This paper analyzes critically the role and position of women in the ancient Israel with reference to Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and contemporary scholarly journals and books.
Abstract The paper discusses the place of Israelite women in ancient days, her status and economic roles. The author states that the Israelite women could have been better, more productive citizens had their status and their environment been more favorable towards them. The author continues that understanding the role of Israelite women in ancient times has a significance place in understanding women in the modern world. She illustrates this by discussing the lives of Jewish women in the coal field economy and in the modern practices in Judaism.
From the Paper "In the masterpiece by Adler, "Engendering Judaism", the author skillfully explains the hardships faced by Israelite women and the obstacles that the Jewish feminists have had to overcome: "Jewish law needed to be reconstructed to eliminate the ancient premise that women are subordinate to men, yet at the same time maintain the law. For without law there is no means to translate the stories and values of Judaism into action" (Jones et al, 58) . Hence taking into account the author's opinion as well as what the biblical law stated above, it is evident that Israeli women were considered not only subordinate to Israeli men due to lack of women rights awareness and inaccurate interpretation of the Hebrew biblical context, it was strict adherence to the rituals, the olden day's traditional laws and socio-economic rules that led to Israelite women's submissive attitude towards their male counterparts for rituals play a pivotal role in shaping our concepts, attitudes, emotions, behavior and social status. For "a ritual is a spiritual ballet", it captures in symbols the emotions that go with an important life transition. "
Abstract This paper discusses the roles of women in Ancient Greece, highlighting their separate and inferior status in a male-oriented society. It outlines womens' roles in the home, their political and social rights, and their status as sexual beings. Mens' social standing as a reflection of their marital status is raised.
From the Paper "The women of Ancient Greece lived through a period of critical oppression, which would last several centuries. They were completely inferior and separated from a male society. Women were confined to the homes and restricted against free movement in the streets. Their duties were to bear children and attend to household affairs."
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."
Abstract This paper presents a balanced representation of the position of women in medieval society. The paper analyzes the three classes of women, as throughout history, class has been the determinant factor contributing to social place, responsibility, and opportunity. Women of the nobility, middle-class, and peasant status are discussed with regard to their position in society. The status of women in these three classes is explored in accordance with legal, as well as customary, tradition in an attempt to reduce generalizations and falsehoods.
From the Paper "Within our society there is a fascination with the special position of women in nearly every period of history. Perhaps this fascination with the past is rooted in our constant hope to prove social progress. "Social history aids in understanding women's condition in any age; it is particularly essential for comprehending women in the Middle Ages, an era remote enough from our own so that common social presumptions do not pertain." The danger then becomes a tendency to generalize a condition that is somehow much worse than our present social position. The necessity of the historian is to offer a responsible representation of history. Women throughout history have been dominated by the customs of their status and also the legality of there state. Yet, it remains to be proven, without contention that the real lives of women were better of worse, at any given period in history, unless the template for such judgment is based upon modern idealistic ideas of social reform and civil liberties."
Abstract An overview of the status of women, starting from antiquity (including their status in the Far East), and ending in the present day, emphasizing American women, and their prospects for education and economic advancement.
From the Paper "There are and always have been very distinct divisions in the roles of men and women. These divisions are deep-rooted in economic, social and religious beliefs throughout history. Women have played many roles in societies throughout history. Through the centuries, almost every society has developed very distinct ideas of what activities are proper for women. In some societies, there is no greater honor than to be a woman and in turn a mother. Yet, as in some Asian cultures, the lives of women are of such less value than those of men that the practice of female infanticide has become a widely used device for population control. Over time, many reasons have been given for the gender inequality that exists in society. Women are supposed to be weaker, less aggressive and more caring and nurturing than men. However, the most applied barrier of equality, especially in the workplace, has been woman's ability to bear children (Hanmer 19). Because only women have the ability to bear children, it has often been viewed that it is thus a woman's ultimate obligation to do so. There has been no scientific evidence though that women have what is called maternal instinct, that is, a natural desire to bear and care for children (Hanmer 115). From the earliest of times, motherhood has helped to divide men and women since women primarily stay at home while pregnant and nursing. Likewise, men have traditionally taken jobs away from the home. In primitive times, this practice may not have suggested inequality between the sexes. Yet, in our modern times the tradition of women staying at home rearing children while men work outside the home has left many women economically dependent on a man to provide the material necessities of life. "
Abstract This paper, which favorably describes the current Islamic regime in Iran, explores the roles of women in both the religious and work worlds. The author begins by describing the role of women according to the teachings of the Koran. The paper further examines the role of women in Iranian society both before and after the Islamic Revolution. The author concludes by stating Iranian women are progressively getting higher educations and achieving more status in the work place. Ultimately, the author believes women will achieve an influential position in Islamic Iranian society.
