I have been exposed to many forms of feminism. Many different ideas, concepts, and situations have been brought to my attention, enabling me to formulate my own loose definition of feminism, and to take those concepts with me to utilize in my life as a woman in order to obtain the life I deserve.
To first understand feminism, one must be aware of the factors and forces that made—and still make—the fight for women’s rights such a relevant necessity. For example, women are mistreated and undervalued in athletics. Sharon Lennon, author of What is Mine, was taught this lesson young, as an excellent female softball player on a male team. After asking to play catcher in a game, the coach responded, “All right…but you’ll have to wear a cup” (Lennon, 215). This continues through less attention and money allotted to female teams, as well as fewer and lower-valued scholarships for female athletes.
In academics, women also suffer from sexism at the hands of sexist males in higher positions. In her essay High School Lowdown Miranda J. Van Gelder recounts numerous clear cut instances of such sexist acts as male teachers asking female students to lift up their skirts, making comments referring to the girls taking their ‘rightful place in the kitchen,’ and referring to girls by demeaning pet names (Van Gelder, 305). According to Myra and David Sadker’s “Failing at Fairness,” boys receive more challenging questions, more attention from the teacher, and more helpful feedback. From elementary through college, girls receive less and lower quantity instruction, fewer scholarships, and suffer economic penalties after college: ‘female’ jobs are poorly, while women in ‘male’ jobs are still paid less then men in the exact same jobs (Sadker, 90).
Inequality is clearly and painfully evident in the workforce. Twelve million women work full time in jobs which pay below the minimum wage. White women received only 71.2% of a white man’s earnings as of 1995, while Hispanic and black women only made between approximately 53% and 64% of a white man’s salary (Wage Gap, 86). While women comprise up to 50% of professional employees, they hold less than 5% of the upper level and senior management positions. As Mary Mattis found out, “60% of human resource managers who participated in [her] study reported that putting women in line jobs was perceived as risky” (Lopez, 82). it can only be “pe...
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...efforts, seeing more suffering than benefits, knowing the benefit will grace their posterity. These amendments and revolutions must also be in the benefit of a diverse group of women, embracing them all; otherwise, feminism could not be called a fight for women’s rights if it left any women unaccounted for and uncared for. women are separated when diversity is mishandled and ignored. Not all women’s experience are going to be the same, and just because they are not the same does not mean that one is not just as valid as the next.
From this class and my comprehension of its content, I have seen my own compliance to patriarchal enforced ideals and I have begun to challenge that. My speech, thought processes, and confidence have already been effected and are reflecting the evidence of my new knowledge. I will push for what is withheld from me but that I deserve as a woman. I am holding me head higher, knowing that I am worthy of better treatment than I receive. I will stop visualizing myself as I appear to others when I walk into a room, analyzing my every move myself! I deserve to be respected, not treated as an object, either by strangers….or myself.
“Feminism”, as defined today, is “1: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes,” and “2: organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”2 Many critics claim that feminism has been active longer than the word itself has existed.3 The word, “feminist” was not in true use until the late 1800s and early 1900s, but activism for women’s rights was alive and well a...
Throughout the short story “The Masque of the Red Death,” Edgar Allan Poe uses vivid symbolism, structure, and reoccurring details to paint a powerful image regarding the finality and inescapable reaches of death itself. “The ‘Red Death’ has long devastated the country,” yet the Prince Prospero continues to hold extravagant parties for his fellow elite members of society. Rather than merely telling a series of events, Poe carries his readers throughout the many rooms and scenes that hold the Prince’s masquerade, up until the clock strikes midnight and the partygoers can no longer hide behind their façade, and death comes in to take those that thought themselves invincible (Poe 438-442).
Jazz, the “purest expression of American democracy; a music built on individualism and compromise, independence and cooperation” has had a great impact on American life since the early 1900s (Burns, 2009). When jazz first emerged on the scene, it immediately made a profound impact on all individuals who experienced it. It didn’t matter who you were. This being said, jazz was especially life changing for the African American population. It opened the door of opportunity for this group of people, and they quickly grasped onto this chance before it could disappear. The development of jazz can be viewed as a reaction to American life because it worked as a form of expression, placed an emphasis on collaboration,
“Anthropologists call this process "syncretism"--the blending together of cultural elements that previously existed separately. This dynamic, so essential to the history of jazz, remains powerful even in the present day, when African-American styles of performance blend seamlessly with other musics of other cultures, European, Asian, Latin, and, coming full circle, African.”(Gioai, 1997) The diversity of ethnicities in New Orleans played a crucial role in the development of jazz. Due to there being so many different ethnic groups living in New Orleans, the city was more tolerant in accepting unorthodox practices. This enabled jazz to be able to grow and develop, eventually reaching into new areas of the United
Jazz music has got a lot of importances as much as it lacks a correct definition. It plays a role in the entertainment sector. It entertains the listeners who are passionate to the art. They get a special entrainment especially for the working class who find listening to jazz as an activity done during the leisure time. Jazz on the other hand is very educative and informative of the past and the current issues. Since it is a long time art, it can be used to safeguard and protect the cultural practices of the people of the community. The culture is stored in the jazz songs and easily passed from one generation to another. It can also be transferred from one community to another since jazz music listeners are all over the world. Hence jazz music is a store of culture of a people of a particular social locality or geographical location.
