Abstract The paper discusses how in comparing, contrasting and discussing the issue of gender and its significance in "Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)," "Orlando," and "The Sun Also Rises," it is evident that gender issues were perceived and portrayed very differently by writers such as Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway. The paper explains that this is because of their personal agony over gender and its psychological implications. The paper points out that differences in their fictional portrayals of rigid gender identity and values is not particularly surprising, for Virginia Woolf was not inclined to shoot wild game animals in Africa or attend bullfights and Ernest Hemingway was not a exactly a charter member of the early feminist movement in fiction and literature.
Abstract This paper examines why it is important to give genderstudies an international history. The paper considers that both men and women have been on the planet for the same amount of time and claims that each must have contributed to the success of the human race in order for the whole to have survived. The paper contends that by presenting the accounts of gender history from an international perspective, the overall accomplishments of women can be seen as an even more spectacular series of events than by isolating those undertakings to a region or isolated part of history which minimizes in the scope of the big picture.
Outline
Introduction
Thesis
Blacklisted Witches
Rulers
Twisted Tales
Oppression and Violence
International History Gender Conclusion
From the Paper "Access to scholars and information who maintained humankind's history has been maintained by gender, location, birth or luck and men seem to have had more luck than women. History is prejudice in the sense that it certainly helps to have been born a male first son in a secure family that knew how to read, write or cipher. Women have been literate of course because of tutors, a benevolent father, husband or brother willing to share the male knowledge base. And the religious factions did well to educate many nuns or women living in convents of Europe and mainly in England, France or Germany. "They further argue that in this pursuit, when cultural and gender rights come into conflict, much sensitivity and careful balancing is necessary." (Moller-Okin, Susan, 1999) The fact remains, a very helpful skill was scholarly pursuit but because those skills rarely put food on the table, they were not pursued by all and the majority of those who did pursue those skill sets were men. The majority of mankind prior to the twentieth century had little to no educational opportunities available to them. "
Abstract The paper discusses a research which examines the impact of same-gender grouping during benchmark test administration on the performance of sixth grade science students who have otherwise received instruction in a co-gender classroom context.
Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Methodology
Key Terms and Definitions
Purpose of the Study Significance of the Study Literature Review
Summary of the Literature Reviewed
Conclusions
From the Paper "The work of Thomas S. Dee entitled: "Teachers and the Gender Gaps in Student Achievement" offers an insight into the gender gaps that exist in education in today's schools. It is stated by Dee that: "this study presents new evidence on whether assignment to a same-gender teacher influences educational outcomes. And it uses these evaluation results to discuss how the gender interactions between students and teacher may shape the early evolution of gender gaps across academic subjects." (2006) Furthermore, the educational outcomes examined in this study include teacher perceptions of a student's performance and student perceptions of the subject taught by a particular teacher. These subjective outcomes are useful simply because they are educationally important outcomes that provide a complement to the results based on achievement scores." (Dee, 2006) The following table lists the 1999 NAEP scores stated by Dee in by subject, age and gender."
Abstract This is a sociology paper on children's literature and gender roles. It includes comparing and contrasting two children's books about gender differences or observing girl and boys.
Abstract This paper is a review of some recent and / or relevant academic research and literature regarding a possible statistical relationship between locus of control and gender. The paper presents the issue and then launches into an analysis of that literature, moving from studies with significant results to ones with mixed results to ones that found no statistically significant relationship between the two.
From the Paper "The purpose of this paper is to act as a literature review of contemporary academic research into the relationship that exists between locus of control and gender. It has long been assumed that locus of control is gender significant. Many researchers have held that any research into locus of control must take into account the differences between genders that might exist. In fact, those researchers ascertain that there is a difference between genders in this regard, with males more likely to possess the prized internal locus of control and women dependent on the seemingly less developed external style locus of control."
Abstract This paper explores the patterns of maturation found in children's literature with reference to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. It finds that in modern children's literature the typical gender roles are reversed, with Harry acting on behalf of society (typically a female pattern) and Charlotte maturing as an individual (typically male pattern). Anne of Green Gables and Treasure Island are used to display the typical patterns.
From the Paper "In children's literature gender roles have been laid quite clearly. These patterns exist from the early fairy tales to present day novels. Recently some authors have attempted to reverse the typical gender roles of characters; giving male protagonists more passive and nurturing characteristics, and females greater abilities to become active individuals. This is particularly apparent in stories about maturation."
A look at the class and gender differences presented in 2 Japanese novels: "As I Cross A Bridge of Dreams" by Lady Sarashina and "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu.
1,432 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 4 sources, 2001, $ 47.95
Abstract This paper examines class differences as presented in Japanese Literature. The paper looks at "As I Cross A Bridge of Dreams" by Lady Sarashina and "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu. Several questions are raised in the paper, to examine the not only class differences but also gender differences. Are the upper-class male characters willing to risk their careers for the women they meet? What are the social codes and regulations, and what happens to these men and women who assault the social code and pursue forbidden relationships? Are the consequences enforced so the men suffer in their political careers? Are the women ultimately abandoned and destroyed? These questions are all brought up in the context of class and gender issues to illustrate that the two authors, from the same culture and heritage, use their different destinies and experiences to portray different opinions.
