Gender
UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
CAVE HILL CAMPUS
INSTITUTE FOR GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
NITA BARROW UNIT
GEND 2201 WOMEN’S STUDIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST THEORIES
Semester 1: 2011/2012
Written Assignment
Name: Kasha Grimes
Id # : 409002427
Lecturer: Dr. Halimah DeShong
Due Date: 14th November, 2011
“Man for the field and woman for the hearth;
Man for the sword and for the needle she;
Man with the head and woman with the heart:
Man to command and woman to obey, All else confusion”.
Tennyson’s The Princess
For most of its history, western political theory has ignored women. Women have seldom appeared in its analyses of who should have power, when it finally decided to notice women it usually defended their exclusion from public affairs and their confinement to the home; only rarely have women been seen as political animals worthy of serious consideration. The inequalities that exist between men and women are seen as of little practical importance and theoretical interest. Feminist political theory however, sees women’s situation as central to political analysis, its focuses on why in most societies men appear to have more power and privilege than women and how can this be changed. The term feminist came into use during the 1880’s, indicating support for women’s equal legal, economic, social and political rights with men. (Bryson, 2003) Feminism reflects the varied needs and perceptions of women in different societies and situations. Feminists argue that all women have the right to education, employment, political participation and full legal equality. Although strongly opposed in the past, they are largely accepted in the west today. However, women still remain disadvantaged despite gaining legal rights. (Bryson, 2003)
All feminist do not think alike. Depending on time, culture and country feminism around the world have sometimes
CAVE HILL CAMPUS
INSTITUTE FOR GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
NITA BARROW UNIT
GEND 2201 WOMEN’S STUDIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST THEORIES
Semester 1: 2011/2012
Written Assignment
Name: Kasha Grimes
Id # : 409002427
Lecturer: Dr. Halimah DeShong
Due Date: 14th November, 2011
“Man for the field and woman for the hearth;
Man for the sword and for the needle she;
Man with the head and woman with the heart:
Man to command and woman to obey, All else confusion”.
Tennyson’s The Princess
For most of its history, western political theory has ignored women. Women have seldom appeared in its analyses of who should have power, when it finally decided to notice women it usually defended their exclusion from public affairs and their confinement to the home; only rarely have women been seen as political animals worthy of serious consideration. The inequalities that exist between men and women are seen as of little practical importance and theoretical interest. Feminist political theory however, sees women’s situation as central to political analysis, its focuses on why in most societies men appear to have more power and privilege than women and how can this be changed. The term feminist came into use during the 1880’s, indicating support for women’s equal legal, economic, social and political rights with men. (Bryson, 2003) Feminism reflects the varied needs and perceptions of women in different societies and situations. Feminists argue that all women have the right to education, employment, political participation and full legal equality. Although strongly opposed in the past, they are largely accepted in the west today. However, women still remain disadvantaged despite gaining legal rights. (Bryson, 2003)
All feminist do not think alike. Depending on time, culture and country feminism around the world have sometimes
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