Women Gender and Politics chap 1-3
Tell me about "Motherhood bind"
"If you're not a mother, you're a failed woman. If you are a mother, you can't have enough attention to pay to serious work. If you are paying attention to serious work, you must be a bad mother."
Tell me about Lucretia Mott
1848, she and Cady Stanton organized meeting to talk about "social, civil, and religious rights of women." They ratified the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions- echoed declaration of independence and listed grievances against men. Excluded suffrage because Mott said they must "go slowly" in making demands.
Tell me about the 3 waves of feminism
1st wave- 19th and early 20th century. Right to vote 2nd wave- 1960's and 70's, more in workplace, credit in their own name, reproductive rights Worked for equality in society, economy and politics Included organizations such as NOW 3rd wave- 1990's-present 1992 was "year of the woman" many run for office Emphasis on cultural and sexual diversity Emphasis on racism, poverty and environmental issues
Tell me about individualism
AKA political liberalism, stresses the importance of rational thought, autonomous action, and choice on the part of each individual. Individuals status is determined by their actions, not by their station at birth.
Tell me about Patriarchy
The widespread control men exercise over social, economic, and political power and resources. Literally means "rule of Fathers" Idea of separate spheres strengthens power of patriarchy.
Tell me about coveture
Legal doctrine whereby, upon marriage, a woman's legal rights and obligations were subsumed by those of her husband. Not as important-In accordance with wife's legal status of feme covert.
What are the two paths to equality?
Legal equality doctrine, and the Fairness doctrine
List the different types of feminism and tell me a little about each type.
Liberal Feminism- believe achieve equality by changing the legal and political system to allow women equal access to opportunities and resources. Legal Equality doctrine. Radical Feminism- believes the sex-gender system itself is the source of women's oppression and advocates women's liberation through revolution. Revolutionary. Black Feminism- Incorporates dual oppressions of race and gender. Gender Feminism- Believes that traits culture associates with women and femininity are superior to masculine traits.
What are common political science definitions of politics?
the activities, actions, and policies that are used to gain and hold power in a government or to influence a government. Electoral, party, or institutional behavior.
Steps to Public Policy Making
1. Agenda Setting (problem identification) 2. Policy Formulation 3. Policy Adoption 4. Policy Implementation 5. Policy Evaluation
You are hired by a campaign to increase the turnout of women in a specific election. Having studied Ford, what are four avenues you might take in order to try to mobilize women?
1. Events and issues to capitalize on 2. high-profile women candidates 3. organizations that target women- NOW, Planned Parenthood, MOPS, etc 4. role of political parties
What is the "gender gap." Ford discusses several potential sources for the gender gap. Discuss them, and assess whether you think each lends support to those promoting the fairness doctrine or the legal equality doctrine (or both or neither).
-changing employment and attitudes of women -changing politics of men "womens issues"- abortion, and womens rights "mens issues"- use of force, military expansion -perceptions of the economy are different
Tell me about Sojourner Truth
-former enslaved women -abolitionist and women's rights activist -spoke at Ohio convention in support of women. gave hella good speech. -Held leadership position in AERA (american equal rights association).
What is the fairness doctrine?
Consciously recognizes the differences between men and women and argues that women will always be disadvantaged if they are not somehow compensated for the social, economic, and political consequences of those differences. Women must be treated fairly, and fairness may require laws, policies, and practices that treat women differently from men. One of the two paths to equality.
Tell me about Martin v. Massachusetts. Decision. Implications.
Could Anna Martin, as a married woman, make her own choices about remaining a British citizen or declaring loyalty to the revolutionary government of Massachusetts? -Law of coverture stated that a married man and his wife were the same legal person Martin v. Massachusetts established the principle in US law that a married woman's citizenship followed that of her husband. Until the passage of the Cable Act in 1922, American citizen women who married noncitizens automatically lost their US citizenship.
Tell me about Mackenzie v. Hare. Decision. Implications.
Ethel Mackenzie was denied right to vote because she was married to a non-citizen Scottish man.
Ford claims than an "insiders" definition of politics would overlook the contributions women made to, and in, politics prior to suffrage. What does she mean: what is an insider's definition of politics?
Focusing exclusively on political party activity, voting, campaigning, seeking office, or making direct contact with public officials.
Tell me about Phyllis Schlafly
Founded the Eagle Forum and STOP ERA, Organization formed to oppose the ERA, in 1972. Anti feminist. She was privileged, well-educated and headed her organization with multi million dollar budget, yet she denounced careers for other married women. Said ERA "degrades the homemaker". Claimed separate spheres was "source of women's fulfillment and God's plan for human survival".
