Abstract This is a comprehensive paper about the practice of female genital mutilation. The paper discusses the practice as it exists today in many countries around the world, especially in African and Muslim countries. It also discusses the physical and psychological implications of such mutilation, and provides statistics about the practice in many countries.
What is Female Genital Mutilation?
History of FGM/FC
Current Statistics.
Arguments for FGM
Arguments Against FGM
Rite of Passage or Cultural Carnage?
Abstract This paper discusses the chances of a teenage mother having a second child. Reasons for teen pregnancy and outcomes of such are also discussed.
From the Paper "Teen pregnancy has long been a problem in the United States. Public spending on programs that support pregnant teens has far surpassed that spent on initiatives to prevent teen pregnancy. Experts agree, however, the latest campaign against teen pregnancy marks a big improvement over older policies in one fundamental respect: It emphasizes prevention. Even so, with these programs in place, teen pregnancy may still continue to be a problem."
Abstract This essay is a comprehensive look at Edith Wharton's first successful novel, "House of Mirth". It. argues that the novel is less about the disparity in social class than it is about the juxtaposition between structure/predeterminism and free will. It includes several character analyses of the major players, including Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden, and cites several critical texts in an attempt to further argue its thesis.
From the Paper "One of the main problems with Lily's personality is that her desire to join the ranks of the elite society is at odds with her desire to escape the boredom of it. In the second chapter of the novel, she reflects on her lies to Mr. Rosedale, thinking, 'Why must a girl pay so dearly for her least escape from routine? Why could one never do a natural thing without having to screen it behind a structure of artifice?' This epigram fully illustrates the paradox of Lily's existence. She is almost fully committed at the outset of the novel to marriage to a wealthy socialite, even if she doesn?t love him. But always there is some part of her that yearns for the freedom to make her own decisions without being judged for it. The irony is that while Lily knows she would pay dearly for her little deviations from the elitist norm, she really has no idea how much she will pay in the end."
A look at the roles of women in ancient times through an examination of ancient literature by Hesiod, Sophocles, Aristophanes, Homer, Virgil, and Aristotle.
Abstract This paper analyzes several pieces of ancient literature in order to shed some light on the roles that women played in ancient times and how they were viewed by society. The paper examines Hesiod's "Theogony" and "Works and Days", Sophocles' "Antigone", Aristophanes' "Lysistrata", Homer's "Odyssey", Virgil's "Aeneid" and Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics". The paper concludes that, while the heroines and major female characters in these ancient works are certainly worth examination and study, it must be remembered that they are unrealistic in the light of normal ancient life, and that in reality women were barely given any attention at all.
From the Paper "In ancient times, and in ancient Greece most of all, women were usually treated almost as less than human. Men seemed to deal with them as a necessary evil that was kept around for the sole purpose of providing sons. As F.G. Naerebout says, "Whatever else [they] may do - weaving, spinning, directing the female staff - is a pleasant extra (Naerebout 124)." Yet this was not always the case. There are cases in ancient writings where women are shown in a positive light, even cases where women are heroes. Here we shall examine separately each work in which women played a major role, either positive or negative."
Abstract This paper shows how World War II profoundly affected the attitudes of women and African Americans towards American society at large. Racism and sexism was common and frequently considered "normal" prior to war, but the military experiences of African Americans and work on the home-front by women altered their beliefs about the social system they lived in, leading them to challenge and not accept racism and sexism.
From the Paper "One major effect World War II had on American society was that it showed the oppressed women and African-Americans at that time that they should no longer suffer silently through the sexism and racism that was pressed against them. As many women and blacks served in various parts of the military, they realized that no matter how hard they tried, or how good they were at what they did, they were never given the recognition they deserved. There was no such thing as equal opportunity. If you were a white male, you were given the higher rank, better employment location, and anything else that would attempt to show you as the superior. After the war was over and they ultimately realized their full potential, they more fervently joined the fight to merely be treated as equals in the society in which they lived. World War II changed the lives and attitudes of many Americans as it gave a big push on the door that opened to a world in which racism and sexism no longer existed. As Dellie Hahne realized and many others could relate to, "The war directly influenced the rest of my life" (120)."
