Abstract This paper explores the construction and meaning of Mary Rowlandson's famous Captivity Narrative, first published in 1682 which tells how she was held captive during King Philip's War of 1675 by Algonquin Indians. The author explains how her autobiographical narrative reveals her religious fervor and struggles, within the context of New England Puritan thought. Within this paper on the Captivity Narrative, there is an analysis of Calvinist thought, and insight into White New Englander prejudices against the Algonquin Indians, and how those prejudices were influenced by a loathing of the Catholic Church.
From the Paper "Mary Rowlandson was captured by the Indians from her home in Lancaster, Massachusetts, during King Philip's War of 1675. She wrote a narrative about her captivity and "restoration" which was so widely read that its popularity lasted for another century and more, after its first publication in 1682. Rowlandson's captivity narrative was reissued in Boston in 1770, 1771, and 1773, and it was also released many more times in various colonies and states during the 19th century. (Slotkin: 1973, p. 96). Thus it became one of the most representative documents by which white New Englanders remembered King Philip's War. But just how representative was Rowlandson's narrative, when it came to the realities of the conflict, on both sides, Puritan and Indian? Having been trapped in the wilderness as a prisoner of war, and surviving, Mary Rowlandson saw herself as spiritually renewed and redeemed. While many of the events in her account are probably true, her narrative is still somewhat mythical and shaped, both consciously and unconsciously, to fit her religious and cultural ideals. "
Abstract This essay examines the roles played by women in the military and gender stratification. The author discusses three Supreme Court cases that strengthened the ongoing argument that females should be allowed into military positions of active combat. The paper also looks at the story of Major Rhonda Cornum, taken captive in the Black Hawk incident.
From the Paper "As the world enters the twenty-first century, the question of gender stratification and exclusion in military ground combat situations continues to be the center of much disagreement and debate. Female citizens should by all means be guaranteed the same opportunities for advancement and individual freedom of choice that are given their male counterparts. The obtainment of these opportunities and freedoms should not, however, come at the expense or sacrifice of all aspects of the time-honored relationships and boundaries that have conventionally existed between the sexes, one of which is the battlefield."
Abstract This paper studies the plastic surgery industry in the United States. It focuses on breast implants and face lifts. It describes the history of the field and discusses the current techniques. The paper contends that cosmetic surgery has become a multi-billion dollar industry and involves many more average Americans than stars and wealthy patients. The industry is thriving despite the controversy over the breast implant surgery and the future looks very profitable. The paper concludes that the industry of plastic surgery will continue to thrive and prosper in the future, especially in the United States.
From the Paper "Until several decades ago plastic surgery was reserved for the very wealthy and Hollywood movie stars. They would go into hiding, and come out a few weeks later looking younger than they did before. Everyone knew something had been lifted or tucked but it was rarely vocalized in public. Then the breast implant market hit the scene and the plastic surgery industry exploded into a Mecca of revenue and business. Women between 18 and 80 were rushing to have their breasts enlarged. Once this became an accepted practice it was not long before the "average" person was taking vacation time from work to have a face-lift. Cosmetic surgery has become a multi-billion dollar industry and involves many more average Americans than stars and wealthy patients. The industry is thriving even given the controversy over the breast implant surgery and the future looks very profitable. "
Tags: Plastic, Cosmetic, surgery, Hollywood, face, lift, breast, implant, United, States, industry
Abstract This paper is an analysis of how women compare themselves to the female images that are displayed to them today as role models. The author examines the current backlash against feminism today. The paper pays particular attention to body image and the eating disorders that plague so many women as a result of the skeletal models and actresses they perceive as perfection.
From the Paper "Over the past twenty years women have not been content merely to denounce biases and inequities in the established media. Women have created and used countless alternative and participatory communication channels to support their struggles, defend their rights, promote reflection, diffuse their own forms of representation. This process has made women the primary subjects of struggle and change in communication systems, by developing oppositional and proactive alternatives that influence language, representations and communication technologies."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the novel "Love Medicine" by Louise Eldrich. This novel plays on words and the emotions of people. While at one end the characters are concerned with their spirituality as it comes into conflict with their culture, at the other end they contend with the basic instincts of sexuality within their nature. The narrator creates a story of cultural assimilation. This contends that through assimilation the identity of the individual is lost.
From the Paper " The novel Love Medicine by Louise Eldrich is one that plays on words and the emotions of people. While at on end the characters are concerned with their spirituality as it comes into conflict with their culture. I.e. the conflict between Christianity and Native American Culture at the other end they contend with the basic instincts of sexuality within their nature. Combining the two thoughts the narrator creates a story of cultural assimilation. This contends that through assimilation the identity of the individual is lost."