Define intersectionality
Multiple components (race, sex, etc) come together and intersect to create different forms of oppression.
Tell me about Bradwell v. Illinois 1873. Decision, implications.
Myra Bradwell applied for admission to the Illinois bar in accordance with a state statute that permitted any adult of good character and with sufficient training to be admitted. Because she was a woman, however, the state supreme court denied her admission, noting that the "strife" of the bar would surely destroy femininity. Bradwell appealed the decision to the United States Supreme Court, arguing that her right to practice law was protected by the Privileges or Immunities clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Illinois constitutionally denied law licenses to women, because the right to practice law was not one of the privileges and immunities guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Illinois Supreme Court affirmed.
Tell me about NOW
NOW (National Organization for Women)- Feminist organization founded in 1966 by people attending the Third National Conference of the Commission on the Status of Women. -Called for equal employment opportunity and equal pay for women. NOW also championed the legalization of abortion and passage of an equal rights amendment to the Constitution. -Betty Friedan first president -Today has 550 chapters in all fifty states of USA
What historian identified the three assumptions of feminism? What are the three assumptions of feminism?
Nancy Cott. 1. Belief in equality, defined as opposition to ranking one sex superior or inferior to the other, or as opposition to one sex's categorical control of the rights and opportunities of the other. 2. Belief that women's condition is socially constructed and historically shaped, rather than preordained by God or nature. 3. Belief that women's socially constructed position situates them on shared ground enabling a group identity or gender consciousness sufficient to mobilize women for change.
Tell me about social capital
Networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.
Define Androcentrism
Practice of overvaluing the male experience and undervaluing the female experience.
What contributions of women to politics do those definitions (Insider's definitions) overlook or ignore?
Prior to suffrage, women seen as outsiders, and their opportunites to engage in politics was limited. But range of activities women undertook, the tactics they employed, and the issues they cared about were political. Ex: pre revolutionary war US- women organized public demonstrations to protest high cost of food and high taxes. Formed organizations such as Daughters of liberty, and Anti-tea leagues. Women also important in abolition, temperance, and progressive movements. They took on alot of "support roles".
Tell me about Separate spheres
Promotes belief that because of women's role in reproduction, they are best suited to occupy the private sphere of home and family. Men are designed to occupy the public sphere of work and politics. Aristotle- wrote "the Politics", "women are naturally subordinate to men".
Page 98, Ford indicates that "The patterns of political participation present us with a puzzle." What is that puzzle? And What "Plausible explanations" does she address?
Puzzle- women vote more, but men show more interest in, attentiveness to, and knowledge of politics than women. Explanations- 1. power of socialization: learning values, norms from culture and society around us. 2. Real and perceived structural barriers to participation- certain characteristics make some citizens less likely to participate. 3. Cultural counterpressures
Tell me about Public Private
Separate sphere ideology. Public- Assigns men to public sphere of paid labor, and political and social activity. -Women's claims to equality have challenged their exclusion from the public sphere and advocated for equal social, economic and political rights. Private- promotes belief that because of women's role in reproduction, they are best suited to occupy the private sphere of home and family, restricted from economic or political activity in public sphere.
Distinguish between sex and gender.
Sex- what you are assigned at birth. Male or female. Biological differences between sex organs. Gender- Socially constructed characteristics of women and men- such as norms, roles, and relationships of and between groups of women and men. Gender is a fluid identity. What one identifies as.
How does the slogan "the personal is political" reflect the goals of Second Wave feminism?
The meaning has sometimes been interpreted to mean that political and personal issues affect each other. It has also meant that the experience of women is the grounding of feminism, both personal and political. Feminist and writer Carol Hanisch's essay titled "The Personal is Political" 1970.
What does it mean to be a feminist?
To acknowledge the power of the patriarchy system, understanding the intersectionality and differences, and advocating equality for everyone.
***Tell me about mobilization
To get someone to participate. 4 factors can increase women's political participation: events and issues, high-profile female candidates, organizations that target women, and the role of political parties.
What is the paradox of gender equality?
Two different paths (legal doctrine and fairness doctrine) toward the same end can coexist.
Tell me about social contract theory
We create our government and govern ourselves, as opposed to the divine right of monarchy. In state of nature, everyone has a "right" to everything.
Title of Textbook and author
Women and Politics: The Pursuit of Equality. By: Lynne Ford
What is the legal equality doctrine?
Women have argued that equality is possible only when the differences between men and women are erased by laws that require men and women to be treated equally. One of the two paths to equality.
Arguments why women shouldn't be in politics?
Women might be too "soft" and they help the sick and poor which goes against Natural Selection. Aristotle- separate spheres, ppl are different and meant to do different things. Women don't have authoritative reason.
