Women

Introduction

This chapter aims to sketch the methods and methodological analysis used to transport out this research and intends to underscore the advantages, complexnesss and restraints of my chosen processes. This ethnographical research besides seeks to detect the ways in which Chinese adult females manage to put themselves onto a way to authorization and the jobs and successes experienced along the manner in relation to their community ‘s cultural beliefs and patterns. Malinowski asserts that:

“ One of the first conditions of acceptable Ethnographic work surely is that it should cover with the entirety of all societal, cultural and psychological facets of the community, for they are so interwoven that non one can be understood without taking into consideration all the others. ” ( 1922: sixteen )

By taking this position into consideration this research, hence, intends to foreground the relationship between the State and the Chinese people and how instruction can assist to relieve some of the jobs experienced on both a local and national degree. It does non mean to do generalizations from the informations collected but instead to supply a snapshot position of where China is developing successfully with respect to female engagement in instruction and other public domains.

The research journey

My involvement in this field of research came approximately as a consequence of a new enterprise to open franchises of our school, the Girls ‘ Day School Trust ( GDST ) , in China. An chance arose for some of the staff to take portion in a instructor exchange for a twelvemonth to work in a Chinese international school and I was particularly acute to be a possible campaigner. I besides have experience of working with a twosome of misss who were adopted from a Chinese orphanhood and this, together with my career for instruction, heightened my involvement in the experiences of misss and adult females in Chinese schools.

The possible prejudice that I may convey to this survey could integrate elements such as the relationship I had with the aforesaid household. My positions about the ways in which kids are treated in the orphanhoods could take me to hold the sentiment that all misss have a similar experience in China and are all, hence, to be ‘sympathised ‘ with before holding met them. This would besides hold prevented me from being impartial when questioning the Chinese males. As the research worker, this would besides hold positioned me unfavorably in that I will already hold placed the participant in a subjugated place themselves accordingly reproducing the stereotyped position of submissive Chinese adult females. To antagonize this I have looked really carefully at the ways in which I have posed my questionnaire and interview inquiries in order to non take the participant or set my point of view across.

Bing a female research worker besides has the potency for prejudice to be in that I may favor female experiences and see them as unfair and wholly the mistake of the male population. For this ground, I besides interviewed Chinese males in order to supply a comparable profile against which adult females ‘s experiences may be gauged. My ain cultural background as a first coevals immigrant from Bangladesh may besides come into drama as it was preponderantly for the instruction and life style that my parents moved here. Chinese international pupils may hold the same aspirations and so here, excessively, there is room for deficiency of nonpartisanship which may act upon the analysis of my findings.

Lang remarks on the interesting place a research worker has as the alien saying that:

“ The disadvantages of a survey by a alien are obvious. Less obvious are its advantages. The foreign perceiver is non hampered by the psychological prejudices which may at times block or even wholly thwart a “ native ” survey. There is, of class, the danger of replacing native biass with imported 1s, for the visitant is disposed to see the society he is analyzing as a reproduction of his ain. If this danger is avoided by methodological watchfulness and self-criticism, the foreign research worker is given an unusual chance to do a productive analysis. ” ( 1946: seven )

This is rather an of import component to recognize due to the cultural differences involved. The methods used hold given me pertinent ways of look intoing in that even though I am showing the inquiries the participant is ever in control of what is being said, holding been given entree to the inquiries before meeting.

Furthermore, Henwood ( in Woodward 2000 ) asserts that ” … scientific research can ne’er be entirely impersonal, disinterested, or value-free because the procedure of cognizing ever begins in the concrete contexts and material conditions of people ‘s lives, together with the point of views, positions or apprehension of the apprehender. ” This places the research worker, who is an ‘outsider ‘ , in a place of ‘power ‘ and could impact on the manner in which the research is carried out. However, as this survey is focused around the subject of authorization it is necessary to hold every bit small influence as possible over the responses given by participants as any additions might be negated.

Concerns of methodological analysis and method

The research undertaken in this survey have used both data-gathering and data-analysis methodological analysiss in that the former involved directing out questionnaires every bit good as transporting out interviews whilst the latter involved the statistical analysis of bing informations within other people ‘s research. It is preponderantly qualitative in character instead than quantitative but there will be some mention to statistical informations from other published resources. It allows me to research complex issues and experiences and does non seek to over-simplify the informations gathered hence qualitative methods have been more appropriate in this context.

