...resources needed to complete this project, and an annotated bibliography that will be used as the core sources for the literature review I will write for the final paper. Overview and Purpose of the Research Project The role of women in combat has changed drastically over the years. Their inclusion in the military has increased followed by their involvement. However, the women are still limited in terms of what roles they are allowed to take. The general stigma against women depicts them as homemakers and their place in combat cannot exceed certain levels such as allowing them in the front line. There are other factors that have been linked to their limitation including their capacity to handle emotions, their need for extended leave when they get pregnant and their overall performance as compared to the men. People are constantly advocating for equal rights in men and women. In a bid to achieve that, women should be encouraged to uptake military positions while the policy makers are urged to set room for this. This research project will dwell on the inclusion of women in the military and their capacity to take up more definitive roles in combat. The position of this project is that women, whose gender roles have changed over the years, should be more involved in combat with an emphasis on more definite tasks that contribute to the...
Words: 2733 - Pages: 11
...Violence, and Disillusionment in Post-War El Salvador by Irina Carlota Silber. Silber’s argument is founded on the premise that the post-war culture of El Salvador continues to project a violent “revolutionary” environment, which has made many of the women that fought in the revolution the “subjects” of neoliberal globalization. In this manner, many of the “revolutionaries” are examined through an anthropological gender analysis to identify the reactionary nature of post-war identity that continues to divide communities and also creates the “trans-border” family. More so, Silber (2010) argues that many women are presented as being symbolized as “masculinized” women, but the underlying patriarchal values of El Salvadoran society continue into the post-war era. Therefore, the issue of gender roles continues define some of the myths of “feminism” that have been historically defined as part of the women’s movement in the FMNL during the revolution....
Words: 1517 - Pages: 7
...return to top ]Changing of Roles of Women in the Military Changing of Roles of Women in the Military Combat Exclusion Law Should women serve in combat positions? The Combat Exclusion Law has dealt with this question since the 1940’s. As time continues, the question remains. The military has increased the percentage of females allowed to be enlisted and commissioned in the services as well as increasing the positions allotted to them (Matthews, Ender, Laurence, & Rohall, 2009). Keenan posits “women have served with distinction in … the Revolutionary War…as volunteer nurses and were only occasionally in the direct line of fire…four nurses evacuating 42 patients while the Germans bombed their field hospital…” (the DoD Combat Exclusion Policy) pg. 21. The most recent debate questions a women’s engagement in combat. What distinguishes some positions as being acceptable while others are not? Who has the authority to approve exceptions, and what exceptions have been made? On May 13, 2011, a bill placed before the House of Representatives addressed the issues to “repeal the ground combat exclusion policy for female members” (HR 1928). Political Issues or Influences In 1973, women began to grow in numbers in the All-Volunteer Force implemented under President Nixon. “In February 1988, Department of Defense (DoD) codified the Combat Exclusion Policy by adopting the ‘Risk Rule’”, (the DoD Combat Exclusion Policy) pg. 21, 22. The change of the feminine role in the civilian population...
Words: 1315 - Pages: 6
...WOMEN IN COMBAT AN INDISPENSIBLE ARMY 21 COMPONENT OR A SIMPLE CASE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY? Your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable – it is to win our wars. Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication. All other public purposes … will find others for their accomplishment; but you are the ones who are trained to fight; yours is the profession to arms. General Douglas A. MacArthur to the West Point Graduating Class of 1962 INTRODUCTION Like the United States military, the infusion of women into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was announced with great fanfare and the proclamation of the politically-correct notion that “women have as much a role to play in the Nation’s defence as the men”. Thankfully, unlike the US military, the inclusion of women into SAF did not result in controversies and scandals that the US military faced in recent years as exemplified in the Tailhook[1] and Aberdeen[2] scandals. Amidst continued declining birth rates and greater economic opportunities, the participation of women in the SAF has been generally accepted as an inexorable development within the organisation without much ado, trusting that the authorities have performed the necessary analysis. Is this naturally the case? Are there larger issues that we need to grapple with, given our unique circumstances, noting that up till today, the US military is still debating on the wisdom of opening up military career opportunities...
Words: 5592 - Pages: 23
...her life fighting and engaging in hand to hand combat in a war to defend her country why shouldn’t she be allowed to? Women have dutifully served alongside and even in front of men in a line of combat throughout history which extends thousands of years into the past in many cultures and countries around the world. The warrior woman dates back to prehistoric times when individuals mostly fended for themselves to survive. During the Roman incursion into what is today England, there was Boadicea, the British warrior queen who led her people to battle against the Roman invaders. There was also Jinga, the majestic and murderous black queen who fought the Portuguese in seventeenth-century Angola. Modern western culture includes a famous and more popular example, Joan of Arc, who in 1429, at age 17, successfully led French troops into battle against the English. Even without the specific examples of these heroines, consider how, in our more recent history, hundreds of women have disguised themselves as men to fight in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. These acts are not just those of bravery, but true patriotism and those are the type of individuals who are needed in the line of duty to defend this great nation. A women’s restriction in combat is often viewed as a form of sexual discrimination in continuing debates because it violates a chance for equal opportunity among both genders. Some also argue the reasonable issue that combat positions should be available to women to make the...