Tags: black, blacks, ii, movement, racism, sexism, two, war, world
Abstract This paper looks at the 28th president of the USA, Woodrow Wilson. The author touches on his background, the Clayton Anti-trust act, the Federal Reserve act, and The Underwood. The author also discusses women and African American rights and what Wilson did during his administration.
From the Paper "Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the schoolmaster in politics, was our 28th president. He was born on December 28,1856 in Staunton, Virginia, son of Joseph Ruggles Wilson and Janet Jessie Woodrow Wilson. He was raised in a Scottish-Irish Presbyterian family. During the civil War, the Wilson family moved to Augusta, Georgia, where he was educated at a private school in Augusta."
Abstract This paper argues that pornography has a terribly negative affect on men's view of women and women's psyche. Pornography is not only highly addictive material but it's a book of lies about women portrayals. Even soft-core pornography portrays women as sex objects existing only to give sexual satisfaction to men. They are "pets" or "playmates" only from the neck down. Women in porn are big breasted and thin, these stereotypes give women self-cautious feelings around male counterparts. ?Also, pornography teaches that sex is purely fun in nature. There is no touching intimacy in pornography, only fast physical satisfaction. The paper uses the works of some feminists and socialists to prove the negative affect of pornography, but also examines opposing views.
From the Paper "Pornography is not made to educate but to sell, and for the most part, what sells is a bunch of lies about sex and women. Women are portrayed as enjoying being raped, spanked or beaten, tied up, mutilated, enslaved, or they accept it as their lot as women to be victims of such experiences."
Abstract This paper addresses the themes of Susan Glaspell's short story adaptation "A Jury of her Peers" from her play "Trifles". It deals with the cultural and sociological motivations of a group of women to cover up the murder of one of their husbands- and that sets an example of feminist writing in the early 20th century.
From the Paper "Susan Glaspell seriously challenges the common conception of weak and stupid females through the characters of her literary and dramatic works, Trifles and ? A Jury of Her Peers?. She attacks the conventions of marriage, the ignorance of spousal abuse, and the general mistreatment of women within her society-which unfortunately, still continues today. The play Trifles and its literary adaptation "A Jury of Her Peers" by Glaspell is an expression of the dissatisfaction of females? roles and treatment in the society of the early twentieth-century in the United States. The suffocating oppression of Minnie Foster leads to the asphyxiation death of her unfeeling husband and their loveless marriage."
Abstract This paper addresses the history of mammography, new developments and technological improvement, and a discussion of the benefits and supporting statistics of increased mammogram use to increase women's quality of life.
From the Paper " Mammograms have saved the lives of tens of thousands of women over the past 20 years. While not perfect, their ability to detect small tumors gives doctors and their patients the option of treating the cancer while it is in an early, more curable stage. Carcinoma of the breast remains a serious threat to women's health as we enter the 21st century. Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy excluding skin cancers, the number one cause of premature death in women, and the send most common cause of death from cancer. Approximately 1 of 8 women will have breast cancer during her lifetime, and one of 30 will die of the disease (American Cancer Society, 1995)."
Abstract This research paper defines the aspects of a child's upbringing and environment towards understanding behavior, and attempts to determine means and types of intervention that would favorably impact that upbringing and environment to promote behavior leading to enculturation, and successful interaction with peers and adults. The paper examines factors contributing to those attitudes and their resulting effects on children and gives a special focus on African American mothers.
From the Paper "Traditionally, research on the behavior of children as a result of the parenting skills and attitudes of their parents has focused on optimal behavior as an outcome of environmental, attitudinal and societal factors. Points of view regarding the influential strength of these factors have varied as society and the orientation of the researchers have changed. Researchers adopting a more sociologically-centered view suggest that parenting itself is a function of socioeconomic and sociohistorical factors and that parameters for context must be figured into any assessment of the impact of parenting on subsequent child behavior."