Analyzing the responses of merely a little figure of persons has resulted in a small-scale research but this allowed for research in existent life scenes and permitted a grade of flexibleness in informations aggregation in contrast to quantitative research which requires the mass aggregation of informations from as broad a sample as possible. Validating research is of class extremely of import in doing one ‘s work credible or else it risks going unscientific ( Hammersley 1990 ) . Troubles in retroflexing this signifier of research may be disputing but does non do the information either less existent or experienced. Woodward ( in Trumans et al 2000 ) discusses the features of qualitative research and how this signifier of research additions farther cogency via the fact that can be viewed as being strictly nonsubjective research whilst other observers may state that this type of research is subjective and has the potency to hold excessively much read into it.

There is besides the job of the ‘reality ‘ presented in the findings as this can be interpreted in many ways by different people hence leting room for misunderstanding or multiple readings. However, it need non follow that the research is less believable. The research worker is able to put the scene by saying the point of position from which they are detecting this survey so that the reader is presented with a lens through which they can see the research. This should be less of a job if the research worker has already positioned themselves and acknowledges their ain potency for prejudice. Once this has been declared the research worker ‘s occupation can be made clearer and more focussed.

Rationale for taking participants

The reappraisal of related literature in Chapter 2 together with the theoretical model on authorization has identified specific groups of marginalised misss and several agencies by which societal exclusion constructs these groups therefore forestalling them from accessing instruction and their ain way to empowerment. To farther aid this survey I will be analyzing related published paperss that emphasise the connexion between the State, registration figures and educational attainment and their relevancy in how State intervention can hold both positive and negative results.

This survey will besides analyze personal experiences of instruction, societal exclusion and authorization from a scope of Chinese subjects populating in the United Kingdom every bit good as in China via the usage of an on-line questionnaire. From this group I have selected two people to interview to organize my instance analyze – two females from an urban and rural country. The relationship between these two chosen participants and their positions on household life was closely examined with peculiar mention to instruction and female authorization as a agency of deriving some penetration into the chief jobs and issues originating from them.

The participants have been collated via the aid of pupils at London universities and contacts via parents and staff within the constitution I work for. Finding willing participants was one of the obstructions I faced when get downing my research so the usage of a “ gatekeeper ” was indispensable. This refers to a individual “ who can assist the research worker with the critical concern of deriving entree to the necessary fieldwork puting ” ( Denscombe 2007: 71 ) . In this survey, the gatekeeper was the Chinese pupil contact I knew through my school and who helped me to happen willing participants. Some bookmans argue that the relationship that the gatekeeper has with these contacts may hold an influence over the character of the probe. Denscombe discusses how this frequently occurs where patrons or sureties are involved. The gatekeepers involved in this survey knew of other Chinese subjects who would be able to take portion in my research and did non hold any patron or surety function to play so I am confident that the sentiments given were true. On a positive note, Denscombe discusses the place of trust which the gatekeeper is placed in by both researcher and participant so this excessively would hold a positive influence over the type of informations I collated.

Due to the troubles experienced in happening participants to help my research, I felt it necessary to utilize all the people who responded to my electronic mails together with responses from all parental contacts. This accordingly became a suited signifier of sampling and is hence an illustration of non-probability sampling. They do non all have something in common. However, this survey is non intended for the intent of generalization but instead to supply a glance into existent success narratives and how they might possibly supply suggestions for policy alteration for people in similar places.

Ethical Considerations

Permission was sought earlier and questionnaires and interviews took topographic point. Participants were besides informed that they were able to retreat from the survey at any clip. Not follow up respondents who did non wish to take part further than the on-line questionnaire. Assurance was given of this research being for my ain personal usage to guarantee that it was non mistaken for the assemblage of information for other intents.

Sensitivity was a cardinal component in this research. The Chinese community is a really private community hence my trouble in obtaining willing participants. Participants may non hold wanted to unwrap whether they were originally from an urban or rural country to me so alternatively I asked which state and town or small town they came from. The demand for privateness, namelessness and confidentiality was particularly of import as this signifier of oppugning resulted in responses which shared personal information and some unfavorable judgment of the manner things are governed in China.

Data Collection processs

Documents

This survey will do usage of a figure of literature beginnings, including mention to allow authorities publications, diaries, studies and books. Internet resources published by the World Bank, UNICEF and DFID will besides be referred to. I will be utilizing the GMR 2010 information on school registration figures and educational attainment degrees as a starting point. This might let me to estimate the kind of informations being released by China and inquiry how dependable it can be.

