This is particularly evident in some Media portrayal of females and through social dynamics within daily life. The three waves of feminism theory enlightens the stages of progress feminism has encountered in the search for equality. The first wave occurred between the 19th to early 20th century and marks the Socialist and Marxist feminist era. During this period, focuses were made on official, mandated inequalities such as the right to vote, which was the first step towards suffrage. The second, more radical, wave of feminism between the 1950s and 1980s focused primarily on unofficial inequalities within society, politics, the power differences between the sexes and sexism within the English language.
Changing Attitudes in British society towards women was the main reason why women achieved the vote in 1918. How accurate is this view? Why Women achieved the vote in 1918 essay The 1918 Representation of the People Act gave women over 30 and who were University graduates and householders owners the vote. Prior to 1918, women were treated as second class citizens; they were regarded as ‘stupid’ and incapable of making intelligent decisions. Women had few rights and were controlled by their husbands.
Friedan and Gilman’s work have formed the touchstones for the current feminist movements and will continue to play a huge role as women work to advance their rights further in the coming years. Gilman wrote “Women and Economics,” at the turn of the 20th century contributing to the foundation of political thinking surrounding the domestic causes of women’s economically dependent status. She developed her
In regards to the franchise, women’s political status has changed the most - women have been granted the vote on an equal footing with men, making this the most extensive and indisputable change. In 1868, whilst the skilled working classes could vote, women were excluded until 1918 and gained political equality in 1928. Forster’s education Act of 1870 emancipated women by allowing them to vote in school board elections, allowing them an opportunity to quell rumors of their emotional states rendering them unable to vote rational, giving them a stimulus for pressure group campaigns. By 1918, women were partially involved in the franchise - an extremely significant change as it made Parliament more representative of the population and increased the proportion of society that politicians were accountable too. Ergo this reform led to women being a focal point in policy, providing legislation as early as 1919 - a Sex Disqualification act and later the 1970 Equal Pay act.
One of the major changes to American women's lives came from the suffrage movement. Immediately, after the Civil War, Susan B. Anthony, a powerful and honest advocate of women's rights, demanded that the Nineteenth Amendment contain “a guarantee” that woman will have the right to vote, and President Woodrow Wilson endorsed it. In addition, both houses of congress approved granting women the right to vote in 1919. By 1920, thirty-six states adhered to the nineteenth amendment, granting women the right to vote in all elections throughout the nation. In 1869, Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association.
In the period of Victorian Britain, there already were different status between women; some of them were in a working class, others in the middle class and others were aristocrat women. Each one had a different role in their life, and it will be explained in the following section of this essay. WOMEN AND INDUSTRIALIZATION In this section the main subject is the industrialization. Queen Victoria tried to convert the nation from an agricultural into an industrial nation. The industrialization had a beneficial effect in the economic and social status of women, because the fact that they were earning money outside the home changed the relationship between husbands and wives.
How far do the sources suggest that the actions of Emily Davison at the Derby in 1913 helped to advance the cause of women’s suffrage? (20 marks) Source 10 is an article from the paper 'The Times,' a paper known for being right wing (conservative) at the time. It briefly explains to us what happened at the derby, then goes on to what will happen from then on, briefly once again. It is said that the actions of Emily Davidson were 'desperate' and that it was a 'mad notion.' Straight away from these extracts form the first two sentences we can catch the tone of the article and where 'The Times' stand with this event.
As the Industrial Revolution set in between 1750 to 1850, many families required a fortune in trade, and rose up into the aristocracy, as shown through the Bingley and the Lucas family in the text. Women were still considered unequal to men, and their only way of gaining a fortune was to marry above their social class. However this way of life for women was changing with the rise of reformists and feminists, such as Wollstonecraft, she believed that women should speak out and think independently of men. By 1793 Britain was again at war with France, and as Napoleon’s fleet waited across the channel, the local militia marched back and forth, camped and danced at balls. The army had grown from thirteen thousand men at the outbreak of war to two hundred thousand in 1807.
For women, equality was not something easily achieved. Through long years, feminine activists have suffered devastating setbacks, and accomplished significant milestones as well. Monumental efforts to actualize such milestones were made by writer and activist Betty Friedan. Most prominent during the Second Wave of the feminist movement, during the 1960s and lasting through the 1980s, she is accredited with inspiring women across the country and writing one of the most powerful books of the twentieth century (“Betty”). Betty Friedan is the most influential female writer prior to 1980 due to the social changes brought about through her writing, most significantly The Feminine Mystique, and political activism for women’s fulfillment and civil rights.
Shorter says this indicates that industrialization offered a wide scope of opportunities outside of the home causing an increase for independence. On the other side of this debate is Louise A. Tilly, Joan W. Scott and Miriam Cohen, who argue it was not that women sought independence from their traditional settings, rather that the the age of industrialism caused women to work out of need. Thus, the rise was due more to a breakdown of tradition that included a lack of support from family, community and the church. Edward Shorter opens up suggesting that the position of women within the family underwent a radical shift starting late in the eighteenth century , proposing that their roles went from powerlessness and dependency, to independence. He points out that early on social ideology made the husband supreme over the woman in the household, his only obligation was to respect her, hers, to serve and obey him1.