The current staus of women in India as it pertains to their involvement in society and the barriers that they must confront due to gender discrimination.
Abstract This paper explores the treatment of women in India; how religion and education influence their lives and provides a historical explanation as to their current status. Contrasts western ideas with the philosophy of patriarchal dominance. Includes a discussion on how and why women retain the inferior roles in Indian society.
From the Paper "Breathtaking beauty exists in the historic Himalayas, tombs and temples that liter the landscape; all are magnificent aspects of the exquisite country of India. Still, beneath the powering peaks and popular tourist destinations lies an ugly reality. India is a country in southern Asia, and is bound on the north by Afghanistan, China, Nepal, and Bhutan; on the east by Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal; on the south by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mann"r and the Indian Ocean; and on the west by the Arabian Sea and Pakistan. India is divided into a total of 28 states and 7 union territories and New Delhi is the country's capital. The land is composed various types of topography; everything from deserts to dunes and forests to fertile river plains. India has the second highest population of any country in the world. For many years it was composed of kingdoms and empires, but today it consists of many populous cities. The western world may see India in terms of its thriving urban areas filled with bustling businesses and people from every race, class and community, but what most don"t see is the fear and heartache that occupy many women's faces."
This paper discusses the book "From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America," by Dr. Vicki Ruiz, specifically, as it gives voice to Mexican-American women.
2,110 words (approx. 8.4 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 66.95
Abstract This paper discusses, from all angles, at home, at work and in the community, Twentieth-Century Mexican-American women, descendents of some of the first immigrants to the United States. The paper reviews Ruiz's book that shows Mexican-America women working for menial wages to help support the family and suffering from stereotypes. The author states that, although often history texts can be dry and lifeless, Ruiz's text comes alive with the voices of the women about whom she writes.
From the Paper "Each of the causes of change was important and devastating, but probably the most devastating was the discovery of gold in California. Mexican-Americans had long made California their home, and some owned extensive ranchos, but California glittered too brightly, and the United States took the country for its own in 1850. The rancho way of life disappeared, especially when the ranchos belonged to women, which was not unusual in Mexican society. Unlike the U.S., Mexican women could and did own their own property, but their title was not recognized when the U. S. annexed California, and they lost much if not all of their land."
Abstract This paper discusses the role of the Italian-American women in American cinema and the functions that they fulfill within the Italian-American community and draws a comparison between Italian-American female roles and the parts played by American actresses. It examines some of the more famous Italian-American female characters in films such as cinematic masterpieces such as ?The Godfather" and "True Love" and how they are usually portrayed as working class and victims of violence. It shows how both Italian-American and American female characters in movies are challenged by a patriarchal society. The only difference is that the American character is free to do something about it even if all odds are against her whereas the Italian-American female characters on the other hand do not possess that luxury because their cultural norms do not allow such liberties.
From the Paper "Then there are directors such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola who have made powerful Mafia movies "Goodfellas" and "The Godfather" respectively. Even though the main theme of their movies is the havoc that the mafia wrecks in the lives of Italian-American immigrants there always exists a strong underlying theme that relates the role of the mothers, daughters and wives of these mafia members. In short the role of the "family". For example in a comic scene in the "Goodfellas" Scorsese makes a connection between food and death when Tommy's mother serves them a mouth-watering meal just after her son and his friends have returned from trying to commit murder."
Abstract This paper evaluates how the images of women depicted in movies can be excellent indicators of a society's view of women in that time period and how a look at some of Disney's well-known characters can give us insight into the expectations of women at the time each movie was produced. It analyzes the female lead characters from 13 different Disney films, including "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Cinderella," "The Little Mermaid," "Pocahontas," and "Mulan." It explores the themes of rescue, romantic attraction and reaction in times of adversity and shows how the disparity between the Disney heroines prior to 1960 and after 1989 could not be more obvious. The earlier female leads are weak and passive. They depend entirely on others to help save them when in trouble and their major priorities are cooking, cleaning, looking beautiful and waiting for their princes to come. The later female leads are strong and active. They actually play the role of hero and rescuer more frequently than the men.
