Textbook
1. How did African American women approach the issues of reform and
suffrage?
African American women approached the issues of reform and suffrage by starting their own
organizations. The reason they started their own organizations was because of the segregation. The segregation made it in a way that African American women were not allowed to be involved with any organization that had white American women members, that were goaled towards educating white women by training them in certain fields. Because of this African American women started their own organizations that would help them with their own suffrage movement. In 1908 the African American women created an organization called the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. This helped African American women to make other organizations that would help and fight for the rights for African American women to be treated as equals and get better wages.
2. What were the main differences between the emerging feminist movement
and the suffrage movement?
The main differences between the emerging feminist movement and the suffrage movement was that one was fighting for equal rights in the work force and to allow women to vote. While the other one was fighting for women's freedom to choose their own way of living. The suffragists were the ones fighting for the equality between men and women in the work field. That is that they will both be paid the same wage for the same job. That women will also have more options for jobs just like men had. They were also fighting for women having the right to vote. The feminists were the ones fighting for freedom for them to choose their own occupation, to choose their own life styles. As in they can have the choice of being in a lesbian relationship. They were also fighting for the right to use birth control. To be able to be considered more than just a person there to make babies. These were their main differences but in over all both the suffragists and feminist were helping to change the role of women in society.
Textbook Document
1. What were the various definitions of feminism according "Talks of
Feminism. . ."?
The various definitions of feminism according to the "Talks of Feminism..." article were: " some
fight, some fate, and some fun,...that women shall have the same right as man to be different,...
the entire woman movement,...women were confined to one room in the prison and had to watch the men walk about in the corridors in comparative freedom,...Feminism is simply part of the great world fight for freedom and justice and equality, and might better be called humanism" (pages 460,461). The ones that are my favorite definitions of feminism the were given in the "Talks of Feminism..." were "Feminism means trouble: trouble means agitation: agitation means movement: movement means life: life means adjustment and readjustment - so does feminism. Feminism is not a femaleness with fewer petticoats; it does not seek to crinoline men. It asks [for] a new fashion in the social garments of each. Feminism is a spiritual attitude. It recognizes that men and women are made of the same soul stuff. It places this above biological bosh. In another aspect feminism is an educational ideal. It asks that children be educated according to temperament and not according to maleness and femaleness. It asks that a girl be educated for work and not for sex. Feminism seeks to change social opinion toward the sex relation, not to advocate license, but to recognize liberty. To me feminism means that woman wants to develop her own womanhood. It means that she wants to push on to the finest, fullest, freest expression of herself. She wants to be an individual. When you mention individualism to some people they immediately see a picture of original sin, but the freeing of the individuality of woman does not mean original sin; it means the finding of her own soul.
The first thing we have to overcome is custom and convention, and the common attitude of mind, and then this fear of individuality will pass away. We have to compel conviction that woman is a human being. Feminism is the name for the newly discovered and highly surprising fact that it is just as important for a woman to be happy as a man. And one woman will be happy by going out and seeking adventures of her own and another will be happy staying at home and thinking about babies and baked beans. Both should be allowed to do what they want to do. There'll be a great deal more fun for everybody when women are universally active and free and independent. Feminism is simply part of the great world fight for freedom and justice and equality, and might better be called humanism"(page 461).
2. What role does women’s economic independence play in feminist
thought?
The role that women's economic independence plays in feminist thought is that women will no
longer be dependent to men. They would have their freedom and education to have good jobs
and be able to have their own homes and wages to live on their own. They would be educated
in the same things as men are. That they would not have to become prostitutes. That they
would not have to get married to a man in order to have a home, food on the table and someone
else support them, because now they would be educated enough to get a job doing what ever
they want to do. That would end up helping them be more independent than dependent.
3. What is your own definition of feminism?
My definition for feminism is that even though when it first came out feminism meant for equality, now to me it seems to have changed and means a different thing. Now a days feminists are more extreme in the sense that not only are they striving for equality but now they are surpassing it and going as far as saying that women are better than men. That to me is a little false because the original feminist movement was not made and meant to say that women were far better than men. But that it was made and meant to say that both men and women were equal. That they both can do the same things. Be able to make their own choices. To make their own decisions on how they should live. For women to have the same opportunities as men in the working field. But now since there are still struggles between people who think that women should be at home and not at work, women are working harder not to be equal to their fellow male coworkers but to pass them. As in they try to be alot better than any man. Which in a way is a good thing.