Abstract This paper examines how Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" is one of the most highly debated works of the 19th century and how there is a plethora of themes and issues rooted in this masterfully woven tale of human creation, interaction, and dejection. It discusses whether it is centered on science, themes of motherhood and birth, feminist protest, or the basic need of every man to have a companion. It explores how "Frankenstein" presents a poignant picture of human weakness and codependency and how, through various characters, Shelly shows readers just how much humans need one another to maintain sanity and functionality. It also examines how the novel contains many gender specific properties, which form and shape the framework for its very important subtext.
From the Paper "Possibly the most dominant theme of Frankenstein is that of human weakness and the codependency that is our nature. Victor creates his monster, in large part, because he is lonely. This observation does not suggest that his purpose lay in this loneliness, but only his subconscious motivation. Were he more social and had he been privileged to have a close friend or two, he might not have had the mad desire to pursue science to its limits. Perhaps, then, he would not have entangled himself in his own web of occupation with his project, even to the point of losing his sanity. There is almost a Biblical allusion to God's creation of man when comparing these two accounts. It has been argued that God created man out of His need for interaction, and Victor, for lack of the same, pieces together his beast as a means of escape from the loneliness of his life. The base point is that he needed someone constant and on the outside of Victor's own psyche who might have helped him see the error of his proposed creation."
This paper reviews and examines the themes of racial and gender inequality present in William Faulkner's "That Evening Sun" and Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat."
Abstract The writer of this paper focuses on Nancy and Delia, the main characters in "That Evening Sun" by William Faulkner and "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston, respectively. This paper analyzes how both authors deal with issues of gender and racial injustice in America in the early 1900s and show how two different solutions to a similar problem can lead to two very distinct outcomes. The repression of women by men is prevalent throughout both novels and clearly cited in this paper. This paper reviews the plots of both novels, while at the same time detailing the many similarities between Delia and Nancy, which underscore the role that race, gender and social class play in each of their suffering. Nancy is a housekeeper while Delia is a wash-woman. Their jobs are similarly menial. The writer discusses the manner in which both Nancy and Delia essentially share the problem of social injustice toward black women as well as how each woman resolves the situation she's in. The writer contends that Faulkner lets the reader see the silence, acceptance of inequality and re-activity in Nancy's solution while Hurston shows speaking-up, denial of inequality and pro-activity, which leads to a better life for Delia.
From the Paper "The many similarities between Nancy and Delia underscore the role that race, gender, and social class play in each of their suffering. Nancy is a housekeeper; Delia is a washwoman. Their jobs are similarly menial. Such jobs were typical for black women in the American South at the time, and, for most black women. In most cases, this was the only kind of work they could find. Faulkner and Hurston each choose black women as main characters in order to illustrate how black women in particular were treated by men at this time. Nancy and Delia have one very serious common problem: each is violently abused, and violently repressed by her husband. Delia works very hard to own her dream home, but Sykes still feels that because he is the man of the house, he has the right to control Delia. Jesus and Sykes each act as leaders of their households, not because Nancy and Delia want to be followers, but because they, as men, insist on dominating their wives."
Abstract This paper analyzes the gender roles and sexuality of the Victorian Age as confronted in Sarah Orne Jewett's "The White Heron" and Kate Chopin's "At the Cadian Ball" and "The Storm". The author points out that the character development of the character Sylvia's sexuality in Jewett's tale can be compared with that of the character Calixta in Chopin's gender role allocations. The paper relates that both women characters challenge the societal norms of their time period, questioning the stereotypes for women within Victorian society.
From the Paper "This literary analysis seeks to understand how gender and sexuality create conflict within the story "The White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett and the two stories: "At the Cadian Ball" and "The Storm" by Kate Chopin. By analyzing the character development of Sylvia in Jewett's tale, one can compare and contrast her sexuality with those of Calixta in Chopin's gender role allocations. In this manner, Calixta seeks to venture out of traditional modes of female sexuality, as does Sylvia, but both women take different paths in their sexuality. In this analysis, both women challenge the societal norms of their time period, questioning the stereotypes for women within Victorian times."
Abstract This paper describes the battle of the sexes through writings in English literature. It includes quotes from Chaucer, Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", Milton's "Paradise Lost", and Gay's "The Beggar's Opera". The time period ranges from the middle ages, the renaissance, to the enlightenment. All quotes are from the Norton Anthology Seventh edition and are sited according to MLA format.
From the Paper "From the beginning of time, the battle of the sexes has been a ferocious conflict; a conflict where women have often been on the losing side. This is truly evident from reading early English literature. Men have had the dominate roles over their women counterparts no matter what the prevailing time period was. Although women's rights diminished and replenished over the centuries, there was never a time when men and women were considered to be equal."
