Oppression of Women in American History - Report Example

Understanding the Oppression of Women Brief History of Oppression of Women in American History Division History of Oppression to Women Oppression of women is a topic that is talked about with passion by feminists but when we look at the history of oppression to women, we realize that it is quite a recent event. The time that this oppression started can be linked with the development of society and it is argued by Marxists that they are very much connected. Rob Sewell in his article “Origins of Women’s Oppression” examines how primitive societies regarded men and women as equals. The woman was actually held in very high esteem as the mother of the clan and one who is responsible for building the clan. It is interesting to note that because of this quality, women were valued and considered too valuable to part with. Men leave their birth clans and get adopted by the clan of the women they choose to be with. This is quite complete contrast to modern society where it is the woman who leaves her family and takes on the man’s name. It is therefore arguable that the inequality came with the development of civilization, the growth of society, economic development and the onset of class distinctions in society. The superiority of man over woman came about around the fifteenth century as marriage laws set in English society. The concept of one woman for one man resulted eventually in women becoming enslaved and segregated according to their childbearing abilities. The freedom to choose and father children out of wedlock was a prestige that was only given to the upper class. There was also a very distinct trend with regards to labour emerging from competition and extreme growth and demand for the economy. Until them women and men had enjoyed equal division of labour, apart from household chores, as the main source of income was agriculture. Their work places were not too far away or separated from their homes so women could take care of their children and household duties while contributing in the fields. However as the demand for industrial labour grew, women were relegated to low paying mundane tasks. Early in the century, the vast class segregation also brought in a different trend. Men were beginning to be seen as the breadwinners of the family and the one to support the household. The woman was regarded as valuable in her role in the house and her worth was based on the labour she could put in or the riches she brought with her as in the case of the richer class. This tradition continued till the nineteenth century. Women became housewives predominantly. This continuing trend of inequality between men and women in the work force took menacing proportions and women began to be oppressed more and more and lost their rightful place in society. Ancient Asian and African traditions still continue with patriarchal society trends and treat women as slaves and oppress them in marriage and in their own family. We hear about cases of sexual and emotional abuse by men to prove their dominion. Oppression to Women in the United States of America The United States of America, although considered a forward thinking western society has a history of oppression to women that still continues in its own subtle way. When we talk about this topic from America’s perspective however we have to consider the history as seen in the various ethnic groups in the US. We will consider the two main ethnic groups and look at oppression based on them. We classify it as 1. Oppression of African American women 2. Oppression of white women Oppression of African American women The slave trade came to America in the early 1800s and brought many Africans along with it. They were treated as sex-slaves and bore many children out of wedlock to their white masters. They had little no place in society and continued subjugated lives. African women were employed to work in the fields and also as domestic help, which included taking care of the children of their white masters. During this period the women were abused and viewed as objects of reproduction. More children meant more slaves to work under the masters. That era saw an increase of African babies fathered by white masters of their slave mothers. The role and usefulness of the woman in domestic duties and their efficiency in complete tasks for much less money than men made these woman slaves a valued commodity. Their African American male partners were sought after just so that their wives would stay on and work. The slave trend also resulted in a higher percentage of African American women as against the population African American men. This disparity continues to exist in American society and hence the resultant professional competition between African American women and African American men. The trend of children borne of slaves without a definite family structure influenced future generations of the African American community. The men in the community do not place much importance to stable family environment to their children, thus leaving the responsibility of child rearing predominantly to the women in the community. African American women suffer the sae kind of racial discrimination that the men suffer and continue to work for lower wages as compared to white women. Even today African American women suffer from oppression and abuse from their husbands and men in their own community. Social status of African Americans in American society has further added to the inequality between men and women. Oppression of white women The cultural difference between African American women and white women influences the extent of oppression between the two. The industrial evolution saw more and more white women relegated to the home front and burdened with domestic duties and taking care of children. Even where domestic help was available in the nineteenth century, women were still expected to be submissive and did not have much of a say in their husband’s meandering ways and illicit relationships. In the 19th century, women came out of their homes duties only to take over the vacancies created by the men who had gone to war. These jobs were immediately taken over by the men when they returned from fighting wars. Women entered and exited from the workforce in sporadic frequencies when the country was engaged in war from the 1910s to 1940s during the two Great Wars. As a result the inequality in wages between women and men still exists in American society. Feminist and social work movements that fight Oppression to Women The fight against oppression to women in America started during the early 19th century. By 1920, women gained the constitutional right to vote according to the nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution. Though oppression to women is a universal problem, we can see from the above points that the fight for freedom of women and women’s rights cannot be the same for different ethnicities. The white women population fight for equality from a capitalist viewpoint and regard that as the most important reform needed in society. But we can see that the fight of the African American is of a different nature. As Bell Hooks mentions in her book Feminism is a struggle against sexist oppression. Therefore, it is necessarily a struggle to eradicate the ideology of domination that permeates Western culture on various levels, as well as a commitment to reorganizing society so that the self-development of people can take precedence over imperialism, economic expansion and material desires. (2000). This, sentiment was shared by many feminist groups and, the twentieth century saw many groups from, multi cultural backgrounds that focused on the problems of women from specific ethnic groups. Feminist groups have since fought in regular intervals for gender equality in the eyes of law and culture and focussed on banishing sexism and discrimination based on gender. The right to divorce and contraception was introduced. Women now have a choice of individual decision in child bearing and have the freedom to focus on enhancing their academic and professional skills. A concept of division of labour within the household makes it easier for women to promote their professional career. Social work organizations work at removing gender inequality from the social standpoint. The World Watch Institute declared in the year 1989 that violence against women is a worldwide threat and one that should be dealt with immediate effect. Social work organizations work at counselling women exposed to situations of family abuse and violence is considered more of a threat than public violence especially in certain ethnicities. The situation of women in American society has progressed multi folds and is an ongoing process. It is however arguable, if gender inequality can be completely eradicated in certain areas. Despite the fact that women have gained recognition in the professional work force, an inequality still exists in the political realm in the United States. Although considered much more westernized and just in its treatment of women in comparison to some Islamic and Asian cultures, the country is yet to see a woman in its highest seat of political power. References Rob Sewell. The origins of womens oppression. 05 September 2001. 28 February 2012. http://www.marxist.com/origins-womens-oppression.htm Sheila Rowbotha.(1977) Hidden from history: 300 years of womens oppression and the fight against it. Pluto press. Gloria T. Hull, Patricia Bell Scott, and Barbara Smith.(eds.).(1982). “All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave”: Black Womens Studies. Old Westbury. The Feminist Press.  Bell Hooks.(2000).“Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center.” Cambridge. South End Press. Elizabeth Reichert. “Women’s rights are human rights: Platform of Action.” School of social work. February 28, 2012. http://socialwork.siuc.edu/resourcecenter/bookndpaper/article4.pdf Read More