Key Concepts of Feminism The Nuclear Family

Feminist theorists have examined how emphasis on the nuclear family affects society’s expectations of women. Feminist writers have studied the nuclear family’s effect on women in groundbreaking books such as The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir and The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. The Rise of the Nuclear Family The phrase nuclear family became commonly known during the first half of the 20th century. Historically, households in many societies had often consisted of groups of extended family members. In a more mobile, post-industrial revolution society, there was a greater emphasis on the nuclear family. Smaller family units could move more easily to find economic opportunities in other areas. In the increasingly developed and sprawling cities of the United States, more people could afford to buy houses. Therefore, more nuclear families lived in their own homes, rather than in larger households. Relevance to Feminism Feminists analyze gender roles, division of labor and society’s expectations of women. Many women of the 20th century were discouraged from working outside the home, even as modern appliances lessened the time required for housework. The transformation from agriculture to modern industrial jobs required one wage earner, usually the man, to leave the home for work at a different location. The emphasis on the nuclear family model often meant that each woman, one per household, was then encouraged to stay home and rear children. Feminists are concerned with why family and household arrangements are perceived as less than perfect or even abnormal if they stray from the nuclear family model.

Womens Roles Women of the Slaveholding South in the...

Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust chronicles the transition of women’s roles and attitudes in the South during the Civil War. The work of Faust does not only deal with the roles of women but also the changing attitudes of men in relation to the status of women in the South. The war itself was integral in the transformation of women and would bring about these changes for the better but would be painful for many who were raised in the subservient culture of southern society. With attitudes and the environment of a world without men, women were forced to change as were the patriarchs of the society who were no longer able to cling to outdated gender roles. Faust points†¦show more content†¦By using personal records Faust lets the reader see into the mind of women during this period, as we see some were more adaptable to the newer roles while others still tried to cling to the world they had known pr e-war. Those who longed for more would not hide their feelings when writing in their personal papers; many would focus their anger on their own gender, this frustration pouring out in their writings. â€Å"The men†¦who are worth something, will the off in their prime; while worthless women, of no value or importance to ourselves or the rest of the world, will live on, useless trash in comparison.† These were the words of Sarah Morgan; in these words we are able to see an awakening in the minds of some women that their prior roles had limited their progression. Faust details numerous accounts of women stepping out of what had become comfortable or normal and being prodded to evaluate themselves and other women and the roles that were imposed on their sex. Throughout the book Faust relies heavily on the voices of women from a range of backgrounds, focusing on those of privilege as well as on those of lower status. This allows the reader to get a greater knowledge of the subject as well as a better understanding of the women of the South. Faust also discusses the growth of women’s groups during the war, institutions that were more prevalent in the north prior to the war but would begin to blossom in theShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Women During The Civil War839 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom historians who have studied the role of women in the Civil War. The role of women in the Civil War have been both on the home-front and on the war front. During the time of the War Between the States, women took it upon themselves to not only support the men and the cause, but to become soldiers themselves. Women also became involved in politics and nursing the wounded. The archives to support my topic, Women in the Civil War, provide evidence of how women preserved in such a turbulent timeRead MoreWomen Of The American Civil War1499 Words   |  6 PagesIn Mothers of Invention, Drew Gilpin Faust has written a wonderful history of the â€Å"Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War†. This informative study allows the reader to get a look into the life of privileged white women of the south. Faust uses diaries, political documents, newspapers and personal letters, to give the reader to experience things through the eyes and in the words of the women themselves. Faust presents a number of southern women whose lives were changed by the societalRead MoreConfederate Women During Wartime Of American Consciousness1868 Words   |  8 PagesConfederate Women in Wartime In the American history, Civil War takes one of the prominent places due to the significance of it role in formation of American consciousness. The Civil Was of 1861-1865 identified the directions that the nation would take in the future development. Still, despite the importance of this event in the history of the United States, its impact on different spheres of human lives is commonly given less attention than necessary for understanding of the future changes in the