Abstract Christina Garcia's "Dreaming in Cuban" follows three generations of women in a Cuban-American family, and looks at the effects of the Cuban diaspora in America. This paper examines how the novel relates to how families are divided over the revolution.
From the Paper "A patchwork of incident, memory, letters, dreams and visions provides glimpses of a Cuban family at home and in exile in the '70's and '80's, but Garcia's debut suffers from its fragmented style. From disparate times, places, and (mostly female) points-of- view, Garcia reveals the circumstances and inner lives of various members of the del Pino family."
Tags: Cuba Castro, diaspora matriarchial garcia christina female communist del pino novel literature
Abstract This paper deals with the concept of working mothers and the issues which surround it. The increasing number of mothers, especially those of young children, who are moving into the labor market is a feature of contemporary society which continues to exert a major influence on the structure of relationships and families. This paper addresses these changes and discusses what effects this issue will have in the future. It also examines the way in which society has been affected by the issue of working mothers, and discusses the controversy and debate surrounding the possible effects on child development. The paper focuses on the importance of childcare and the problems which presently face society over this issue, as well as the continued debate over sexual inequality, both within the family and society in general.
From the Paper "Thankfully, the "cereal packet" image of the family is on its way out yet, according to sociologists, the sexual inequality associated with assigning men the role of economic provider and women as the child rearer and homemaker, is still very mush in existence. These social stereotypes remain in spite of the fact that, within the last few decades, there has been a sharp increase in the number of mothers deciding to venture outside the home and into paid employment. Statistics show that the level of mothers in paid employment has risen from one in eight in the 1950's to a present day estimate of over fifty percent (Hoffman 285) and, according to Reich (1994), by 1994 women were found to compose forty-five percent of the entire labor force."
Abstract The writer gives a brief history of female genital mutilation (FGM) including the different types, the reasons behind this occurrence and why it continues today. The paper looks at FGM in Egypt and Kenya and the policies in each of these countries are outlined in detail. The author explains that in Egypt FGM began for religious reasons and despite many challenges to the validity of the Fatwa, or religious decree, continues to this day. According to the paper, the rate is smaller than in previous generations, but it still continues to pose a threat to the lives of young girls in the country. In the case of Kenya, it began as a rite of passage, which largely went unnoticed by the rest of the world until the early 1960s when Kenya wanted independence and suddenly found this practice under scrutiny by the rest of the western world. The paper also discusses the United Nations and World Agency positions on FGM in order to help understand what attempts are being made by the world community to try to stop this practise on the grounds that it is a violation of human rights.
From the Paper "Data from the Adolescence and Social Change in Egypt survey suggest significant recent change in both the prevalence and practices surrounding female circumcision. After apparently remaining constant and nearly universal for several decades, prevalence among contemporary teenage girls is predicted to be more than 10 percent less than for their mothers. Still, the level of circumcision among Egyptian girls is high. Our data do not allow us to pinpoint the onset of the decline, but they do suggest an increased momentum in the years following 1994. Without further measurement at later time points, we cannot be certain that uncircumcised girls in the ASCE sample will avoid circumcision in the future. However, analysis of girls' own attitudes toward the practice hint that increasing age brings greater independence of thought and diminished support for circumcision (Nawal, 1980)."
This paper explores the character and actions of Anne Hutchinson and links her exile from the Puritan community to the fact that she was an influential woman.
Abstract This paper explores the character and actions of Anne Hutchinson and links her exile from the Puritan community to the fact that she was an influential woman.
From the Paper "In the 1630?s, many people who called themselves Puritans began fleeing England. These people, like many others, were trying to escape the Protestant Reformation. They sought a safe place to freely peruse their beliefs, which they thought to be the only true path to salvation. Puritans formed their religious beliefs with the idea to purify the Church of England; an establishment they thought was far too similar to Catholicism. American Puritans saw it as their holy mission to show the world the true path to God. An important aspect of Puritanism was the fact that the whole community must enter into a Covent of Grace with God. As a result there was a huge pressure to conform thus individuality was harshly discouraged. This key idea was what got Anne Hutchinson in a lot of trouble. She first began as a highly respected woman, and in only a year became a feared heretic, sentenced to exile. Women were not typically feared in general, but a powerful women was a force to be reckoned with. Thus, Anne Hutchinson was a threat to not only the Massachusetts Bay colony, but also to the entire Puritanical community because she was an influential woman."
Abstract A paper which studies the reasons behind women's distinct advantage in negotiating and communicating in workplace environments, using as an example the viewpoints of feminist author Deborah Tannen in her essays "Talking from Nine to Five". It explores the gender issues such as the male reluctance to ask questions and the female's veritable need to ask questions and women's ability to compromise. Several examples are given to illustrate points.