6 comments:
PR # 1
1. I agree with your answer on the first question. I agree that in spite of the unfair circumstances, the African American women shared the issues of reform and suffrage, and fought for their rights by creating their own organizations. I also think that they had a lot more hard time than white women to fight for equal rights because not only were they women but they were also black. I agree that because of the segregation, black women weren’t allowed to join white women’s movements. However, it’s important to mention, “Mary Church Terrell was one of a handful of black women accepted into the white women’s movement.” (pg 423)
2. I completely agree with you about the differences between the emerging feminist movement and the suffrage movement. I agree that the suffrage movement was organized to fight for women’s voting rights, political rights, and equal rights in the work force. On the other hand, in the feminist movement women were fighting to have the freedom to choose their own lifestyle, to have sexual freedom and the right to use birth control. I would also add that the suffrage movement was an organized movement to improve women’s public role and the feminist movement was a cultural improvement to change the women’s private lives.
Textbook document ( Chapter 7 pp. 460-463)
1. I agree that there were various definitions of feminism in “Talks of Feminism Stirs Great Crowd.” Just to summarize what feminism meant by the definitions that were given in this text and you had in your blog, it was the idea of women’s individuality, freedom, independence, justice, and equality. They wanted to have equal rights and to be independent to be able to support themselves and not to depend on men. I especially liked what George Middletown said about the feminism. He said that according to feminism, men and women are equal and should be educated according to their nature and not according to their gender.
2. I agree with your explanation of women’s economic independence role in feminist thoughts. I agree that women’s economic independence would give the women the opportunity and the rights to act independently to support themselves, to have equal wages and job conditions like men, and to have the rights to own properties. Just like you said, women’s economic independence would also help them to be independent to live on their own and not to depend on men and their support. According to “The Changing Home” article the women would also be able not to be tied to “Marriage by Intimidation,” and to be able to choose the romantic love.
3. According to my definition of feminism, it is a movement of women who want to have the same rights as men and fight against gender discrimination. However, I do like the point that you bring up about the feminism. I agree with you that the term feminism has changed over the times. I think that you are right. The term “feminism” has a negative connation today. It seems like the “feminists” have different purpose today and they are trying to prove that women deserve not just equal treatment, but better than men. Therefore, feminism and feminist movements have different meaning for different people.
PR #2
to clarify what i said about men creating feminism, men were the ones who put the constraints on women in the first place. If you take a look at the native american tribes we studied at the beginning of the semester, there wasnt any female uprising, men and women were living in perfect equality and harmony. It was only when the europeans came and took over were the women deemed inferior. The women realized they were being oppressed by the male gender and decided to take action for equality.
PR #2
Hi Sandy,
To clarify on your statement: "Mary Church Terrell was one of the handful of black women accepted into white women's movement," she wasn't necessarily partnered (or associated) with the whites. She was part of organizations for blacks (or as their name states "colored women/people" as in NACW and NAACP). So it's important to know that regardless of education (as in this case), white society looked at African Americans as the same: unsuitable for change, therefore, unsuitable for "American" standards.
As for the textbook document, I totally commend George Middletown's account on gender equality!
PR#2
Hey sandy i really liked your comment to this particular blog, i thought that you read the blog very well and understood it well. i like his blog definition of feminism and your comment to his answer and you were correct when you said there is more than one definition for feminism.
overall good job.
P.R.#2
To Sandy, thank you for your opinion on my blog #10. It is true that black women had it harder because of the segregation. I guess I might have missed the part where the book talks about Mary Church Terrell, but thank you for letting me know. I will look for her in the chapter. As for your definition of feminism I agree with that definition as well. That is what I think feminism meant when it was started and still now what it should mean. But as I said and u mentioned throught the years for some reason the meaning of feminism has changed. I do not know why it would have changed, because in my mind there is no superior gender. That we women are equal to men. Maybe in some areas men are better than women, but then there are areas where women are better than men.
PR#2
Hi Judy!
I understand your point. It is true that it is not mentioned if Mary Church Terrell was “partnered” in white women’s movement. However, it’s simply clarified in the book that she was accepted (I think that already is a big accomplishement in their times) in white women’s movement, but she put her best energies into the black women’s movement.
Sirun :)
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