The definition of animal testing is tests performed on animals that help to advance scientific research and medicinal development. What is animal testing exactly? This definitely displays that animal tests is only carried out with good intent, as well as not to lead to haphazard harm on animals, some animal tests is performed to better researchers knowledge on the subjects of human and animal behavior, development, and biological functions; this is called basic or fundamental research . And some of animal tests help scientists to understand diseases and enhances them to develop cures and treatments for them; this is called targeted or applied research. And few numbers of tests are undergone to test the safety of everyday products such as body lotion and deodorant;
... it was too bad that they never got to vote, but they made their mark, by opening the doors for the next generation to further their progress. The original feminists were pushing for equality, but the later activists had to settle for just the vote. This was a setback for women’s rights everywhere, since the only way they were able to obtain the right to vote was by admitting that they were different, and needed to be able to vote to protect themselves form the big strong men.
Jazz music prospered in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Jazz was created by African Americans to represent pain and suffering and also represented the adversity that racial tension brought. (Scholastic) African American performers like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie “Bird” Parker came to be recognized for their ability to overcome “race relati...
Imagine living in a time when your only role is to get married, bear children, and take care of your house and husband. Adrienne Rich proposes an ulterior idea in her essay “Taking Women Students Seriously” Women should not only question the gender standards but discuss the gender norms that society has created; by discussion and attention to the matter we can eliminate it all together. Women are not represented in school curriculums enough and have a large misrepresentation in society. Rich draws attention to: What women have working against them in education, how women are perceived in the world by the media and advertising, and the gender roles that society pressures young children to contort to. By striking up a discussion
Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" takes place in seven connected but carefully separated rooms. The significance of the number seven is apparent throughout our society. The bible chronicles the creation of the world in seven days, there are seven wonders of the world, colleges and universities divide learning into seven subjects and an individuals life is thought to have seven stages. Seven also symbolizes fear and doom as in the seven signs of the apocalypse. Therefore, the seven rooms represent a person's life from pure beginning to its impending death.
Sports, in general, are a male dominated activity; every “real” male is suppose to be interested and/or involved in sports in the American society. However, it is not expected of a female to be interested in sports and there is less pressure on them to participate in physically enduring activities. These roles reflect the traditional gender roles imposed on our society that men are supposed to be stronger and dominant and females are expected to be submissive. As Michael Kimmel further analyzes these gender roles by relating that, “feminism also observes that men, as a group, are in power. Thus with the same symmetry, feminism has tended to assume that individually men must feel powerful” (106).
Death is just one of the many things that are feared; however, it is inevitable. Throughout time there has been many deaths. Some might have lived a care free life, whereas others were constantly worried for their day to come. In “Masque of the Red Death” written by Edgar Allan Poe, the story shows death is a matter of time. Death comes to all those, either noble or poor. Many have come to accept death as a sign a life was well lived. However, there are others that believe their lives were not long enough for them to accept the afterlife. No matter how much a person tries to run or hide from death it cannot be escaped.
In just a few decades The Women’s Liberation Movement has changed typical gender roles that once were never challenged or questioned. As women, those of us who identified as feminist have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at...
Among the many subjects covered in this book are the three classes of oppression: gender, race and class in addition to the ways in which they intersect. As well as the importance of the movement being all-inclusive, advocating the idea that feminism is in fact for everybody. The author also touches upon education, parenting and violence. She begins her book with her key argument, stating that feminist theory and the movement are mainly led by high class white women who disregarded the circumstances of underprivileged non-white women.
One of America’s musical styles has become one of the major music genres worldwide and it is jazz music. The genre was developed around the late 1800s to the early 1900s, and originated from African Americans in New Orleans and Louisiana (Issitt 1). Within Jazz there are many different categories such as Dixieland, swing, cool jazz, hard bop, jazz-rock, fusion, and many more (Philipp 3). In addition, “Jazz as a whole is frequently regarded as one of the United States’ greatest cultural achievements” (Issitt 2). However, Jazz was not only a source of entertainment, or a great accomplishment, but also a reliever of pain; and it encouraged people to explore deep into their minds and the world around them.