Outline:
Introduction and Cultural Background
The Iranian Revolution and the Situation of Women Women and Employment
Figure 1. Women aged 10 and Above, Employed in Cities and Villages
Figure 2. Literacy Rate of Females Aged 6 and Above (in percentage)
Conclusion
From the Paper "There is a general perception in the West that the ethical treatment of women in Islamic countries amounts to gender discrimination, oppression and a transgression of basic human rights. This view does not conform to the foundational Islamic teaching. This can be seen from the very outset in the way that the Koran describes the creation of women. In the Holy Scriptures there is no implicit difference made in terms of status or intrinsic value between male and female. In ethical terms, while there are obvious differences between men and women, these gender differences do not impact or affect ethical values and treatment of women. Men and women are seen to be essentially the same in terms of relative value and status. "Despite the distinctions between the treatment of men and the treatment of women when the Qur'an discusses creation of humankind ...there is no essential difference in the value attributed to women and men. There are no indications, therefore, that women have more or fewer limitations than men." (Wadud 15) "
Abstract The status of women in early Islam is a concept that is covered by authors Barbara Fryer Stowasser in her article "The Status of Women in Early Islam" and Leila Ahmed in "Women and the Rise of Islam". These two articles differ significantly in terms of the role that women played within society during the development of Islam, despite the fact that both Stowasser and Ahmed address similar time periods and geographic regions. The views of these two authors are explored within this paper in order to better define the image of the woman in early Arabia.
Abstract This paper looks at the status and role of women in Islam and discusses some of the reforms underway that are having an impact upon Islamic women's political participation. The paper considers the relationship between Islam and women, feminism among some Islamic women and how their goals and objectives differ from Western feminism.
From the Paper "The purpose of this essay is to consider the relationship between Islam and women, who constitute an important element within Islam and who are as responsible for the maintenance and transmission of the religion to succeeding generations, as are males. The stereotypical view of Islamic women is one of oppression and subordination; a view with certain validity from the Western perspective and a view that is at odds with the fundamental teachings of Islam on gender relations. Islam like any of the other..."
Abstract This paper attempts to trace the history of the changing roles and positions women have held in society. It points out that, throughout history, women have held powerful positions such as queens, wives, lawyers, doctors and ambassadors to other nations. It takes a close look at women's work pre-industrial society, as well as during the industrial boom of the late 19th and 20th centuries. The paper also addresses women's status in the workforce during World War I and World War II. The paper concludes that, although today women are entering more occupations than ever, there is still much more work to be done for employment equality.
From the Paper "The entrance of women into the corporate America has a long history. Colonists brought their belief system of appropriate sex roles for men and women to the new world of America. Before the Industrial Revolution, women's skills were hidden under different names over times. Women were called deputy husbands, she merchants, women of business, business women, etc. (Fagenson. 24). Other women's identity was easily hidden when they worked with their husbands or fathers. (Fagenson 22). Women, unlike men, received no wages. In the early seventeenth century, only one group of women could be called wage earners--domestic servants. Women were usually partners or assistants to men. However, when they were paid, they were paid less than men. Some performed midwifery, most raised children and others performed outside household work, while men worked in or around the home and engaged in the public world. Families did not necessarily suffer because of this; however when the woman chose not to marry for some reason, she suffered economically. Men followed when work changed to leaving the home for paid employment. Women were supposed to stay at home not only to care for the home and the children but also to protect their meekness, modesty, and submissiveness, valued feminine characteristics, that might have been threatened in the work world. Most pre-Revolutionary women who had limited education had no concept oft financial matters because of the common acceptance of the distinctions between the male public and female private worlds (Fagenson. 24). The majority of women had little knowledge about the economic status of their own families. This changed when women gradually expanded work outside the home to such industries as the textile and clerical industries; however it was a slow process."
