Stereotypes on Women in the Early American Society - Research Paper Example

Stereotypes on early American women A stereotype is the proven negative opinion or belief on any group of people or event in the society. The early American society was divided in terms of race, ethnicity, gender and economic status; these are the basic elements to determine individuals’ personalities. People were forced to associate with appropriate groups to avoid social ridicule. There was a common belief that the white race was superior to the rest. The whites used insulting names like monkeys and Negroes to refer to the African Americans. Furthermore, the African Americans were arrested the moment they attended white people’s venues like social or entertainment joints. The African Americans and whites lived in different places and led different lifestyles too. The blacks spread rumors about the whites’ hatred towards them until it became a stereotype in the society (Walker 121). Both the whites and the African Americans looked upon their women in several ways. This work focuses on the stereotypes in the early American society and its effects on women’s lives. In the early American society, men made women believe they were inferior in the society. There were three kinds of women in the early American society namely the whites, Indians and the black American women. The three had different responsibilities dictated by the racial stratification. The white women were meant to prepare and serve food to other family members. Indian women were to assist white families with cleaning among other domestic chores, while the Black American women were to work in the fields with their men. Despite the different roles assigned to different women, the issues of stereotypes made women see men to be more superior. The black American women believed the man was the head of the family and more superior. They toiled in the white men’s field together with their men (Green Virginia Commonwealth University). The society looked down upon women to an extent that they could not be awarded their own wages. Men received wages on women’s behalf. However, some white men provided women with their wages but at lower packages compared to those of men. Women also toiled for longer hours than their men, yet the society never appreciated that, because women were generally created to work. Men would later gather in social joints to entertain themselves and refresh their minds after a long day’s work. Women, on the other hand, would move to the kitchen and ensure their men and the rest of the family had something to feed on. Women were never allowed to be in bars despite having the ability to afford the drinks. Indian women, on the other hand, received better wages than the black Americans but some of the wages were to be given to the husbands for entertainment purposes. The whites had to please the Indian men so that they would allow their women to work in the white men’s residences. History records that the majority of Indian women were forced into sexual indulgent by their male bosses. They could not report such incidences simply because women were not meant to raise any concern in the society. The majority opted to practice abortion since the Indian community never accepted half caste children. The irony of it was that the white men indulged in sexual acts with the Indian women despite the presence of their own wives. They too had no voice but to live as per the rules and regulations of their husbands. The cities demonstrated different kinds of stereotypes to make women look inferior. The industrial sector did not use the human capital theories to recruit different workers in different workplaces. The appropriate recruiting technique involves interviews to assess individual capabilities with respect to a certain position in the workplace. However, men were automatically assigned prestigious roles despite their qualifications. The society made women believe they could not hold top rank positions in any organization. Even the most learned women never complained of their inferiority (Merickel 32). Women were never engaged in any critical decision making process in such workplaces, for the belief that they did not have the brains to air relevant opinions. Women’s main role even in the industrialized society was to make men comfortable in their respective duties. They prepared tea and cleaned the offices among other duties. Some men also used women to satisfy their sexual desires and women had nowhere to report such cases. Women were to be seen and not heard, that was the slogan in both rural and urban early America. Women were never allowed to vie to vie for any managerial jobs in such workplaces (Women’s International center). History records that major companies or workplaces were managed by men. However, the few managed by women faced challenges like few stakeholders among others. Men whose wives took management roles in such organizations were always mocked and threatened by fellow men, to an extent that they applied their own forces to make their wives quit such positions. The society made the women accept their inferiority to an extent that those with good jobs in the urban cities were not accepted by their fellow women. Something must have been wrong with their womanhood. The society favored men. Mothers who gave birth to male children were more appreciated than those with female children. Some women opted to abort to avoid humiliations after birth. There were no technologies to determine the sexual orientation of children while they were still in their mothers’ wombs, so the only option was to get rid of the children. Increased abortion in the society made men establish some regulations to limit illegal abortions. Despite such regulations, women who gave birth to female children were still humiliated and looked down upon. Some husbands went to an extent of abandoning their wives for giving births to female children. However, the whites appreciated their children despite the sexual orientation. But they made black Americans and the Indians believe that the male child was better than the female counterparts. The whites educated both their children, while the Black Americans and the Indians only educated their male children whereas the female children were to undertake domestic chores while their mothers toiled in the fields to earn a living. Stereotype in the society negatively affected the few female students who got an opportunity to be enrolled in the learning institutions. Women neither raised questions nor made responses in the classrooms or lecture halls. A tutor or teacher would ask questions but only men were chosen to respond. Women were made believe that they were only to be seen but not heard. Male students were ranked before their female counterparts despite the later performing better. Female students were never allowed to participate in certain sports like athletics and ball games. The schools’ administrations did not value or appreciate the aspect of women being involved in active sports. After all, no organization sponsored any women's activities. However, it is worth mentioning that some