Abstract This paper examines how society's perceptions of women affect feminist theory: The author discusses the feminist belief that there is a social division between men and women, in terms of representation and that this division is caused by the perception of an inherent difference between the sexes. This paper discusses this point of view from the works of: Audry Lourde's essay, "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House", Donna Haraway's essay, "A Cyborg Manifesto", and Henry Hwang's adaptation of the classic "M. Butterfly".
From the Paper "How society perceives women is the root of feminism. There is a social division between men and women, and this division is caused by the perception of an inherent difference between the sexes. As feminists do not believe that a perception of difference should act as a classification for men and women, it is the representation and presentation of this sense of difference that is the target of feminist actions."
Abstract This paper explains the author's interpretation of a passage from Peter regarding the role of women as influenced by scholarly, peer reviewed writings.
From the Paper "In modern America we have a wealth of opportunity to study the Bible. Dozens of translations greet us at the bookstore, commentaries flood our shelves, Bible studies abound. Yet amidst these great resources we often see the Biblical passages as nothing more than a cacophony and would tear many of the harder ones out if we could. 1 Peter 3:1-5 is such a passage. It does not tell us something that we often like to hear. As it is read over, one might even get mental pictures of a feminist group picketing outside Peter's office, or maybe a group of disgruntled macho men bellowing, ?Yeah Buddy!? With words like ?submission,? and commands like "Don"t adorn yourself?.? It is very easy to miss the meaning that Peter was trying to convey. "
Abstract This paper examines the life of Anne Boleyn, the second of Henry VIII's six wives, and mother of Elizabeth I. It follows her life from childhood to her execution, highlighting her impact on British history.
From the Paper "She is the subject of numerous poems and songs, and mother to Elizabeth I, the most famous of all England's monarchs. She captivated noblemen, and even the king of England. Though not a beautiful woman, Anne Boleyn had an allure that men found irresistible. It was this allure that became her triumph and ultimately, her downfall. The second of the infamous Henry VIII's wives, Anne plotted and planned to become queen of England, a position that she held for less than four years before she was brought up on charges of high treason. Despite the fact that she was only in her twenties when she was executed, Anne left a lasting mark on the English monarchy and the whole of British history."
Abstract This paper presents an in-depth study of the changing roles of Spanish speaking females over the last thirty years in their native nations. The author examines women movements and changes in Mexico and Latin America over the past three decades and discusses what has changed and what has remained constant.
From the Paper "During the last 30 years the women's movement in the United States of America revolutionized the way women were treated. Women get more pay, they get more rights, and they are moving into careers that were formally reserved for men. While the world watched the American movement other movements began to take place. Hispanic women have historically been treated like second-class citizens in many areas of life. In Latin nations as well as Mexico the females have been given a different set of rules to abide by both socially and economically. The last thirty years in these nations have tested the very core of the value systems that have been in place for hundreds and thousands of years. The systems have been supported and founded in the belief that men are somehow better than women and that women are there for the comfort of men. This is not to say that they were not treated with kindness and appreciation, they were, they were just not treated as equals in many areas of their societies."
Abstract This paper examines the roles of males and females in several cultures. The author focuses primarily on the interaction between the genders in terms of sex, marriage, and reproduction. The paper also looks at the sexes with respect to finances, familial decision-making, and overall power and influence.
From the Paper "Gender relations are most easily characterized through an interpretive analysis of reproduction, production, power, and gender ideologies. These four components of the affinity between men and women in various cultures effectively illustrate the societies? perceptions and understandings of each of the sexes. Subsequently, how each sex demonstrates their core of beliefs and or knowledge is dependent upon these perceptions of their role and contribution to society. Through the application of one or more of these dimensions, each culture defines gender relation. Although one society may rely more heavily on a certain component to provide definition of distinction between gender, anthropologists and sociologists have found numerous similarities between the uses of these dimensions as a tool of definition in dissimilar cultures."