From the Paper "Snow White never for a moment considers defying the Evil Queen. She never refuses the chores that are forced upon her, never thinks of running away, and is innocent to the point of naivet?. She completely trusts the huntsman who leads her into the woods to kill her, as well as the old woman who gives her the poisoned apple. It is her beauty alone that saves her, compelling the Prince to fall in love with her and kiss her. We have no evidence that she possesses any intelligence, wit, courage, or personal strength, but if she does, they are of no use to her. She is completely dependent on the help of others, and she is very childlike. Her voice is extremely high-pitched, and she runs after the Dwarfs? approval like a small child seeking the approval of her parents."
This paper traces the traditional role of women amd the image of the stereotyped woman and contends that the entry of women into politics was related to their emancipation from restrictive traditional roles.
2,475 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 5 sources, 1972, $ 87.95
From the Paper "The lives of women must take new directions if they are to achieve identity and recognition at home and at work. Simone de Beauvoir, author of The Second Sex, puts it this way:
If the woman question seems trivial, it is because masculine arrogance has made of it a "quarrel"; and, when quarreling, no one any longer reasons well. People have tirelessly sought to prove that woman is superior, inferior or equal to man..We must discard the vague notions of superiority, equality, which have hitherto corrupted every discussion of the subject and start afresh .
If by "starting afresh" Miss de Beauvoir means emancipating women, then we are in for a new set of troubles because the so.called emancipated women of the '60s and '70s have turned in miscarriages, menstrual pains and "female" troubles for ulcers, ... "
From the Paper The purpose of this research is to show that the Athenian woman was not as completely debased or as secluded as sometimes presented. The social, political and legal rights of women during this ancient period of Greece's history will be reviewed. Also covered will be evidence of women's participation in religious ceremonies.
The point is a difficult one to prove - or disprove - it depends from which viewpoint in history you are looking at the Greeks; it also depends, since the Greeks had a caste system of sorts, which economic class you are concentrating on.
To the Victorian woman, whose only legitimate role was to marry and be supported and protected by her husband, the glamorous, educated lives of the "hetairai" (prostitutes), if they were allowed to be aware of them, would have seemed like devilishly- ... "
This paper analyzes Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter": Themes, characters, structure and emphasizes the character Hester Prynne, feminism, historical-social implications.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 10 sources, 1981, $ 55.95
From the Paper The following research is on the subject of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This novel was published over 150 years ago in a very different age. Men and women both had different things expected of them then, and this was also true of the period covered by the novel, a period with even greater strictures on behavior and attitude. Still, there are certain aspects of the character of Hester Prynne that can be seen as presaging the concerns of the feminist in the 20th Century. Hester is not really a rebel in any direct sense, but she does challenge the beliefs and values of the community by her very presence in it and by her strength in the face of adversity. Her fight is the same one that was fought by so many others in the two centuries to come. She was in no way leading others to follow what she had done, nor was she battling for rights for
From the Paper " In spite of the gains made by the women's movement toward gender equality in American life, true equality has not been achieved in many areas, including the economic sphere. Surveys show that women on average earn significantly less than male workers, and indeed more than this, that women are paid significantly less than men for the same work. The overall figure usually given is that women earn sixty cents for every dollar paid to a male worker. One of the ways activists have tried to address this issue is to raise the solution of Comparable Worth whereby the nature of every job would be analyzed so that people doing the same job would be paid the same for their work regardless of gender. Legislation could be introduced, at the federal level, calling for the implementation of a national program of comparable (...)"
From the Paper " The views of men and women differ regarding the appropriateness, acceptability, and effects on society of soft pornography. Men tend to believe it is harmless, while women have expressed the belief that it is degrading and contributes to the general societal sexism that diminishes a woman's value to society.
An examination of this thesis is one fraught with emotional and political minefields. The debate over pornography often takes place in a charged atmosphere; thus, it becomes difficult to separate issues clearly and see them for what they really are. At the base of any discussion about pornography, however, one must recognize that the issue strikes at the very heart of male(...)"