Before he came into his presid... free essay sample

Before he came into his presidency Truman had no knowledge of the Manhattan project. As he learned about this, Trumans main concern was ending the war as fast as he possibly could to save the lives of countless American Troops. Some of the reasons were, a vision on ending the war at the soonest possible moment, the excuse to research into atomic bombs, increased relations with the Soviet Union, and plain and simple just utter hatred and despise for the Japanese. Among the other reasons for Trumans interest in the use of the atomic bomb increased dramatically when Secretary of War Henry Stimson enlightened him on the capability of the bomb that might be as powerful as to be potentially capable of wiping out entire cities and killing people at an unprecedented scale. (13). Truman doesnt even seem to care about the number of lives he was actually about to save. We will write a custom essay sample on Before he came into his presid or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I say this in part that when he addresses such statistics hes not talking about Hundreds of thousands but only a mere thousands, which dont get me wrong, is a lot. But at what cost was it to another country who were going to lose up to tens of thousands.Learning that the number of casualties the bombs cause would be manipulated to the public so that it was favorable speak on how the United States thought how much the atomic bomb would affect U.S.- Soviet relations, was whether the United States should attempt to ease differences and allay Soviet suspicions or whether it should try to advance American objectives by intimidating the Soviets. (17) The desire for more close knit relations with the Soviet Union was definitely a factor in the conclusion to use the bombs against Japan. At that very time, the Soviet were going to declare war against Japan and following suit would have apparently strengthened our ties with them forcibly seeing as they were going to need the help of the U.S. in order to win the war due to the opinion we were the much stronger military power.Of course there was a bad taste in the United States mouths left after Pearl Harbor. Although some may see it as a good enough reason for vengeance for such a cowardly attack, its not one of biggest factors for Trumans agenda. But anyone with common sense could use that as the most publicly pressed reason for an excuse to use the bomb, The American public genuinely held hate towards the Japanese and their fury if something was not done in retaliation to the cowardly event. In my eyes the Americans would have settled for a victory in any way shape or form it had come. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions as to whether the bombs were necessary, some even question the morality of such an attack that is capable of wiping out an entire city. That kind of decision shouldnt be made my man or government no matter how bad their offense towards you is. There were so many innocent that paid the price for the actions of someone completely unrelated to them. This alone was seen as morally detestable.Due to the alliance between the Americans and the Soviet one could have concluded the Japanese would have been defeated quickly, making it visible that the atomic bombs would most likely not be deemed necessary.

Napoleon Essays (2919 words) - French Emperors, House Of Bonaparte

Napoleon World History Term paper Napoleon was one of the most influential people in the history of the world. He has affected people throughout the globe in many ways. He rose through the confusion of the French revolution to become Emperor of the French. His goal was to conquer all of Europe. Through out his lifetime he nearly succeeded in his goal. Napoleon was probably one of the greatest military leaders that ever lived. Napoleon Bonaparte, who is also known as the little Corsican, was born on August 15,1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica. He was known as the little Corsican because of his height of 5 feet 2 inches. He had 7 brothers and sisters. His original name was Napoleone Buonaparte in Corsica but it became Napoleon Bonaparte in French. His parents were Carlo (Charles) Buonaparte (1746-1785) and Letizia Ramolino Buonaparte (1750-1836). His original nationality was Corsican-Italian. He hated the French. He thought they were oppressors of his native land. His father was a lawyer, and was also anti-French. One reason Napoleon may have been such a conqueror was he was raised in a family of radicals. When Napoleon was nine, his father sent him to a French military government school. He attended Brienne in Paris. While there, the French students teased him. Because of this, Napoleon started having dreams of personal glory and triumph. In 1784 to 1785, Napoleon attended Ecole, Militaire in Paris. That was the place where he received his military training. He studied to be an artillery man and an officer. He finished his training and joined the French army when he was 16 years old. Napoleon was a National Guard for Corsica until 1793 when Corsica declared independence. Napoleon and his family then fled to France. He was then assigned, as a captain, to an army that was approaching Toulon. Napoleon soon took over France. After the French monarchy was overthrown on August 10, 1792, Napoleon decided to make his move up in the ranks. After this, Napoleon started becoming a recognized officer. In 1792, Napoleon was prompted to the rank of captain. In 1793, he was chosen to direct the artillery against the siege in Toulon. He seized ground where he could get his guns in range of the British ships. Soon after Toulon fell, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. In 1795, he saved the revolutionary government by controlling a group of rioting citizens by using a famous technique of his. He loaded a bunch of pellets into a cannon and fired it at the crowd. Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. He defeated four Austrian generals in succession, and each army he fought got bigger and bigger. This forced Austria and its allies to make peace with France. But after this, Napoleon was relieved of his command. He was poor and was suspected of treason. Napoleon had no friends. No one would have suspected what Napoleon would do next. In 1796, Napoleon was appointed to put down a revolt in Paris. He calmly took complete control of the situation. He had his men shoot all the rebels in the streets. The French government was saved, but they decided to form a new government called the Directory. Under the new government, Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. During this campaign, the French realized how smart Napoleon was. He developed a tactic that worked very efficiently. He would cut the enemy's army in to two parts, then throw all his force on one side before the other side could rejoin them. This method was extremely effective against the Sardinian troops, because he defeated them five times in 11 days. This made the King of Sardinia to try to make peace with France. Napoleon could not be stopped. He was a fast thinker who moved his troops extremely fast. Soon, instead of taking the defensive position, Napoleon started taking the offensive position and thus, he started his conquest of Europe. He started his attack on Austria. It was his first big campaign. During one attack, he showed his bravery by forcing his way across a burning bridge. After that his troops gave him the name Petit Caporal or