Women’s Gender & Sexuality

Nineteenth Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

First wave main themes

Seneca Falls Convention, right to vote

2nd wave time frame

1960s - 1990s

Second wave issues

Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools, Roe vs Wade legalizes abortion

Second wave main themes

Women's Liberation, sexually and reproductive rights, equal pay

Forth wave issues

Harvey Weinstein allegations, First annual Women's March (in 2017), 2020: George Floyd, and BLM Protests, intersectionality

Essentialism vs. social constructionism

Essentialism; the belief that one is a girl/boy due to how they feel, that they are inherently a girl/boy. Social Constructionism; the belief that one is a girl/boy due to how they were raised

Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization

Overturned Roe vs Wade, lets states decide abortion legality

4th wave time frame

2016-today??

Main themes of the feminine mystique

White middle-class women not being happy with their lives, The immigrant mother giving her all for a daughter to have a life where she doesn't need to work, The suburban housewife is the dream of America, Women feeling unfulfilled

Roe vs Wade strategy

the lawyers argued that the 14th amendment covered the right to privacy, and thus criminalizing abortion would violate that privacy

When was the 19th amendment ratified?

August 18, 1920

1st wave time frame

1848-1920

First wave issues

Getting the right to vote, right to education

3rd wave time frame

1990s - 2010s

Third wave issues

Anita Hill accuses Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, increased internet use

Third wave themes

deconstruct notions of universal womanhood, gender, heteronormativity

Forth wave main themes

#metoo, rape culture, intersectionality, social media brings feminism to the mainstream

Declaration of Rights and Sentiments

Written in the style of the declaration of independence, calls for; women's right to vote, access to education and careers, economic independence from husbands, property rights in marriage

Major split among ______

Suffragists, should they fight for black men's rights as well or only focus on white women's right to vote?

Second wave objectives

National Organization for Women (NOW), founded in 1966, the Equal Rights Amendment,

Combahee River Collective

black feminist lesbian socialist organization in Boston, formed bc they didn't believe either orgs (NOW & Civil Rights movement) didn't have space for intersectionality

Combahee River Collective Statement

Major text of Black Feminism, Discusses interlocking systems of oppression and intersectionality, Coined the term "identity politics" (center on individual lived experiences of the oppressed and interlocking oppressions)

Betty Ferdan, the Feminine Mystique (1963)

The white suburban housewife has been fed the lie of the "mystique of feminine fulfillment" Friedan speaks with housewives who feel incomplete, unfulfilled, challenges assumption that housework and motherhood is all that women need for fulfillment, Controversies: focuses only on suburban white middle-class women, some women do find fulfillment in marriage and motherhood, doesn't acknowledge working class women who don't have a choice

Second Wave Feminism philosophies

Are men and women inherently different (essentialism)? If so, should we celebrate and encourage those differences? (ex: women deserve protection, the ERA would take away protections)

Sex vs gender

sex is biological; gender is the predetermined roles for men and women in the community

Main themes of Combahee River Collective

Their interlocking identities, They are the only ones who are going to save themselves, Capitalism must be replaced with socialism, They must not abandon black men, women and children, Black women are at the bottom of the hierarchy,

Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings Main Themes

Hill was very composed; Thomas denied these allegations, calling it "a national disgrace…a high-tech lynching for uppity Blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves."

Christine Blasey Ford/Brett Kavanaugh hearings Main Themes

Ford was very apologetic and wishes she could do more; Kavanaugh was angry and loud, made sure everyone knew he was angry, and denied the allegations

What is intersectionality?

The complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination combine, overlap, or intersect.

Which forms of discrimination are often considered in intersectionality?

Racism, sexism, homophobia and classism

Who does intersectionality particularly affect?

Marginalized individuals who have more then one marginalized identity

Oppression

the state of being kept down by unjust use of force or authority

Privilege

A special favor, right, or advantage given to a person or group.

Healthcare system

an organized network that delivers medical care services, but often ignores women's pain, especially if they are women of color

Roe vs Wade date put into effect

January 22, 1973

Unpaid Labor

Women are expected to do house work, even when both partners work. Women are seen as "just better" at small things that add up, such as making doctor's appointments, remembering birthdays, taking care of the children