you really can’t just focus on one particular point in time; you must delve into the historical evidence and examples of women’s roles in society and how with time they have changed and also why they have changed...
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...In the past century, there has been a dramatic change in how the world views women and their roles in society. Specifically, how life for Canadian women has changed and how women from different cultures and countries each face unique problems in being respected and treated as equal members of society. Women have gone from being valued only as housewives in the fifties to CEOs in modern times. This is a remarkable achievement which should have come sooner. Although, even in today’s society women are still subjected to unfair and unjustified prejudice, stereotyping, sexism and conservative old fashioned gender role ideas. Women were believed to be passive and weak which is a complete contrast to how most of the world views women today. When compared...
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...“On August 26th, 1920, more than 26 million women had their citizenship affirmed and gained a mechanism to empower themselves, their families, and their communities” (Williamson 2). Women’s suffrage was a movement in which women fought for their right to vote during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Because of the women’s suffrage movement the 19th amendment of 1920 was passed, and finally gave women their right to vote. Before the amendment, women were not on the same level of equality as men; women were not able to vote, have the same jobs as men, or own land. Although those are important examples of the inequality between men and women, they are only just a few examples of the injustices that women faced. Women decided to fight for one of...
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...Explaining female crime Heidensohn: patriarchal control Heidensohn argues that the most striking thing about women’s behaviour is how conformist it is – they commit fewer crimes than men. In her view, this is because patriarchal society imposes greater control over women and this reduces their opportunities to offend. This patriarchal control operates at home, in public spaces and at work. * Control at home * Women’s domestic role, with its constant round of housework and childcare, imposes severe restrictions on their time and movement and confines them to the house for long periods of time, reducing their opportunities to offend. Women who try to reject their domestic role may find that their partners seek to impose it by force, through domestic violence. * As Dobash and Dobash show, many violent attacks result from men’s dissatisfaction with their wives’ performance of domestic duties. Men also exercise control through their financial power, for example by denying women sufficient funds for leisure activities, thereby restricting their time outside the home. * Daughters too are subject to patriarchal control. Girls are less likely to be allowed to come and go as they please or to stay out late. As a result, they develop a bedroom culture, socialising at home with friends rather than out in public spaces. Girls are also required to do more housework than boys. As a result, they have less opportunity to engage in deviant behaviour on the streets. ...
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...1. American women’s history has been on a rollercoaster ride since 1877. While American women’s history has experienced numerous themes or ideas, two that have been consistent throughout history is that of women’s rights, which encompasses the second theme of gender roles. From the beginning of this course, we have studied and read about gender and the roles that society believes the different sexes to be responsible for. Since the beginning, women were not granted or afforded a life independent from their spouse or significant other. They were considered property of their spouse, allowing them to do with as they please. Women were seen as inferior to men and were denied the same luxuries as men. Societal beliefs were that a woman’s role was as the homemaker. She was responsible for taking care of the home and children and keeping things in order for her spouse, who was the party responsible for financially caring for the family. It was thought that if women were afforded male luxuries, such as voting, gender roles in the home would change, something that males did not want to see happen. When the National American Women’s Suffrage Association formed in the 1890s, women lacked many of the rights that men had and were fighting to obtain voting rights equal to that of men. These rights would be the first step in gaining equality for women. This was the beginning of what would pave the way for the great women’s movement and what we know as the Equal Rights Amendment today. Gender...
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...NGO Promoted Microcredit Programs and Women's Empowerment in Rural Bangladesh Introduction: Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in rural Bangladesh are reaching out to poor women with collateral-free credit programs aimed at both alleviating poverty and increasing women's status. The present study investigated the hypothesis that participation in credit-related activities by NGO credit members leads to greater empowerment of credit members compared to nonmembers. Objectives: To measure the status of empowerment of rural women (both members and non members of the micro-credit organization) in the selected areas To ascertain the factors related to empowerment of women and To assess the role of the micro-credit organizations in empowering rural women in Bangladesh The main objective in this paper was to determine the important factors that contribute to women’s economic success in microcredit programs Women Empowerment: Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities. empowerment of women, also called gender empowerment, has become a significant topic of discussion in regards to development and economics. Entire nations, businesses, communities, and groups can benefit from the implementation of programs and policies that adopt the notion of women empowerment.[1] Empowerment is one of the main procedural concerns when addressing...
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...Anthropology & Medicine, 2013 Vol. 20, No. 1, 98–108, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13648470.2012.747594 ‘My wife, you are supposed to have a rest now’: an analysis of norms influencing men’s role in prenatal care in south-eastern Tanzania Karin Grossa,b,Ã, Iddy Mayumanac and Brigit Obrista,b,d a Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; bUniversity of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; cIfakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania; d University of Basel, Institute of Anthropology, Basel, Switzerland (Received 27 September 2011; final version received 19 July 2012) Men as sexual partners, fathers and household heads have a direct bearing on women’s reproductive health. However, little is known about the influence of changing norms and values on men’s role in ensuring women’s health during pregnancy and childbirth. This study from rural south-eastern Tanzania explores men’s and women’s discussions on men’s roles and responsibilities in prenatal care and links them to an analysis of norms and values at the household level and beyond. Data from eight focus group discussions with men and women were consensually coded and analysed using a qualitative content analysis. Four dimensions of norms and values, which emerged from analysis, bear upon men’s support towards pregnant women: changing gender identities; changing family and marriage structures; biomedical values disseminated in health education; and government regulations. The...
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