Abstract In this article, the writer studies the status of Anglo-Saxon women after 1066, by examining the book ''Women in Anglo-Saxon England and the Impact of 1066' by Christine Fell. The writer notes that 1066 was the year that William the Conqueror took control of Saxon England and that Anglo-Saxon England was never to be the same, nor was the life of England's daughters, wives, and mothers. The writer points out that while before different kings held feudal sway over their territories, now the Norman code of conduct, custom, and law ruled the land with absolute authority. The writer discusses that in the book 'Women in Anglo- Saxon England and the Impact of 1066', medieval scholar Catherine Fell suggests that Anglo-Saxon women after the conquest did not simply lose many of the rights, legal, and social respect they had enjoyed as Englishwomen, but simply as women in general.
From the Paper "The first sections of Christine Fell's scholarly work are filled with exact details of life during the era to substantiate her point. She draws from contemporary accounts and existing records to examine the law and custom regarding marriage and women's legal status. For example, Anglo-Saxon marriage contracts between families were considerably more equitable than the types of relationships contracted under Norman feudalism and were celebrated in the Norman literary tradition of chivalric romance. Although marriages were contracted between the relatives of the wife and husband neither the prospective bride nor groom had more influence in the matter because of gender."
Abstract This paper examines the role of women in the colonial period of the United States and finds that although the colonial female led a comparatively better life than her English sisters she went virtually uneducated, possessed limited legal status, and was politically nonexistent.
From the Paper "Under English common law, married women were unable to contract or sue in tort unless they had their husbands? permission. English women had no contractual capacity because they had no proprietary capacity. Common law also dictated that a husband's interest in the personal and real property of his wife was absolute and he had an unlimited right over her possessions and chattels.[1] He also had an almost absolute authority over his wife's person. By law, a husband, as master over his wife, was permitted to restrain her in case of misbehavior, as well as "chastise" her in the ways he saw fit to correct her wrongdoing. [2] "
The following paper explores the woman's role and status and the way in which they have changed considerably during the last period that extended from the last decade of the 19th century until the years when World War swept across the earth.
Abstract This paper examines how a woman's status has changed along at least three major axes ? political rights, employment and health care, and cultural perceptions of the female body. It also explores how all of these changes were taken up by artists and writers as well as those holding power (and opinion in) the realms of politics, economics, and religion. The author makes reference to four plays that show some of this progress made by women? Oscar Wilde's "Salome", August Strindberg's "The Father" and "A Dream Play" and Andre Gide's "The Immoralist".
From the Paper ?While women's status remained secondary to men throughout this time (and remains secondary to men through the present) in terms of such generally accepted markers of social standing as political power, economic independence and cultural importance, women during this period in many ways ceased to be regarded as only mothers, daughters or wives and became simply human beings with their own identities independent from the men to whom they were related.?
Abstract This paper shows a complete view of the life of early women in Roman and Greek cultures. First the life of Greek women and Roman women are discussed and then they are compared to a man's life.
From the Paper "Since the beginning of our knowledge of classical antiquity, women have had many different social statuses. From goddesses to slaves and everything in between; women have been it all. The status of women generally improved in time as women gained power over their own lives. This is true of two comparable societies; that of the women of Hellenistic Greek culture and women of the early Roman Empire. Both had many similarities while they also had some very important differences. Men on the other hand, have had a relatively powerful and dominate role over women in this period of time."
Abstract The experience of Korean women through the 20th century is discussed in the light of the women's movement elsewhere. It is explained how often very current ideas reached Korea shortly after their appearance in the West, so as to encourage early attention to women's issues and female education in Korea.