Words: 1730 - Pages: 7
...SHOULD WOMEN BE IN COMBAT? Doris Gantt ENG 102 Research Writing Date: August 27, 2013 For decades, there have been countless debates over the issue of women and their involvement in the United States Armed Forces. One of the hot-button issues involves their participation in combat, an issue which has resulted in extremely divided opinions. To this day, it continues to be a Left-versus-Right, Feminists-versus-Traditionalists debate. As a woman with experience serving in the United States Armed Forces, I am positive women can participate in all facets of military duty. From clerical, technical, medical, supply, and general support to more combative field and rescue scenarios, women can be as reliable as their male counterparts. The current sentiments regarding gender indicate that women are no longer viewed as incapable of taking on responsibilities that have been traditionally dominated by men. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, women started to deviate from the customary homemaker lifestyles and began finding success in furthering their education as well as their professional careers. Women have viewed themselves simply as more successful because of their abilities to manage both their professional and personal lives. However, this does not mean the mindset of women and their inabilities to carry out male-dominated roles has been completely eradicated. As with all things, there is always going to be an opposition. Every opinion has its detractor. In this case women...
Words: 2070 - Pages: 9
...Introduction/Objective: The argument that women should serve in combat roles has long been debated in the U.S. branches of service. Among the pros and cons, a potentially non-debatable issue remains constant that women have a less superior body, in regards to muscle mass and strength. Retired Army Col. (Dr.) Elspeth Ritchie, who served multiple tours in Iraq and Somalia as a psychiatrist, earning three combat patches stated, “When women deploy to combat or on exercises, the most discussed topic is whether or not women have the strength and stamina to make it.” (Vergun, 2014) Often times during training, soldiers are often instructed to carry various weights (30 lbs +) during ruck marches. They must also enter in hand to hand combat, occasionally...
Words: 698 - Pages: 3
...English 043 Persuasive December 11, 2010 Women in Combat Should women be allowed in combat? Can women perform and function as effectively as men in combat? Some would agree and some conservative people would usually argue that they shouldn't. Many would debate the physical capabilities and mental differences of the two sexes, or even the effect of the presence of the opposite sex on the battlefield. But we should also be reminded, women have been serving in the armies and for centuries have fought many successful battles. Policies that prohibit women to join the combat must be abolished. Capable women should be allowed in combat, and not be denied the ability to function in the army on an equal basis. Buried in the history of books, women have played many roles in combat for many centuries. In 600 BC, there is a legend about fearsome female warriors from ancient Greece. These stories speak of women who were trained in the art of war, how to use weapons, and how to cope with physical hardships. The stories tell us that they conquered men on the field of battle. These women are called the Amazons. Who would forget the story of Joan of Arc, who in 1429 successfully led French Troops into battle against the English. During the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, hundreds of women disguised themselves as men to fight. These are just a few examples of what a woman can be, they have proved themselves able to handle difficult situation well when they are thrown into one...
Words: 660 - Pages: 3
...Disney released The Little Mermaid in 1989, which was just 25 years post the women’s sexual revolution and the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique in the 1960s during second wave feminism. This movement advocated for women’s sexual liberties and liberation from conventional feminine duties, despite the movie’s sexually objectifying, traditional themes. This film’s release date also marks the gradual beginning of third wave feminism that encouraged a cultural embrace of individual diversity and self-identity, thus serving as a defiant paradox for the film’s homogenous ideals. As a woman in a male dominated society, popular works like this film must be critically critiqued as a way to dismiss this degrading behavior by society. The Little Mermaid manipulates gender roles to suppress and dominate the woman, subliminally disseminating this presumption to its adolescent...
Words: 1486 - Pages: 6
...In the traditional study of crime, women have generally been perceived as disregarded and discriminated in the criminal justice system. Various stereotypes and assumptions about females in the criminal justice system, saw feminist perspectives challenge the theories, concepts and assumptions of those involved in the study of crime (Bryant, 2014). This essay begins by firstly providing a brief description and its origins, how feminist theories causes crime, how its theory defines crime, the multiple feminist perspectives within feminism and how feminist criminology attempts to combat crime. It will then discuss the relevance and how feminist theory influences the criminal justice system, such as women’s role as professionals, as well as women as offenders and victims (Schram & Tibbetts 2013, p. 285). Finally, this essay will examine the applicability to Australian society by exploring if the suggested causes of crime apply to Australian society. It will lastly draw on the criticisms of feminist criminology and how the different types of feminist perspectives lessons the relevance of this theory in Australian society. Outlining the theory Feminist criminology first developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s which was closely associated with the emergence of the Second Wave of Feminism (White, Haines & Asquith 2012, p. 143). The Second Wave of Feminism saw the advent of many issues such as social, political and material inequalities (White, Haines & Asquith 2012, p. 143). Because men...
