Grace Abbott: The Mother of America's Forty-Three Million Children

Jane Addams is recognized as a social and political pioneer for women in America. In her biography, which later revealed her experiences in Hull House, she demonstrates her altruistic personality, which nurtured the poor and pushed for social reforms. Although many of Addams ideas were considered radical for her time, she provided women with a socially acceptable way to participate in both political and social change. She defied the prototypical middle class women by integrating the line that separated private and political life. Within these walls of the settlement house, Addams redefined the idea of ?separate spheres,? and with relentless determination, she

By starting the tenement houses in Chicago through the Hull Houses, Jane Addams and Ellen Starr had already begun their journey into the public sphere. Through opening the tenement houses and allowing people to see them and come live in them helped the two women make a name for themselves, with the more well-known woman of the pair being recognized for much more, was Jane Addams herself. Addams saw rights and freedom for women as a “perfectly possible” thing to attain, as she was optimistic and very assertive on her way to work for women’s equality and rights. The optimism that Jane Addams had was not without a price to pay on her part, as there were many negatives that had to be dealt with along the way like setbacks in acting, legislation, supporters, etc.7

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was not just a mother, daughter, feminist, and writer; but she is the woman who changed the lives of women everywhere by fighting for equality. Stanton lived a normal childhood, but one that motivated her to never give up hope in reaching her goal. A quick background of her life will help better understand why she became such a powerful woman’s rights activist. Also, what she accomplished that changed history and how it still affects us today in 2011. I will also express my individual satisfaction with what this incredible woman has done for women everywhere. On November 12, 1815 Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born to the Cady family in Johnstown, New York (Gordon, 2009). She was born into a high-class, conservative,

Social work is based on respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people as expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948) It is therefore of paramount importance that a social work professional should work towards promoting the best interests of individuals and groups in society. I very much recognize the contribution that social work brings to inclusion having worked alongside social workers during the course of my shadowing placement. I possess a real commitment to promote equality which I have had the pleasure of doing in a multitude of different roles. From academic journals as well as my lecture notes I now appreciate the central importance of using the fundamental principles of human rights and equality to underpin my practice, and the inherent need to promote justice in relation with the people I will work.

Jane Addams, a pioneering social worker, helped bring attention to the possibility of revolutionizing America’s attitude toward the poor. Not only does she remain a rich source of provocative social theory to this day, her accomplishments affected the philosophical, sociological, and political thought. Addams was an activist of courage and a thinker of originality. Jane Addams embodied the purest moral standards of society which were best demonstrated by her founding of the Hull-House and her societal contributions, culminating with the winning of the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize.

Throughout the nation’s history, American’s have sought to put an end to discriminatory practices and bring equality toward minority groups. For example, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech were directed at putting an end to mistreatment of African Americans. Likewise, Jane Adams and Susan B. Anthony used their authority as women’s rights activists to push for greater equality amongst the genders. While some may argue that women are lagging behind in the race to equal rights, others claim the opposing approach. In today’s society, women are achieving true equality due to a shift in the old stereotypes toward women, increasing opportunities for women to become educated, higher expectations for women in the workplace, and a stronger influence of women in government positions.

Women have been a vital key to the shaping and progression of our society. Throughout time, women’s roles and opportunities in the family, workplace, and society have greatly evolved. They started from being housewives that don’t have many rights, even in the household, to being valued citizens in our

Florence Kelley was a United States social worker and reformer who fought successfully for child labor laws and improved conditions for working women. Throughout her speech to the Philadelphia Convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, she stresses the importance of changing the working conditions that are in place for children. By using child labor as her baseline, Kelley is able to talk about her main point, which is her suggestion for women’s rights with the help of repetition, strong word choice, and opposition.

Before beginning the Master of Social Work program at Laurier I figured I had a strong understanding of what social work was. However, I quickly learned that I had only scratched the surface. I knew oppression existed, but I never understood the depth of it. I now know that I was afraid of it. It was easy for me to stay silent, because it was such a comfortable position to be in. Doing nothing meant I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. This was influenced by the privilege I had.

