Damned If I Don 't : Women 's Struggle For Gender Equality

Throughout this course, we learned that women’s studies originated as a concern at the time that “women and men noticed the absence, misrepresentation, and trivialization of women [in addition to] the ways women were systematically excluded from many positions of power and authority” (Shaw, Lee 1). In the past, men had more privileges than women. Women have battled for centuries against certain patterns of inadequacy that all women experience. Every culture and customs has divergent female

Women’s struggle for equality will remain relevant in the future as a global issue because every country today still struggles to obtain successful women’s equality. Women today are determined to fight for their rights, rights that are detrimental to the success of society. The struggle for women’s equality is something that has plagued women for centuries. Societies throughout history have been ruled by the iron fist of men, in royal families, the working class, and even within the households. This is something that is most common in todays underdeveloped countries, women are treated as being less than men and therefore do not deserve the same rights. This however is something that women have recognized as a problem and are unwavering in their fight to establish equal rights, whether it be in the United States or even Africa, the cry for equality is the same.

Although it was not seen as a right before, equality has grown into the statement for all of the natural human rights. Throughout the growth of the United States, much has changed: technology has advanced, wars have come and passed, old ways have been updated. However, the one thing that has followed slowly behind in the race for change is the equality for all. Those who were once viewed as lesser to the American males—females—are still having to make strides towards equality, but are considerably closer due to their fight for freedom and recognition. The documents “Now We Can Begin” by Crystal Eastman and “What’s Become of Rosie the Riveter?” by Frieda S. Miller are examples of what some of the women were out there fighting for.

Throughout history, battles and wars have been fought to gain some type of rights or freedoms. In 1775, the American Revolutionary War was fought for independence; In 1865, the American Civil War was fought to end slavery. Although no wars were fought, many battles were waged for women 's rights. The struggle for women 's rights begin in the mid-late 1800s at a time when women were not allowed to vote or own property. Women, as with African-Americans, during this period were not recognized as having any legal and political rights as men and whites, respectively. This attitude towards women, at the time, was ascribed to the “gender rules in the 1700s” where men thought of “women as fragile creatures always in need of male protection and always denied access to the public sphere." (Lecture 2, 6:19). If women wanted to gain their individualism, rights, and freedoms they were entitle to; they would have to unite and create opportunities to do so. The inequalities women faced was the foundation of the Women 's Suffrage Movement and many other organizations in support of women.

Gender inequality has been a dominant and consistent struggle of human culture since its existence. To this day, women constantly face oppression, unjust treatment, and less opportunities. For centuries, women have played inferior roles compared to men, especially in marriage. When a man and a woman would wed, it was understood that the woman would serve her husband’s needs and demands. Over the centuries of human existence, however, many feminists and progressive revolutionaries demanded change in the treatment of females.

Gender stereotypes can have many different effects, but they are oftentimes negative. Utilizing it as a basis, society can create impossibly high standards. Failure of these standards evokes a sense of guilt within people. Such results stem from a bigger societal problem, which is that people live in a patriarchy—a system in which men hold the majority of powerful social and professional positions that shape society. According to Deborah Tannen’s “But What Do You Mean?”, the speech of women and men frequently creates conflict between the two sexes. Likewise in Willa Cather’s My Ántonia, Jim Burden perceives women solely through his patriarchal view of life. Lastly, through “Kim Wilde,” Marjane Satrapi reveals that women are often bound within the gender roles set by society. While many lenses can add to one’s perspective, gender has a stronger influence; therefore, people must actively attempt to view life beyond the single lens of gender.

One can see that gender is actually a social label that is produced from social expectations (Ore 99). These "gender norms" have led to the distinct inequality and oppression of women. Due to these norms, women are seen as incapable of being political or rational because their social duty is to stay at home and take care of the children (Glenn 23). The social creation of gender surely undermines the severe communal disadvantages that females take on. Humanity must forget these general notions that have been brainwashed into every day life.

Adolescence is the beginning of development into womanhood and the stage of preparation for societies expectations of femininity. This transition is a process that Stafford’s Molly resents. Molly is an intelligent character and she knows that she does not fit the mold physically, or psychologically. Molly is unashamed of

Women have been oppressed by men since the beginning of time. It is only now that society is doing something about this and realizing the negative effects this injustice has had. The maltreatment of women affects females in their day to day lives, since long ago, and still in present day. Characters from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and ‘Proem’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, will reveal how the oppression of women can affect people's lives in a negative way.

The issue regarding equality has always been a center of discussion for many American women. Many believe that although women have gained equality in some aspects they still, in fact, have not gained full equality. Apparently, women were not respected or valued before. Therefore, it was immensely difficult for change to occur. American women were not satisfied with what society expected them to be, for example; a housewife. Instead, they prefer starting their own career and sharing equal rights with men.

Premises: (Given) gender has been a point of controversy throughout history. (Given) controversy leads to differences in viewpoints and interpretations.

Throughout the course many, women that we have encountered were perceived as the stereotypical gender appropriateness. For example, women were expected to cook, clean, and take care of their children or siblings if the girl was not married yet. Nevertheless there were women, who worked as well as following the appropriate gender roles such as Vienna from Johnny Guitar, Josephine from Ballad of Little Jo, and Alexandra from O’ Pioneers. However the women all had a role in society and that was to do housework, took on a man’s role, and became the women they wanted to be.

The oppression of women is represented in literature through the social roles and the experiences of the women since the early 19th century. In Literary and Cultural Theory by Donald Hall, he states that a feminist analysis is “Language, institution, and social power structures have reflected patriarchal interests throughput much of history; this has had a profound impact on women’s ability to express themselves and the quality of their everyday lives” (Hall 202). Patriarchal oppression is shown in any text that delivers a man regulating the life of his wife or any women in his everyday life by restricting and encroaching the rights and experiences of life of that woman.

In the past 50 years, women have gained much more equality in America. That progress was a necessary step for our modern nation, but such a big change has been a factor in the breakdown of our nation 's families. In the past 50 years, divorce rates have more than doubled. In the present day, it is just as likely that a married couple will divorce as it is that they will stay together ("Marriage and Divorce"). The push for women 's equality has been a factor in the breakdown of the American family by increasing women 's individuality, complicating family decisions, and moving women into the workforce.

On a daily basis, sexism and gender roles constantly affect women. Sexism is a concept revolving around the prejudice and discrimination of women while gender roles are a social construct, often used to create a sense of order by linking certain roles to each gender. Gender roles often imply that women should participate in domestic roles while men should do labour work. In the 20th century, those roles were very apparent. Now, women and men are challenging these notions as well as the stereotypes that come along with them. Throughout the short story “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro, the narrator defies against gender roles, as well as questions the constant sexism within her community and her identity as a whole.