Words: 2292 - Pages: 10
...War, which in the short term provided American women with work opportunity typically reserved for males, also paving the way for second wave feminism. Many women began working outside the home for the first time When America entered WWI in 1917, a male labour shortage, meant that women took over traditional male roles while they were at war. The Woman's Land Army of America, brought over 20,000 women to rural America, these "farmerettes" were paid wages equal to male farmers and an eight-hour working day protected them. 11,000 women, served abroad as nurses; others became ambulance drivers. For many, this provided an example of women mobilizing themselves. They challenged conventional thinking about gender roles which celebrated by many e.g. The Los Angeles Times proclaimed "farmettes" were “To turn new earth in history of the...
Words: 882 - Pages: 4
...McKELVEY Editor Tara McKelvey brings together stories of “women as aggressors and torturers” in the selections here. First, Francine D’Amico points out the gendered aspect of the prison abuses, aka atrocities and war crimes, that happened at Abu Ghraib-- as well as how the representation of these reflect gendered biases. Lucinda Marshall further critiques the focused chastisement of women victimizers in Abu Ghraib that ignored, say, a superior commander's’ influence, and that used examples of such women to argue that women should not be in the military at all. She illuminates the disturbing link between violence and pornography, noting that a picture’s being on a pornographic website does not preclude it from being abuse. She lists examples of sexual assault in the military, showing that it is not new or isolated to Abu Ghraib. Her most powerful statement is that “sexual abuse against men is considered torture; sexual abuse against women by men is business as usual” (55), calling upon feminists to redirect conversations to shed light on this contradiction and focus on the more common victims of sexual violence in war, the Iraqi women, whose rapes and sexual assaults are underreported because their...
Words: 1021 - Pages: 5
...Women have long lived to be perceived as only being a domestic housewives. World War II challenged these views and expanded women's' responsibilities and roles. World War II made it necessary for women to take on male occupations and to serve in the military. Male and female jobs became connected for the first time. Women became both influential in the home and in the work place. Gender roles became intertwined, which challenged their expected domestic and professional occupations. Many might argue that the Women's Movement started in World War II. Studs Terkel interviewed Dellie Hahne, a women who worked as a nurses aid in WWII, whom addressed her thoughts on Women in World World II. Dellie Hahne claimed “I think a lot of women said, Screw...
Words: 1045 - Pages: 5
...Women have been participating in wars for many years in different types of ways. In the past it was illegal for women to physically fight in the war but many found their way to help pitch in. Many women disguised themselves as men fighting in combat; some created organizations to support soldiers with forms of aid and donations of food and supplies, and others volunteered on a more personal status sending items to soldiers they knew. It is only recently that women have been considered to take part in direct physical combat which still holds strong oppositions. Women, who are enrolled in the army today, are still not equally treated. They are suffering from being sexually assaulted, discriminated against in high roles, and given poor primary and reproductive healthcare. There should be a change in the availability of opportunities for women in service, fair recognition of their hard work, and they should be given equal rights. Today women in the military face many unjust things one of the leading problems is sexual harassment. Military sexual trauma is the experience of sexual harassment or completed sexual assault during military service. This occurs in both male and females militants. Based on research from the National Virginia Military Sexual Trauma Surveillance Data, approximately one in five women veterans receiving universal screening at a Veterans Health Administration facility reported that they experienced military sexual trauma. In an overall survey they found...
Words: 769 - Pages: 4
...BLAW Women in the Infantry Today, one of the biggest debates over women’s rights is the one over females being in the infantry. The world is changing and with that comes a lot more responsibility for policy makers, and there is a great debate over women being on the front lines. Women have been in the Military for quite some time, but not in a front line type of role. I can see both sides of the argument; the one that wants people to broaden their views and accept women in the infantry, and the other side that sees at as more of a male type of position. There are many pros and cons to the Military allowing women in combat positions, and I believe that while women should be allowed to have a chance in the infantry, the standards need to be the same whether it is a male or female. When the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta removed the barriers of women being in the infantry it opened up 237,000 jobs to women. Around 53,000 positions are closed to women by units, such as Brigade Combat Teams in the Army. Panetta said that “if members of the military meet the qualifications for the job- not reduced qualifications- then they should have the right to serve.” The same argument can be made for having gays in the military. I don’t believe that they should be excluded, but I do believe they should have to keep their personal life to themselves. I agree with Panetta’s statement saying that if they are qualified then women should be able to serve. And the Secretary of Defense also stated...
Words: 1412 - Pages: 6