From the Paper "On the surface it seems that the woman's questioning style takes a backseat to the man's more straightforward and efficient negotiating demand, but is this really efficient? The woman suggests that her ideal negotiation would have allowed them to explore each other's talents and abilities and split up the work accordingly. This does not happen in this example but the woman's negotiation style actually fits better with division of labor principles. The woman's negotiating style would have invested a little time and effort in the initial mutual determination of tasks but would have yielded large rewards with regard to the final work product ? both would be doing work at which they excelled. The current hierarchies in the workplace often don"t allow the woman's style of negotiating but that doesn"t mean it isn?t more effective ? often it is, but Haraway's sexual and gender differences sometimes compromise efficiency. "
Abstract The author states that "A Doll's House" is a strong feminist statement although Ibsen himself always claimed to be resolutely apolitical. The paper describes Nora as a character trapped by the circumstance of her past who refuses to remain trapped. The author of this paper sees the play as an argument that both women and men deserve to be free. The author concludes that the political overtones of the play contributed to its longevity.
From the Paper "His behavior towards her when he discovers what she has done ? and it is important to remember that she has acted only out of concern for his welfare and has shown both courage and initiative in doing so ? is patronizing and unkind. She acts entirely out of love for him, but his response to her actions makes her realize that he has never actually seen her as a real human being on her own but rather as a pretty doll."
Tags: feminist, social, change, infantile, political, doll, norwegian, dramaturgical, rights
Abstract This paper explores the powers of the political speech. It shows how each word is chosen with utmost care and often the politicians words are remembered better than their actions. One such speech by Hilary Clinton is analyzed for its content, its intentions and its ramifications.
From the Paper "Clinton's speech can be seen as belonging to a line of similar speeches in American history, include speeches urging women's enfranchisement given by Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. She relies heavily on the idea of enfranchisement, which lies at the heart of democracy ? so much so that we tend to use the word as synonymous with empowerment. "
Abstract This paper discusses the introduction of the birth control pill, outlining society's concept of a woman's duties from pre-1920's and up to the surge of the feminist movement. The paper explains how the popularity of the birth control pill, and the feminist movement has made a major impact on the difference of the roles and lifestyles of women. This paper also takes a look at the positive impact birth control has had on preventing AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Table of Contents
Background
Birth Controls Impact on Society
AIDS
Conclusion
From the Paper "The popularity of the birth control pill brought the world into the sexual revolution. The easy access to birth control encouraged promiscuity, and eventually brought us into the women's movement in the 1970?s. Women's freedom over their sexuality allows freedom of their financial independence. However the true beginning of the women's movement began as early as the 1920?s. The possibility of contraceptives would not have been possible in the 1960's without the original women's movement in the 1920?s. The purpose of this essay to describe how birth control has affected society, and the impact it had on the AIDS virus."
Abstract This paper considers the status of women as a reflection of their sexuality and race. It looks at the social status of women in the period of slavery in the southern U.S., and highlights the differences between slaves and slaveholders. Women of the Victorian era, Colonial times, American Revolution and Native American women are also discussed.
From the Paper "Women have always maintained a different social position than men, and it has usually been based on their gender and sexuality. Women attain these positions in a wide variety of ways, from using marriage as a stepping-stone, to creating their own roles defined by their sexuality. "For example, Mary Jenkins Chambers, the mistress of a planter household, had worked her way into the highest echelons of southern society through the time-honored fashion of 'marrying up.' In 1831, while still a teenager, she married Joseph Hart, only to become widowed before her twenty-first birthday. In 1834, she married Elijah Barnett, whom she also outlived, and she married her final husband, Asa Chambers, of Montgomery County, at the age of forty-one in 1856. As the owner of twenty-one slaves and eight hundred acres of land, Chambers was one of Montgomery County's wealthiest men" (Bynum 16).
In the South, being a white woman in Southern society meant confronting the issue of slavery sometime during your life. "Because the institutions of the family and slavery were interlocked, white women occupied an important place in the cultural and economic life of southern society. Wives of slaveholders served as conduits for the transmission of power and property from one generation to the next. As caretakers of the family, they also oversaw much of the daily workings of the slave system. Finally, as the repository of a southern code of honor that regarded them as symbols of racial and sexual purity, white women maintained the racial distinctions that were crucial to the continued hegemony of white men" (Bynum 64). The planter's wives served as a beacon of gentility, and looked the other way when their husbands sired mulatto children with the slave women. Their place in society was accepted and secure, as long as they kept their mouths shut."
