Essay on The End of Oppression for Jamaican Women

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

“The imposition of structural adjustment programs in the Third World since the 1970s has been characterized as a war against the poor, a process of [neo] recolonization” (Turner, 1994: 37). This statement is particularly applicable to the country of Jamaica. The island has been susceptible to a variety of neocolonial acts including the presence of multinational corporations, structural adjustment programs, and loan organizations that have sucked Jamaica’s economy dry. This neocolonial presence has devastated the population in more ways than one. It is apparent that neocolonialism has had and continues to have a large impact on society as a whole in Jamaica. This

Though born into slavery, Nanny had "dreams of whut a woman oughta be and to do." She wanted to "preach a great sermon about colored women sittin' on high, but they wasn't no pulpit for [her]." She tries to fulfill her dreams first through her daughter and then through Janie. But slavery and years of dependence on a white family have warped

This paper discusses the experiences of African American Women under slavery during the Slave Trade, their exploitation, the secrecy, the variety of tasks and positions of slave women, slave and ex-slave narratives, and significant contributions to history. Also, this paper presents the hardships African American women faced and the challenges they overcame to become equal with men in today’s society. Slavery was a destructive experience for African Americans especially women. Black women suffered doubly during the slave era.

Nanny herself lived through slavery and had a child, Janie’s mother, by her white master. To

Harriet was born into slavery around 1820 in Dorchester, Maryland to Benjamin Ross and Harriet Green. Her master, Edwards Brodas, gave her the name Araminta but she eventually took on her mother’s name. At the age of five when most children would be starting off into school, Harriet began working as a house maid. Many times she would be “rented” out to different plantation homes for several months at a time. During this time she received multiple routine beatings, whippings, and verbal assaults. But these times of house work wouldn’t last long.

To Nanny, a woman who was dominated by slavery, there is no companionship for women to experience, only hardship. Janie is reminded of Nanny’s ideals after the death of her second husband Joe when a man from Eatonville voices, “Uh woman by herself is a pitiful thing… Dey needs aid and assistance. God never meant ‘em tuh try tuh stand by theirselves” (Hurston 90). Despite Janie’s constant questioning about Logan Killicks, Nanny realizes love does not beget marriage. Tracy Bealer states, “Nanny 's experiences with institutionalized racism and pervasive misogyny teach her that for black women, erotic love is infused with shame, physical pain, and unsatisfying labor” (315). Inevitably, Nanny begins to teach Janie what her place in the world is, under man. Janie is a young girl, and after kissing Johnnie Taylor she can only think about love. So Nanny tells her love does not exist in marriage and to forget about searching for her dreams. Janie would carry this belief into her first marriage, allowing Nanny’s fear of death and her own fear of loneliness to guide her into adulthood. Janie holds onto these fears long after her grandmother’s death.

her children. Harriet Jacobs was the first African American women to have her slave narrative

Weems was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1953, the second of seven children of the Weems family. The Weems was a middle class family, working for their everyday living, had no privileges. At the age of 16 she gave birth to her first and only child, a daughter. It is never easy to become a single mother, but it was the sixties, and a hard time for black women. She doesn’t speak about any negative experiences, because once she mentioned she wants to see women succeed and not pity

Pratchett recognized Nanny Ogg as the “mother” archetype as stated previously. Pratchett states “Nanny Ogg had been married three times and ruled a tribe of children and grandchildren all over the

She argues that “although the founding members of female religious orders were often close . . . four women who were sisters in blood, as well as religion, made for a particularly united front.” This unity inevitably contributed to both the congregation and the colony’s success. Javouhey’s brother, Pierre Javouhey, and her cousins, Louis and Léopold Javouhey, all accompanied her to French Guiana. Javouhey attempted to place her male relatives in positions that provided her with allies while giving them work. For example, in 1839, she wrote to the Minister of the Navy, naming Louis Javouhey and his two sons as her aides. Javouhey’s use of family structure to accomplish her goals extended beyond her blood. During both her attempts at colonizing Mana, in her letters and reports, she frequently referred to the colonists as members of ‘[her] family.’ Commenting on the utility and authority familial hierarchies, she stated, “La loi eût échoué faute d'être comprise et d'avoir trop souvent à punir là où l'autorité bienveillante de la famille devait être toute puissante. L'établissement de Mana a donc été considéré comme une famille dont les Sœurs de Saint-Joseph étaient les grands parents et la Mère Supérieure le chef. Cette manière d'envisager les choses a eu les plus heureux résultats.” Consequently, Javouhey both addressed and treated the slaves under her authority as her ‘adoptive children.’ As the ‘mother’ of the slaves, Javouhey exercised considerable influence and authority over and instilled loyalty within them. By December of 1828, mere months after her arrival in French Guiana, she noted that if anyone outside of the Sœurs de Saint-Joseph de Cluny were to attempt to replace her at Mana, it would be difficult because “les colons ne veulent que nous pour chefs.” After the abolition

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the island of Cuba was in the process of emerging from a Spanish colony to an independent nation. Freedom from Spain, however, was not the only struggle that Cuba was experiencing at this time. After having been oppressed by slavery for several centuries, Afro-Cubans, who had joined the fight for independence in large numbers, were demanding equality in Cuban society. Nevertheless, whites, especially in the elite, continued to initiate discriminatory practices against them. As a last resort, Afro-Cubans staged an armed protest in response to the outlawing of their political party in 1912. Although valiant, the attempt was

When talking about religion and gender, sociologists are interested in how the roles of both men and women differ from one another across many different religions. As with many aspects of the world, women generally are at a disadvantage, especially in the religious realm. Sex segregation plays a role in religion and gender. Women and men often hold positions of very different amounts of power.

Religion goes hand in hand with culture, and in the Muslim countries this is very apparent. The cultural importance of men over women may have stemmed from religion, however it was further recognized when imperialist countries introduced capitalism and class divides. “Islam must combat the wrenching impact of alien forces whose influence in economic, political, and cultural permutations continues to prevail” (Stowasser 1994, 5). Now, instead of an agrarian state where both men and women had their place, difficulties have formed due to the rise in education and awareness that women can and do have a place in society beyond domestic living Though women are not equal to men anywhere around the

     Jamaica is a tropical island, located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. Around the coastlines are beautiful beaches with crystal clear blue-green water. In some respects, this is the majority of what people know about Jamaica. In this orientation text you will better understand Jamaica’s history, the people who live there, the many different religions, geography, and governments that have ruled the land.