Online questionnaire

In the first case, an online questionnaire was used to derive as broad a sample as possible of sentiments from Chinese international pupils at London Universities every bit good as the few contacts I had in China but this was a really little sample from which it would non hold been possible to pull distinguishable decisions. Dalsimer and Nisonoff ( in Visvanathan et al 1997 ) noted some research which besides used Chinese pupils as an illustration of successful resistance to State policies and intercession. This gives proof to my chosen cohort of participants.

Prior to the questionnaire being sent out I emailed a transcript of my inquiries to the gatekeepers so that they may go through them on to the possible participants. This had advantage of guaranting a higher figure of participants due to the fact that they could be certain that there were no ‘surprise ‘ or uncomfortable inquiries. It besides meant that participants had the chance to give the inquiries some idea before shiping on the elaborate on-line version and gave me a grade of certainty about the dependability of the informations.

The nexus for the online questionnaire was sent in an electronic mail via the gatekeepers. This electronic mail besides contained within it an lineation of the type of subjects to be covered in the questionnaire. Some of my contacts in China could merely pass on via electronic mail and non by on-line study so I emailed a simpler version of the online questionnaire to them alternatively to promote maximal engagement. Brown and Dowling ( 1998 ) outline the serious restraints a research worker faces if entirely utilizing questionnaires.

Electronic mail references were requested at the terminal of the questionnaire to let for follow up where permission/email reference has been granted. The questionnaire nexus was sent out by an familiarity through the constitution for whom I work. This person is analyzing at post-graduate degree at another London university and was in a place to assist happen Chinese pupils for my research. Equally far as was possible, they tried to happen me participants from both urban and rural China but this proved highly hard.

The intent of the questionnaire was to dig deeper into personal experiences of China ‘s instruction system and the kinds of barriers ( teacher outlooks, parental influences and determinations taken, deficiency of school installations ) or signifiers of societal exclusion encountered every bit good as a agency of happening interesting people to instance survey in item. It was besides intended as a manner of garnering informations about the more general experiences of Chinese young person sing their gendered upbringings and success in going internationally nomadic. All participants were over the age of 18 with the purpose of geting a more experient position of instruction and gender stereotypes in China.

Interviews and Case Studies

After collating the online questionnaire consequences two Chinese adult females were selected to explicate my instance surveies. I really much keep the same point of view as Gerson and Horowitz who assert that:

“ To unknot the complexnesss of large-scale societal alteration, it is necessary to analyze the elaboratenesss of single lives. Individual interviews provide the chance to analyze how large-scale societal transmutations are experienced, interpreted and finally shaped by the responses of strategic societal histrions. ” ( In May 2003: 200 )

The analysis of such informations would turn out really interesting and worthwhile as it suggests ways in which societal alteration may happen. Another of import factor sing interviews and their positive properties is that they can make what the study or questionnaire can non. It allows the research worker to follow up thoughts and investigation deeper, even if this means diverting from the original set of inquiries. Responses and significances can be clarified at point of contact and so even after the interview ( Bell 2005 ) .

Interviews are besides clip devouring and may discourage participants but every bit long as a maximal clip frame was given I found that my participants were more than happy to take portion. Johnson ( in Bell: 2005 ) concurs with this point. Interviews took topographic point via telephone. Any inquiries about the interview were answered before it took topographic point so as to do the participant feel at easiness with the process. Interviews were digitally recorded and so transcribed.

My purpose was to happen out the sentiments of those who have experienced Chinese instruction first manus and the ways in which their households, the State and community ( for illustration instructors, other community members ) were involved in the determination devising procedure for the participants ‘ educational hereafter. These have been used in my instance surveies as peculiar illustrations of female authorization in China but it will non be possible for to pull any steadfast decisions from them. This would be an illustration of purposive sampling ( Blaxter et al 2006: 163 ) .

I have chosen to utilize the instance survey method of research due to the little sample of participants available to me. However, the instance survey is agrees to be best suited to little scale research ( Blaxter et Al: 2006 ) whilst besides leting me to dig profoundly into the person ‘s experiences. The instance survey attack is besides a really ‘real ‘ method supplying a clear image of person ‘s experiences instead than the bland and impersonal character of informations collected via questionnaires merely. It enables me, as the research worker, to research the complex features of Chinese societal life ( Cohen et Al in Blaxter et Al: 2006 ) , how cohesive the State, household and community are and how these influences and relationships impact on the person. By showing ‘real ‘ people who have experienced empowerment via their ability to entree good beginnings of instruction we be able to pull possible scenarios that might be replicated on a wider graduated table, possibly with the aid of NGOs. This would necessitate farther research with the cooperation of the State. However, it should besides be noted that there are disadvantages to composing up instance surveies in that they are notoriously hard to analyze.