learning institutions established some strategies to enable women to realize their worth in the society. Women were encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities like sports, drama, and debate clubs among others, but very few of the female students accepted such offers. Their minds were already made up so as such activities were just for men and women; after all, nobody would take the time to watch a lady play on the field or theatre. Women believed they were weaker and less inferior to compete in any activity. They suffered from several biological and social setbacks in the society. History indicates that about 75% of women students would drop out of schools due to pregnancy. The society never accepted or appreciated women who got pregnant out of wedlock. Several learning institutions expelled their female students once one was ascertained to be expectant. Some schools organized regular tests to identify expecting students. The irony is that male students also participated in such pregnancies, but no consequences were subjected to them. Male teachers also convinced some female students into illegal sexual acts that led to such pregnancies. The bitter part is that the women would not raise any complaints with regard to their pregnancies, because the society never valued them. There was no single law protecting women from such oppressions or frustrations (Women’s International Centre). The Indian community never tolerated mistakes from the female child. For instance, women were married to older society members, once one was found to be pregnant. The worst part of it is that women could not stand for their daughters in such a case. The Sambo stereotype was a strategy used by the white masters to calm their black slaves. The slogan ‘happy slave’ implied that the master would be hospitable while the slaves would remain obedient to the masters. The black slaves took orders and could not think of their own. The same applied to women. The society expected women to follow orders from their male counterparts. Naturally, a woman should think on her own, for the sake of societal developments. Women would work then award their husbands the wages they received from the white masters. The sambo stereotype spread to the major part of America through the media, literature, children’s tales, and games among other means. Women became dependent on their men, and this compromised their abilities in developmental issues. The same stereotype applied to both black men and women. The white man would control the black man’s mind while the later would ensure their wives and daughters oblige to some regulations as stipulated by the white families. The mammy was another kind of stereotype that made women believe they were inferior in the society. Mammy was represented by some image of a woman with a black skin and shiny white teeth. The woman wore a scarf and was expected to obey all her masters’ orders. The stereotype made the black women believe that white families were better or superior than their own black families. Mammy was meant to care and love ‘massas’ children. The black women spent more time caring after and loving the white children than their own. This made black children to be malnourished and neglected. Some could spend even weeks in the white men’s residences while their own children were in the suffering hands of their fathers. The black men could not help their wives to raise their complaints since their minds were controlled by the Sambo stereotype. Some black women spent even almost their entire time with the white families and they had no opportunity to raise their own children. The white masters convinced their female slaves that there was no need of having children, since the law stated that the children of slaves were still slaves in the society. They were also convinced that they were unfit to bear and raise their own children since they lacked adequate resources for children’s development (Lewis Women and work in Early America). The female slaves were not meant to advise their masters since they were regarded illiterate and primitive. This killed their self-esteems. However, mammy (the African American woman) was more masculine and temperate than their husbands. History records that black American women were more powerful and in control of both family and societal issues than their male counterparts. This applies to the modern black American families where woman or wife makes critical decisions in the house. Mammy was made believe she was not sexy through an obese figure and ample –bosom behind the image. The white women were never scared of the black women snatching their husbands. The stereotype divided women since the black Americans women could not associate with their white counterparts. Women unity despite of race and ethnicity among other elements is one of the strongest forces known in the universe. Women are known to stand for each other because at the end of the day, they share some biological and social challenges in the society. White men used these stereotypes to divide and weaken them. Mammy stereotype was spread through movies and literature. Finally, the mammy did not require any education to be allowed to the white man’s family. This made black women reluctant to pursue an education; mammy was their role model and never attained any special training. Women were never allowed to participate in politics, both the white and the black Americans. Men used several strategies (stereotype) to make women believe they were not fit to hold any political position. Men never allowed their women to walk out in the public during menstruation. This was to make women feel that they would not make good leaders. Secondly, men made their women believe that women’s role was to produce male children and care for the family. Women had no knowledge to prove some of the ill beliefs driven into their heads by their selfish men. Thirdly, men used the divide and rule strategy. Black American, Indian and the white women could not unite and form a powerful political force and challenge their male counterparts. For instance, the white felt superior and could not associate with fellow women from different races. Finally, no man was allowed to let her wife or daughter vie or indulge in political matters. The leaders would persuade such men to take against such women who attempted to challenge men in the political arena. Since then, women have remained to be ruled and not leaders. This applies to the modern American society where very few Black Americans indulge in politics. Works Cited Green, Laura.”Stereotypes: Negative Racial Stereotypes and their effects on attitudes Towards African –American Women.” Virginia Commonwealth University,1999. Print Lewis Johnson. Women and work in Early America, 2005. Print Merickel Alan and James Missy. Reading literature and writing argument. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print. N.A.Women’s International center. Women’s history in America, 2004. Print Walker, A. Everyday use for your grandma. USA: Northern Illinois, 2011.Print Read More

 

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