In a world where, “survival of the fittest” seems to be the underlying theme, social reformers throughout history, such as Anne Martin, aid in bringing about civilized society. Anne Martin was born in Empire, Nevada in 1875. Martin was educated at Stanford University and used her education to make a difference during the Progressive Era in Nevada. She joined the women’s suffrage cause and shortly became the leader of the Nevada Equal Franchise Society. The cause advocated amending Nevada’s Constitution to give women the right to vote in political elections. She traveled throughout Nevada to mining and railroad towns and ranches to inform and educate Nevada citizens on the women’s suffrage cause.

In today’s society, many prominent people have dedicated their lives to serving mankind. A woman who dedicated countless hours to the nursing and social work field to help the less fortunate is Lillian Wald. Lillian Wald is a humanitarian who sacrificed her life and career to help under-privilege families in a Jewish community located in Rochester, New York (Henry Street Settlement, 2014). The legacy of Lillian Wald continues to serve thousands today, which is known as the Henry Street settlement (Henry Street Settlement, 2014). Lillian is an influential figure in the history of social work along with paving the way for others to have an opportunity to assist their community.

Social worker Lilly Sheldon is truly a leader among urban social workers. Currently 94 years old and still working in a volunteer capacity, Ms. Sheldon became a social worker in 1940. Social work was not her first choice for a career. In fact, Ms. Sheldon really wanted to become a lawyer, but few law schools during that time period were accepting female applicants. So, instead of becoming a lawyer, she became a social worker, and eventually went on to obtain her MSW. While it may seem as if someone who chose social work as an alternative career may not be an ideal leader in the field, Mrs. Sheldon belies that reality. She brought a keen intellect to her field, which enabled her to play a vital role in helping form the structure of what is known as the modern profession of social work.

When I was a child, my mother would take me to suffrage meetings, and there was where I found my passion. I believe that women and men should be treated as equals, and this starts with the women’s right to vote. At age sixteen, I entered Swarthmore College, and was at the top of my class. Because of my hard work in the political and economic curriculum, I earned a fellowship to the New York school of Philanthropy. In 1907, I earned my Master’s degree in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. Then, I decided to travel to England to work on another fellowship, social work. I eventually lost interest, and I became a “heart and soul convert” of the Women’s Social and Political union in 1909. They were known as the most radical suffrage group in Britain. They were sometimes arrested for their violent

Jane Addams was considered the first woman to be a “public philosopher” and won worldwide recognition for her movement as a pioneer social worker in America, a feminist, and as an internationalist. Additionally, Jane Addams was born September 6, 1860 in Cedarville, Illinois; she was the eighth children of nine. Growing up, Addams was not physically healthy throughout her youth, she suffered from spinal difficulty, but was later in time it was remedied by a surgery. In addition, it can be said that Addams lived a privileged life, her father had various important relationships, some even included President Abraham Lincoln. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia, “Addams was in the minority among her peers in philosophy or feminism to believe that working class immigrant women not only should be given a voice but also had something important to contribute to the community of ideas” (Hamington, 828). Moreover, Jane Addams was undecided on what life path she will choose. Consequently, Addams attended and graduated from Rockford Female Seminary in Illinois in 1881 and attended medical school. At the age of twenty-seven, Addams and her close friend Ellen G. Starr visited a settlement house, Toynbee Hall, in London. This visit helped to finalize Jane’s idea of helping the poor area of Chicago. Specifically, her path was settled as indicated, “On one trip with friend Ellen Gates Starr, the 27-year-old Addams visited the famed Toynbee Hall in London, England, a special facility

In 2009 it was found that 56% of those who have more than one job are women, and this number is still increasing (Ferrao, 2017). This fact made me question as to why is that my aunt has to work three-part time jobs just to feed her children? Yet, most men are able provide enough for their families with just one job (Ferrao, 2017). Through this question I came to realize that many women are not struggling with multiple jobs because they are less educated, or less capable than men. In fact, it was found that more women than men are likely to graduate from college (Ferrao, 2017). These statistics make it clear that a woman’s personal life is interconnected with the social and political structures of society. Thus, my paper will be discussing the feminist approaches to social work, because this approach puts an emphasis on the structural gender inequalities and multiple intersecting oppressions women face (Dominelli, 2002).