Abstract History and politics, at least according to most college course catalogues, are separate disciplines. 'Women's Studies' also forms its own separate category, apart from these two disciplines. Yet in her work "Gender and the Politics of History", Joan Wallach Scott makes it clear that for as long as women's studies has existed as a discipline, feminist historians have suggested that all three elements are intertwined in a proper analysis of history.
From the Paper "Scott writes her work both in response to these feminist historians, and as a part of the tradition of the rash of academic and popular womens writing about women in history in recent years. (15) Although it is impossible to reduce these writings on women's histories to a particular political stance she suggests a certain commonality between all of them in their lack of commonality. She pinpoints a problem that arises because of the lack of a tradition of historiography when writing about gender. Historians with political projects, such as Marxists, employ different historiographic techniques than those mainly interested in studying the construction of the feminine narrative of reproduction, and how women have attempted to control their bodies throughout history, for example. (16) "
An evaluation of a recent paper published in the journal ?Women's Studies International Forum,? published by Regina Scheyvens and Helen Leslie entitled ?Gender, Ethics and Empowerment: Dilemmas of Development Fieldwork.?
Abstract This essay is an evaluation of a recent paper published in the journal ?Women's Studies International Forum,? published by Scheyvens and Leslie, in which the authors present facts and discussions related to several important issues for researchers pursuing ethnographic and cultural studies related to women"especially third world women. This essay involves an assessment of the following: Is there, or should there (or not) be a power distinction between the researchers and their subjects" Can the work be regarded as legitimate because of the vast differences in cultural perceptions? Certain ethical questions also crop up: Can the researchers bridge the gender divide and have males research females in third world countries? Is there an imposition of a researcher's sentimentality on the research, and is this exploitative? How valuable is such research"can it be presented objectively, honestly and more importantly in an unbiased manner" And, can such research help empower third world women? This essay addresses these issues within the context of the Scheyvens and Leslie's paper.
From the Paper "The authors? work is also very limited. Consider the countries they talk about: Fiji, El Salvador, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. The title of their paper is misleading; it promises sweeping work that would lead to generalized conclusions. The countries used in the research do not allow that. The countries researched are very isolated, quasi-aboriginal and primitive cultures though, this is not an indictment of these countries. Developing countries (third world) like India and China where poverty and sexism exist within a modern infrastructure (and a range of social situations?urban and rural) would provide a better subject for such a study. Religion (or its lack in China) plays an important role in the customs and traditions of these countries. Also, India and China have enjoyed fairly evolved civilizations before becoming the over-populated behemoths they are today. The paper, in its limited scope, should be more aptly titled ?Empowerment of women of the Pacific Islands and El Salvador.? "
Tags: power, gradient, cross-gender, research, United, Nations
Abstract The film "Boys Don't Cry" presents several themes, problems and questions that apply to and can also serve as examples for issues of women's and genderstudies. The paper shows that it relates especially well to Judith Lorber's chapter of the book Feminist Frontiers, entitled "'Night to His Day': The Social Construction of Gender." The paper shows that both of these works, although certainly in very different ways and in different mediums, convey the message that gender as we know it today is simply a construction of society. Therefore, gender is not a simple classification created by nature or biology, but instead one that has evolved and been shaped to fit particular social needs.
From the Paper "However, there are identifiable differences between this film and Judith Lorber's "'Night to His Day'": The Social Construction of Gender." It seems that Lorber both strives to emphasize, and maintains as a thematic backdrop for her chapter, the inferior and subordinate position of the female gender in comparison to the male gender. This is a topic that Boys Don't Cry only subtly touches upon. She states, "when gender is a major component of structured inequality, the devalued genders have less power, prestige, and economic rewards than the valued genders" (46). Men have historically taken the role of the oppressor and women the role of the oppressed, which is certainly not a natural condition but a product of enduring social structures."
Abstract The paper discusses the article, "The Role of Gender in Academic Achievement" by Lea Hubbard, which deals with issues such as the study of low-income African-American public high school students.
The paper states that the findings of this qualitative study suggest that gender and variables other than ethnicity and class distinctions are a prime determining factor in the performance assessments and achievement levels of African-American public high school students.
From the Paper "The above assertions are dependent on the qualitative research method using a sample of 30 highly successful, low-income, African American public high school students. It should be noted at the outset that the study is limited in terms the extent and range of its data sample. This not only refers to the emphasis on the low income selection and the category of 'successful student," but also to the important fact that the sample group is the participant in the AVID program. While this does not necessarily invalidate the findings of the study, it should be borne in mind as it indicates the parameters of the study and affects any generalized assumptions that can be derived from the research. This is essentially an ethnographic based qualitative study, and, as will be become evident in this review, this form of research method has obvious limitations in terms of validity and overall worth as a research methodology."
