Midterm Essay questions
Directions: Write an outline for each of the following questions onto this sheet of paper. Bring this sheet with you on the day of your exam, as you will use your outlines to help write the essay. The instructor will pick two (2) of these as your actual exam essays. This sheet MUST be returned to the instructor in order to get full credit for the essays. Each essay is worth 50 points, for a total of 100 points. Remember your Blue or Green Book! Good luck!
1. In their respective articles (Enfranchisement of Women, Vindication on the Rights of Women, Ain’t I a Woman?, and Why I Became a Woman’s-Rights Man), Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass argue that it is time to change society and its view of women in society. How does each author address the issue the role of women in society and what does each offer as a solution?
2. According to the articles by Charlotte Bunch (Not by Degrees: Feminist Theory and Education), what does theory enable us to do? How does she describe theory, and its functions? What is the purpose of theory? Using Chapter 1 (pages 17-31) from the Lynne Ford book, define and describe the different types of feminism. Which one(s), if any, are applicable for women in the 21st century?
3. Define and discuss the two paths of equality—the legal equality doctrine versus the fairness doctrine. How can the demands for gender equality be resolved, given the existence of the two paths, patriarchy, and feminism as we know that today? Use Chapter 1 of the Ford book.
4. Discuss the impact of the Declaration of Sentiments and the Equal Rights Amendments (ERA) on the first wave of feminism and American society. What were the original goals of both the Declaration of Sentiments and the ERA? Why did it take so long (75 years) before suffrage was enacted? Why did the Declaration of Sentiments (and therefore, suffrage) succeed and the ERA failed? Finally, what lessons can current feminists learn from the first wave of feminism?
Chapter 2 of the Lynne Ford book and the film One Woman, One Vote should be referenced!
Please use all lectures, handouts, and textbook materials to complete your outline. Yes, you may include any quotes and citations.