Sesxism Essay
While the free essays can give you inspiration for writing, they cannot be used 'as is' because they will not meet your assignment's requirements. If you are in a time crunch, then you need a custom written term paper on your subject (sesxism)
Here you can hire an independent writer/researcher to custom write you an authentic essay to your specifications that will pass any plagiarism test (e.g. Turnitin). Waste no more time!
Feminism And Gender Equality In The 1990's
Overall, the rights and status of women have improved
considerably in the last century; however, gender equality has
recently been threatened within the last decade. Blatantly sexist
laws and practices are slowly being eliminated while social
perceptions of "women's roles" continue to stagnate and even
degrade back to traditional ideals. It is these social
perceptions that challenge the evolution of women as equal on all
levels. In this study, I will argue that subtle and blatant
sexism continues to exist throughout educational, economic,
professional and legal arenas.
Women who carefully follow their expected roles may never
recognize sexism as an oppressive force in their life. I find
many parallels between women's experiences in the nineties with
Betty Friedan's, in her essay: The Way We Were - 1949. She dealt
with a society that expected women to fulfill certain roles.
Those roles completely disregarded the needs of educated and
motivated business women and scientific women. Actually, the
subtle message that society gave was that the educated woman was
actually selfish and evil.
I remember in particular the searing effect on me, who once
intended to be a psychologist, of a story in McCall's in
December 1949 called "A Weekend with Daddy." A little girl who
lives a lonely life with her mother, divorced, an intellectual
know-it-all psychologist, goes to the country to spend a weekend
with her father and his new wife, who is wholesome, happy, and a
good cook and gardener. And there is love and laughter and
growing flowers and hot clams and a gourmet cheese omelet and
square dancing, and she doesn't want to go home. But, pitying
her poor mother typing away all by herself in the lonesome
apartment, she keeps her guilty secret that from now on she will
be living for the moments when she can escape to that dream home
in the country where they know "what life is all about." (See
Endnote #1)
I have often consulted my grandparents about their experiences,
and I find their historical perspective enlightening. My
grandmother was pregnant with her third child in 1949. Her work
experience included: interior design and modeling women's clothes
for the Sears catalog. I asked her to read the Friedan essay and
let me know if she felt as moved as I was, and to share with me
her experiences of sexism. Her immediate reaction was to point
out that "Betty Friedan was a college educated woman and she had
certain goals that never interested me." My grandmother, though
growing up during a time when women had few social rights, said
she didn't experience oppressive sexism in her life. However,
when she describes her life accomplishments, I feel she has spent
most of her life fulfilling the expected roles of women instead
of pursuing goals that were mostly reserved for men.
Unknowingly, her life was controlled by traditional, sexist
values prevalent in her time and still prevalent in the nineties.
Twenty-four years after the above article from McCall's magazine
was written, the Supreme Court decided whether women should have
a right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 (1973)). I
believe the decision was made in favor of women's rights
mostly because the court made a progressive decision to consider
the woman as a human who may be motivated by other things in life
than just being a mother. Justice Blackmun delivered the
following opinion:
Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a
distressful life and future. Psychological harm may be imminent.
Mental and physical health may be taxed by child care. There is
also a distress, for all concerned, associated with the unwanted
child, and there is the problem of bringing a child into a family
already unable, psychologically and otherwise, to care for it.
In other cases, as in this one, the additional difficulties and
continuing stigma of unwed motherhood may be involved.
(See Endnote #2)
I feel the court decision of Roe v. Wade would not have been
made in 1949. Even in 1973, it was a progressive decision. The
problem of abortion has existed for the entire history of this
country (and beyond), but had never been addressed because
discussing these issues was not socially acceptable. A culture
of not discussing issues that have a profound impact on women is
a culture that encourages women to be powerless.
The right of abortion became a major issue. Before 1970, about a
million abortions were done every year, of which only about ten
thousand were legal. Perhaps a third of the women having illegal
abortions - mostly poor people - had to be hospitalized for
complications. How many thousands died as a result of these
illegal abortions no one really knows. But the illegalization of
abortion clearly worked against the poor, for the rich could
manage either to have their baby or to have their abortion under
safe conditions. (See Endnote #3)
A critic of the women's movement would quickly remind us that
women have a right to decline marriage and sex, and pursue their
individual interests. However, I would argue that the social
pressure women must endure if they do not conform to their
expected role is unfair. The problem goes beyond social
conformity and crosses into government intervention (or lack
thereof). The 1980's saw the pendulum swing against the women's
movement. Violent acts against women who sought abortions became
common and the government was unsympathetic to the victims.
There are parallels between the Southern Black's civil rights
movement and the women's movement: Blacks have long been
accustomed to the white government being unsympathetic to violent
acts against them. During the civil rights movement, legal action
seemed only to come when a white civil rights activist was
killed. Women are facing similar disregard presently, and their
movement is truly one for civil rights.
A national campaign by the National Organization of Women began
on 2 March 1984, demanding that the US Justice Department
investigate anti-abortion terrorism. On 1 August federal
authorities finally agreed to begin to monitor the violence.
However, Federal Bureau of Investigation director, William
Webster, declared that he saw no evidence of "terrorism." Only
on 3 January 1985, in a...
MLA Style
. EssayMania.com. Retrieved on 26 May, 2012 from
<http://essaymania.com/68364/sesxism>
More College Papers
Shoplifting essay
Shoplifting
In the stage of adolescence sometimes there are things that people do that are less than admirable. In my case I made a mistake that I would later pay the consequences for and learn from my mistake. It was a beautiful sunny day at the very beginning of my summer break after my junior ye
Rwanda:Genocide Or Civil War essay
Rwanda: Genocide or Civil War?
The current state of affairs in Rwanda constitutes a catastrophe that never should have happened. Unfortunately, it has happened, but do the circumstances and outcomes warrant using the term "genocide"? Based on facts about the ethnic make up of Rwanda, there is abund
Should Drugs Be Legalized; My View essay
Should Drugs Be Legalized; My View
It seems as if the cry of "legalize drugs!" is heard everywhere. Some argue that legalizing drugs is the way to "win" the drug war. Drug enforcement does place a burden on us. Economic resources are used up that could be used elsewhere. But the consequences of leg