From the Paper "This paper will discuss the pros and cons of surrogacy. Surrogate motherhood occurs when a woman agrees to bear a child for another woman. Surrogacy became a controversial issue in 1986 with the "Baby M" case, in which Mary Beth Whitehead agreed to bear a child for Bill and Betsy Stern, an infertile couple. Ms. Whitehead later changed her mind about giving up the infant. A great number of philosophical questions were raised by this incident as Mr. Stern, the biological father, and Ms. Whitehead battled over custody rights in court.
The case raised questions regarding the rights of a natural mother versus those of the natural father's wife; the extent of a father's rights in his role as financial provider; the importance of the mother-infant bond; the extent to which a surrogate mother has a right to her own body; the extent to which a surrogate (...)"
From the Paper " In 1976, researchers at the University of New Hampshire interviewed more than 2,000 families as part of a national study into family violence (Queijo, 1987, p. 103). Twenty-eight percent of the couples surveyed reported that violent acts had occurred at some point during their marriages, and because family violence is considered shameful and there is a tendency to whitewash or not report incidents, it was estimated that the actual percentage of marriages in which physical abuse takes place is 50 to 60 percent (Queijo, 1987, p. 103). In other studies, researchers have pinpointed a number of factors that may lead to or aggravate marital violence. They have suggested approaches that counselors and society as a whole may take to reduce its incidence.
Researchers have suggested that married couples are prone to (...)"
This paper examines the ways in which the legend of the vampire, encased within Bram Stoker's "Dracula", emerges as an index of the position of women amid fin-de-siecle decadence: Sexual repression, plot, characters, morality, symbolism, women as victim
6,300 words (approx. 25.2 pages), 11 sources, 1990, $ 135.95
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the ways in which the legend of the vampire, encased within Bram Stoker's "Dracula", emerges as an index of the position of women amid fin-de-siecle decadence. The plan of the research will be to set forth the principal elements of the climate of social and sexual repression that defined prevailing ideas about women in Victorian society and culture, and then to discuss aspects of the novel that show it to be as much (if not more) a product of such closely held attitudes as a commentary upon them. Throughout, reference will be made, from a twentieth-century perspective, to the status of the so-called New Woman, whose identity was at the time of the novel's publication just beginning to emerge.
The power and sensual attractiveness of the vampire offer access to forbidden (sexual) fruit that could not fail to appeal ... "
This paper examines the life of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, discusses her strategies in her rise to power and looks at her economic policies, personality preparation, public relations, and opportunism.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 9 sources, 1990, $ 71.95
From the Paper "The purpose of this paper is to examine the life of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, discuss her strategies in her rise to power, examine her economic policies, personality preparation, public relations, opportunism and other factors which have led to her success. We will also look at her prospects for staying in power as the head of the British government.
The daughter of a grocer, Margaret Thatcher was brought up over the store, which is the closest thing the British have to the American log-cabin myth. In fact, her father was a well-to-do grocer, a moral pillar of the local community, and extremely ambitious for his daughter, who attended fee-paying schools and Oxford at his expense. She lacked nothing in political education. Few scions of the English nobility, however high ... "
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine ways in which the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century changed the lives of people in Europe in general and European women in particular, as far as women's work was concerned. The plan of the research will be to set forth the background of women's position in European society in connection with the industrial revolution, and then to explore the impact of industrialization on women's work in the latter years of the 19th century. The principal focus of the research will be on women in France from 1890-1900.
In the last ten years of the 19th century, social and cultural changes were beginning to emerge as decisively as material changes that had come about as a result of the Industrial Revolution. In order to understand the position of women affected by the Industrial Revolution in these years, it is ... "
This paper examines the impact of World War II on the U.S. economy, with special emphasis on women in the workplace: Women's work roles, status, income and equality.
2,475 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 5 sources, 1991, $ 87.95
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of World War II on the U.S. economy, with special emphasis on women in the workplace. The plan of the research will be to set forth the context of change for the American economy that came about as a result of American participation in the Allied war effort, and then to discuss how, when, and the degree to which working women played a role in comprising the wartime economic structure.
... oral history of the reminiscences of life and times of Rosie the Riveter focuses chiefly on the impact that the industrial work experience had on women who were recruited for factory jobs for the duration. However, certain insights into the personal experiences of such women lead to logical inferences about how the war effort made a significant impact, not only on the pool of labor available to economy capital, but also on other ... "