Triangulation

This method seeks to formalize one ‘s ain research by comparing it to other published beginnings. I will be comparing my findings with that of Tsui and Rich ‘s ( 2002 ) to detect whether or non adult females are sing authorization and greater degrees of liberty as a consequence of life in an urban country where the one-child policy is purely enforced. Hannum ‘s assorted large-scale undertakings on misss ‘ instruction in Gansu are besides of relevancy. This means of triangulation would let me to see what adult females are truly sing in urban China in order to see how this compares with rural China. It would be enlightening to detect whether Tsui and Rich ‘s research can back up my findings and if non whether there were peculiar differences originating from the instance surveies which might explicate this.

Datas Analysis

The research has focused on the narrative component of the questionnaires and interviews as opposed to the statistical side but as my sample involved so few people it would non hold been appropriate to make this anyway. I found that the pupil cohort of participants had stronger positions about their upbringings and instruction. Statisticss have been consulted from other published beginnings in order to clear up the current place of educational registration and attainment in China.

Datas from the online questionnaires has been presented in a tabulated signifier in order to be able to cross-index and comparison responses with greater easiness. Coding has been used to abridge every bit good as to foreground any similar responses. . Interviews were transcribed from a digitally recorded version and so compared harmonizing to their grouped subjects in order to help the my analysis. These were besides coded and themed. However, this was rather ambitious as the sentiments given were rather wide.

An indispensable component of this survey is to analyze the informations given in the instance survey illustrations by comparing and contrasting the assorted sentiments given. The procedure of information analysis will be double. The instance survey findings of the urban participant will ab initio be described and discussed in item whilst being cross-referenced with the findings of the Literature Review and theoretical model. Following this there will be an analysis of the rural participant to measure whether there is a disagreement between these two countries. Differences between the genders will besides be profiled. The findings will besides mention back to the research discussed in the Literature Review. Bogdan and Biklen ( 1982: 145 ) refer to this signifier of qualitative informations analysis as “ working with informations, organizing it, interrupting it into manageable units, synthesising it, seeking for forms, detecting what is of import and what is to be learned, and make up one’s minding what you will state others. ”

Restrictions of my survey

There were restrictions of researching a state with a different linguistic communication to my ain and jobs with accessing translated policy paperss. My ain experience of seeking to entree Chinese diaries and informations have been met with this linguistic communication barrier and so relevant stuff may already be in relation to my research but these are n’t accessible by anyone except by those who can talk and read in Chinese. Using Chinese subjects besides highlighted jobs of interlingual rendition and reading. In these instances I was fortunate plenty to be able to clear up replies with the person.

Having to trust on merely a few participants besides leaves room for their ain prejudice to pervade the informations. Cross-referencing with the positions of people who took separating the online questionnaire may assist in some ways to chase away this. On a theoretical note, Batliwala ( 1993 ) emphasises the jobs of mensurating authorization as the term ’empowerment ‘ is a combative one and so mensurating it would besides be far from straightforward. Kabeer has outlined ways of mensurating authorization but in China, where cosmopolitan instruction itself is hard to estimate, authorization presented itself as an country worthy of considerable scrutiny. By transporting out this research it may be possible to light the construct of authorization being drawn out from existent life experiences.

Womens suffrage movement BY raider2014 Victoria Woodhull- The first woman to declare herself as a candidate for president, Woodhull announced her run on April 2, 1870, by sending a notice to the New York Herald. This was an absolutely astounding thing to do: women only recently received the right to vote in the two relatively obscure territories of Wyoming and Utah, and it would be another fifty years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment that assured the ballot to all American women. Moreover, she took this step without contacting any leading uffragists, who by then had been well organized for more than two decades.

Susan B. Anthony and others were stunned by the action of this controversial woman, whose “open marriage” was the talk of New York City. The next presidential election was two years away, and Woodhull used this time to bring attention to women’s issues, including the right to vote. Undaunted by the fact that women could not vote and that she was not yet old enough to legally become president, Woodhull traveled the country campaigning. Her speeches not only advocated the vote, but also birth ontrol, “free love,” and other positions that were a century ahead of her time.

Many listeners were surprised to find themselves more sympathetic than they had expected: her beauty, soft voice, and reasoned arguments took the edge off of such shocking statements as her belief that marriage was “legalized prostitution. ” Woodhull and her sister, Tennie C. , were in Jail, however, when the 1872 presidential election occurred. Because they wanted to draw attention to the era’s hypocrisy on sexual matters, their newspaper published the facts about an adulterous affair between the nationally popular Rev. Henry Ward Beecher and a leader of the women’s movement, Elizabeth Tilton.

