Should Her Story be History?

Paper Summary:

This paper ponders the argument that the secondary characteristics of a historian has more impact on his or her writing, than gender alone. The writer contends that these secondary characteristics, such as race, socio-economic status, religious and political affiliations are what determine a writer's personal beliefs and biases. This paper explores the contributions of Sarah Bolton, one of America's leading feminist historians, who brought women in history to the forefront. Bolton's writings of history openly advocated the role of women in history and the change in social norms. The writer of this paper contends and explains that historians generally have agendas and that their writings are used to further these agendas. The writer also asserts that if history is written only by men, it is logical to assume that women's contributions to historical events will be lacking. The same holds true for history written by only one particular race.

From the Paper:

"Take, for example, the different perspectives that could be taken by two writers, both women, about women being granted access to higher education in the 20th Century. The first woman writer is a member of the middle-class, and she and her husband both have to work in order to keep their family in the middle class. That historian may begin her history with women getting equal access to higher education, which led to more women entering the workforce in higher-paying jobs. In addition, that historian could accurately show that, traditionally, as women have entered an occupation, it has become devalued by society, and the members of the occupation have then suffered a relative decline in pay. As a result, the historian could conclude that women's access to higher education has led to a society of families that cannot maintain a middle-class lifestyle without two incomes."

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