It was true, but not politically correct, and the sisters were indicted for both libel and obscenity. The charges eventually were dropped, but the scandal was enough to end Woodhull’s presidential aspirations, as she spent election day in Jail. Belva Lockwood- Belva Ann Bennett McNall Lockwood was a self-made woman who adopted bold positions in support of equal opportunity for women. She lived her life fighting to ensure that women had the same opportunities as their male counterparts, both by xample and in her law practice.

Lockwood was set to graduate from law school in 1873, but was notified that she would not receive her degree. She appealed to President Ulysses S. Grant and he intervened on her behalf. Later she refused to take no for an answer again when she lobbied Congress for the right to argue in front of the federal courts and helped get the bill passed in 1879. She also Joined the National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) lecture circuit, which made her money and gave her recognition.

She would upset the NWSA, though, with her decision to un as a presidential candidate for the National Equal Rights Party in 1884. Susan B. Anthony and others felt that Lockwood’s decision was self-serving and distracting from their greater mission, but she saw it as a way to bring attention to women as genuine citizens. Although always a fringe group, the party had its strongest support in Calitornia, where San Franciscan Marie tta Stowe served as the vice- presidential nominee.

The party’s platform was not Just limited to feminism: it included positions on foreign affairs, civil service reform, and other issues, including n innovative proposal for federalization of family law. The Lockwood/Stowe ticket won Just over 4,000 votes in six states, but Lockwood was not discouraged and ran again in 1888. “Women should not merely talk about what needed to be done”, she said, “but should do it”. Margaret Chase Smith- Margaret Chase Smith served 32 years in Congress and was the first woman elected to both the House and Senate.

Although a champion for women’s issues, she was always clear about being seen as a U. S. Senator and not a woman Senator. In 1964, she became the first credible female candidate for president. Unlike her predecessors, she had legislative experience. A liberal Republican closely associated with her native state of Maine, Margaret Madeline Chase was born to a blue-collar Skowhegan family in 1897. Her entry into politics began when her employer suggested that she be added to the Skowhegan Town Committee.

She still was carrying out traditional wifely duties, however, as this helped husband, Clyde Smith, be elected the U. S. House in 1936. She moved to Washington and served as his aide, doing research on pending bills and assisting with speeches. When Clyde died in 940, Margaret won the special election to succeed him, and three months later, Maine voters elected her to the first of four full House terms. Smith moved up to the Senate in 1948, defeating both Maine’s current governor and a former governor.

Her 1960 re-election was a milestone for women, as it was the first time that two women were nominated for a U. S. Senate seat: Smith easily defeated Democratic nominee Lucia Cormier. Nationally respected by 1964, Smith ran for president. Most states did not yet conduct primaries, but she ran credibly in those that did, and won the votes f 27 delegates at the Republican National Convention that nominated the more conservative Barry Goldwater. At 66, ageism Joined sexism as a factor in her loss.

She was not credited for her greater experience; instead pundits speculated about whether Senator Smith was menopausal. Her point that “l haven’t seen the age played up in the case of the men candidates” was in vain. Patsy Takemoto Mink- Patsy Takemoto Mink was the first woman of color to serve in the United States Congress, but it was the work that she did there that should be remembered. Mink epresented many groups that, prior to her election, had been absent from national politics, working tirelessly to serve women, minorities and the poor.

She brought attention to issues that others ignored. Takemoto learned first-hand that she could not take citizenship and the promise of the U. S. Constitution for granted: her family was put under surveillance after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, and her father was taken from their home for interrogation. Like most Hawaiians of Japanese descent, the Takemotos were not sent to an internment camp, but the awareness that most ainland Japanese Americans were incarcerated was an important factor in Patsy’s development.

She graduated from law school in 1951, however no Chicago law firms wou d hire her, which sne initially thought was due to her ethnicity, but her gender and married status were also negative factors. Instead of allowing herself to be defeated, she and her husband moved to Hawaii. She opened her own law practice, becoming the first female Japanese-American lawyer in Hawaii. Active in the territorys Democratic Party, she also was a founder of the Young Democrats of America. This led to her election to the Territorial House of Representatives in 1956 and to the Hawaii Senate in 1958.

Plan: For |Against | |Same jobs, paid less |Able to do any jobs, just not cut-throat | |‘Traditional’ |Can do more jobs than before S&S | |Higher jobs dominated by men |Hard for men to be accepted in women’s jobs too | |‘Old boy network’ |Dangers for women | |‘Glass ceiling’ |Religion | |Just want to be taken seriously |Women saved first on crashes etc | |Exam results |Stay-at home dads | |Not stay-at-home-dads as they can earn more money | | The ‘Old boy Network’? Wrong Frequency For Women. Ladies and Gentlemen; I believe that it is time for change. Change not only to the ‘pecking order’ but to opinions as a whole. Read this with an open mind, as I believe that together in unity we can make women’s voices heard over the noises of vacuum cleaners and screaming children. Is there any reason for women to still be treated as second-class citizens here in the UK?

Do their fingers really have the magic touch for housework and not hard work? Of course not! Everyone knows that women are perceived in this way because of tradition. A tradition that we cannot will not and should not be part of. Just because women used to have to stay at home and look after children, or men did all of the ‘dangerous jobs’ why should that still be the case? Women have undoubtedly proven themselves just as capable, if not more, than men in most jobs, so why is it still so hard for them to break through that ‘glass ceiling’? Many women will have been in the position where a male colleague earns more than them for doing the exact same job. This is unfair treatment and should not be condoned.

A friend of mine called Annabelle is an excellent banker, the best out her level of the company, yet she has been repeatedly rejected from a higher positioned job in the company. Each of these times the positions have been given to a male. A coincidence? I think not. She was more highly qualified than these men, and had worked for the company for longer, so why was she overlooked? Has The ‘Old boy network’ been on the rampage again? Is it because women occupy only 1 in 20 of the ‘top jobs’? Will it really come to her loosing her femininity to get the job she really deserves? Women just want to be taken seriously and to get the respect they deserve, yet is seems that most of the time to reach their goals they have to loose friends, and dress or act like men.

Why is it harder for women to gain the respect of men than the other way around? In a recent survey only 3 out of 50 women said that they would be comfortable being in control of an office or group of men, yet 42 out of 50 men said they would be comfortable being in control of women. Others will argue that women are the ones that are too scared to break out of traditional placements. There are no jobs that only men are allowed to do, it is just that many women won’t go into these jobs, as the dangers are too high, or the hours will not let them see their families often enough. Women are not ‘cut-throat’ enough. They do not want to trample on people on the way to the top, as they do not have that sort of mentality.

Most men will go to any extremes to secure their ‘dream job’. Women can do many more jobs than even 50 years ago. Their rights have improved tremendously, and now cannot be discriminated against. It is extremely hard for men to be accepted into predominantly woman-dominated jobs. It is not something against women, just something that is to be expected if any sex is going into the ‘other sex’s territory’. For example, male nurses are often abused or made fun of because they are not doctors, and women doctors find it hard to be taken seriously by the male doctors. The dangers of some jobs for many women outweigh anything else. Men have the physiques to estrain, resist and persist against tough weather, or heavy objects, ‘it is a biological fact that women are generally weaker than men. ’ In many of the religions now observed in the UK the women are treated worse than the men, yet this is their choice. If they did not agree with it, the women could leave the religion, and be treated as equals in the multi-religion society that is the United Kingdom. There are 20% more ‘stay-at-home-dads’ than 30 years ago. This shows that the women are free to work, and the men can do all of the ‘traditional’ female jobs. Many women are not taken on at the higher jobs because of the worry of maternity leave.

The companies employing them must think of the future and the inevitability that at some point most 30-year-old women will want children. Another main point is that women are saved first, along with children, on sinking ships, or crashes. This means that their lives are put above men’s. The fact that men are not generally the parents who stay at home backs up the argument that men will be more likely to be paid more, whether it is due to a higher position, or a wider range of jobs open to them. Girls have been out–shining boys in the public exams for years now, which shows that they are not only qualified to do the same jobs, but in many cases more qualified.

If you think of any type of job that both men and women do, and think of the ‘high-flyers’ within those jobs you will certainly think of a man. This needs to change. Women will inevitably keep fighting for their rights; ‘we will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail’ when it comes to getting what we deserve. Dr. James Macaroni of Oxford University told us that women get more stressed at work due to the pressure and strain of having to constantly work at the same level, whereas men get breaks within their stress when they get promoted. Do we really want to have women constantly put below men? Should women always stay traditional? So, fellow readers, I ask, why not change the pecking order today? Why wait until it is too late?

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the many notable citizens in the early 19th century America. She was an activist that fought against the system. For centuries women felt powerless unable to turnover their fate, But Elizabeth felt like she needed to do something to switch the outcome. The day Elizabeth was born she knew that she wanted to do more than be a housewife. She was the founder of civil rights for women, one of the first head leaders , and was a writer.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born November 12, 1815 she had a total of ten siblings. Elizabeth mother and father suffered a lot because all their sons passed away at such a young age and they were only left with their daughters. In the 19th century this was a bad thing because women couldn’t do anything while men had all the power. According to Ken Nelson in the biography “Elizabeth Cady Stanton,” Elizabeth and her siblings had one brother left alive up until he turned twenty he passed away causing so much pain to their mother and father. Elizabeth father even told her that he wished she was a male instead of a female. (Nelson, Ken) After hearing her father she decided she wanted to prove him she can be better than any son he had.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton believed everyone deserves equal rights. She made it her goal to change the way people saw women and hoped to inspire women to follow her. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was knowledgeable with the law because her own father was a lawyer. She knew to have all women’s voices be heard she needed to get the right to vote. That was all about to change on February 3, 1870 they had passed the fifteenth amendment that allowed all men to vote. That set light to the women that they had hope to change the fifteenth amendment to allow everybody the right to vote.

Elizabeth and three of her friends wanted to inform other females about giving equal rights to women voting. They created a group known as the National Woman’s suffrage Association. They would have meetings where they would give speeches to empower women. On Susan B. Anthony speech, she said, “It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the union.” I thought this quote was so powerful because she’s informing people we need to be unite instead of separating people from their appearance or gender.

Not only did they give speeches, but they had a newspaper called the revolution. According to Allison Lange, Ph.D. on, “Suffragists Organize: National Woman Suffrage Association,” the revolution talked about the right to women on not only voting but the right to attend college or get a divorce. (Lange, Allison) I think this was important because it was giving women the faith to fight back. It is teaching women that they can be independent. One of the statements that the Revolution had been, “Justice, not Favors. —Men, their Rights and Nothing More; Women, their Rights and Nothing Less.”(Lange, Allison)

A woman should gain many things from a university education. Simply obtaining passing grades and graduating with a diploma are not the only benefits of college. Another benefit should be the development of confidence and self worth. They should also be exposed to a diverse population and to beliefs that differ from their own. They should form lasting relationships with other people from this time in their lives. They need to grow, to change, to mature and to experience everything college has to offer.

Women should be encouraged and supported by faculty, not just taught as a number. Finally, they should gain real life experiences, not just “book learning. ” Universities today are not providing adequately for their students. SAU is as guilty of this as any other college. All too often, students are allowed to blend into the crowd. Students are not encouraged to be individuals. They are too often judged by someone else’s pre-set standards.

They are made to feel as though they must look a particular way, dress in popular fashions, drive the right automobiles, and associate with certain people just to be accepted. Universities, SAU not excluded, still allow sororities, fraternities, and other organizations to include or exclude people on a whim. Those fortunate enough to be accepted look down on those who are not. Universities also overlook the needs of entire groups of people, such as older college students and commuters. Another area that SAU and other universities fail in is support for students.

Advisors are often too busy to sit down and counsel students. Students must plan out everything and spot their own deficiencies, then try to remedy situations on their own. A final area that needs improvement in all schools is that of preparing students for the real world. Too often, all lessons come from a book. Faculties should provide students with genuine life and work situations. More practical experiences would help all students. There are people who graduate from college only to find they hate the jobs for which they have been trained.

This might be avoided if there had been real world experiences. In summary, too many of today’s colleges and universities are teaching at the students, instead of simply teaching students as people. Until these college and universities recognize that everyone is not the same, this will not change. They should see that each individual has things to offer, and not expect everyone to conform to a rigid set of expectations. The world would be a truly boring place if everyone were just like everyone else.

It has become a troubling cliche that women feel unavoidably attracted to men who are completely wrong for them. This leads to other overarching platitudes that permeate our social interactions. All men are pigs. Nice guys finish last. The frustration over these seemingly impenetrable absolutes builds and builds until it bursts in a flurry of Cosmo quizzes. What’s going on, and can it be remedied?

You all know someone who’s been affected by this paradox, and probably have encountered it sometime yourselves. A friend of mine recently had her birthday ruined by her boyfriend. He accompanied her and many of her friends on a trip to Magic Mountain. After disappearing for hours, she finally found him. He was asleep in her car in the parking lot, which he had broken into in order to nap inside, the ideal resting place. His only present to her was a card. They are still together today.

I couldn’t have written a more ridiculous scenario myself. (Well, I could, but it would involve a lobster playing trombone.) Are women attracted to guys like this because somehow the qualities of meanness and insensitivity are inherently desirable?

The answer is no. Granted, there is a positive correlation between the degree of a male’s lack of compassion and his ability to engender the attention of the opposite sex, but as any of you know who have taken a statistics course, a correlation does not prove causation. There is an underlying factor that produces this result.

That factor is power. What women seek is someone who is powerful, who can control any situation and make things go his way. From an evolutionary standpoint, this means women are far more likely to be attracted to the guy who kills the charging lion than the guy who paints one on the cave wall.

If there is one thing that jerks certainly have, it is power. Women perceive them as having great security and influence. What they often fail to notice is that this power is derived through meanness and selfishness. Conversely, kindness and selflessness are perceived as signs of weakness.

I do not recommend, however, that women try to find comfort in the arms of the spineless.Spineless people aren’t necessarily kind. They simply possess too much cowardice to act on their angry impulses. Kindness is not the absence of malice; rather, it is the active pursuit of the satiation of the needs of others above one’s own.

It takes far greater strength to pursue good instead of evil, as the odds are stacked against the good. A jerk demonstrates his strength by dominating other males through force and/or humiliation. A kind man will be far subtler. My grandfather once gave me some advice on the subject. He said, “A great man doesn’t tell people how great he is. If he is truly great, then they will know it.”

Clearly something separates the boys from the men, but how to define that separation? Rudyard Kipling comes fairly close in his poem, “If.” I leave it to you to read it; it will be two minutes well spent. When it comes to how a male treats a woman, I have found a definition that seems to distinguish the mature from the immature.

A boy sees his woman as a treasure. She is beautiful, charming, intelligent, etc. The boy will recognize all of these positive attributes as valuable, and therefore worth preserving through his best efforts. He does not love her for herself, only for how she makes him feel about himself.

A man will treasure his woman. He will cherish her, support her, and devote the best fibers of his being to her. This is based on sacrifice and love, rather than on possession.

A treasure, noun, is an object worth keeping. But a relationship should not be a museum in which a male showcases his best piece. To treasure, a verb, implies upkeep and care, dedication and perseverance, love and honor. This is surely the measure of a man.

In trying to avoid sub-standard men, women often fall into another relationship sand trap, the older man. By older, I refer to an age they should be together. At the same time, our wants must be tempered with cognizance. The “plenty of fish in the sea” metaphor still applies to the beginning of a relationship. Squeeze a few tomatoes before you pick one out.

Most of us aren’t out there looking for husbands and wives just yet, so perhaps it is adaptive that the qualities that make a good spouse are not those we necessarily value in a college relationship. On the other hand, high school is over, so perhaps it’s time for the homo erectus in the varsity jacket to say goodbye.

I find it disheartening that women, seeking powerful men, would rather date Lex Luthor than Superman, or at least are more likely to fall for Luthor initially. Of course, not all guys fit neatly into the categories of heroes and villains.

In truth, we are neither. Ladies, give us the litmus test for selfishness. A man should be a pillar of strength to his woman, but he should be made of something warmer than cold stone.

Boorstin discusses the distinction between dissent and disagreement, and deems one to be a dangerous cancer, and the other to be the life blood of social commentary. Despite Boorstin’s claim that dissent is the ugly mutation of disagreement, dissent is actually the more powerful, radical predecessor to disagreement. Dissent is the opposition based off of an unpopular opinion, whereas disagreement is an opposition to more socially explored issue. Disagreement is the safe way to bring about change, a passive and fast moving path as you have support behind you.

In the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement, the challenge they proposed to society wasn’t a simple disagreement, but a radical dissention. Until it became a popularized notion, women’s suffragettes were considered to be out for their own personal amusement, and not for the betterment of a society. Once enough support had been gathered behind the movement, the ideas that had once been considered dangerous were no longer all that socially unacceptable. This is not to say, however, that disagreement is not a worthwhile pursuit, it is in that the seed of dissention must be continued to be carried out, but it is the safer method.

The argument against dissention is, a minority opinion should not be supported so as not to disturb the social waters. However, it is necessary for dissent to occur for disagreement to develop and for society to change. Without radical opposition to the current social norms, society will never move beyond its current state. Progress is necessary in human society. In other words, rather than being a cancer of argument, dissention is the necessary struggle before the art of disagreement. It is a necessary part of the social plotting process.