Gender, politics, and citizenship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gender, politics, and citizenship - Essay Example This is women activist implemented liberation movement that focused on women rights. Understanding the way racism, class, ethnicity and sexual orientation interconnect with gender issues are significant in creating a social meaning and political effects; thus providing active citizenship engagement in the contemporary society. The two readings of Lowe and Davis are complementary for understanding gender, politics and citizenship because this is one way of informing development policy. 0.. The two readings from the Davis and Lowe make an attempt of revealing the way gender affects women more than many in the society. The author’s main point revolves around gender politics and the political figures of women. This is through exposing us to the women’s liberation movement as a way of fighting for civil rights and working class issues in society. Both authors try to unmask the side of fighting for women’s suffrage. This ties the issues of anti- slavery especially for Asian immigrants and the introduction of anti- slavery activist for the purpose of struggling for the women’s suffrage. They attempt to reveal the way racism, ethnicity, class and sex differences have divided members of women movement. Other main arguments involve cultural differences and linguistic forms of a nation that creates contradictions in the political sphere. It also creates impact on citizenship towards the identity of a nation. Both authors also focus on women’s history, suffrage and work coalitions. Davis and Lowes’ readings are complementary for understanding gender, politics or citizenship. This is because the three terms as being described in the two readings seem to work side by side. They are interwoven in a manner that reveals the way gender affects women’s roles and their status in the society. Davis (2) defines gender by focusing on race and class as the aspects that contribute to political differences among various citizens. She reve als the way racism and class contributes to social and cultural differences. These inequalities contributed to political issues whereby women activist in history during the women’s emancipation made an attempt of maintaining justice. The abolitionist movement aimed to address issues that women are undergoing including the education inequalities and voting rights. Therefore, under the prominent women activist such as Elizabeth Candy and Susan Anthony among others, women were able to achieve their rights. This marked the new beginning of political history whereby women were allowed to enjoy similar opportunities like men. Moreover, both authors attempt to define gender as socially constructed norms, values and ideologies that determine the behaviors or action of male and female in the society. Understanding the notion behind gender issues is significant in determining power dynamics behind an individual’s access towards resource sharing or distribution, the ability for o ne to make the decision and the way different sexes are impacted by the political process or social development. They define gender aspects on citizenship as the affirmation or exercising  the  rights  of women in order  to promote equality. For instance, women tend to be more discriminated than men in the society, in all key aspects including education, political issues and decision making process. They take fewer controls on economic and political resources; thus incorporating gender aspects and political issues into programs

The Relationship Between Social Class and Gender in Jane Eyre Essay

The Relationship Between Social Class and Gender in Jane Eyre - Essay Example Jane's father was a poor clergyman, on the fringes of middle class, and her mother in marrying him had lost the name and advantages of her own superior social standing, so they both lacked a well defined social status and the situation became worse as they left her an orphan. As Susan Fraiman says, both Jane's parents were "socially ambiguous, and this ambiguity is part of their legacy to Jane" (616). This ambiguous station in life leaves her open to statements like: "No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep†. To this, the pressures of her gender add up, even the servants tend to sympathize with her less, because of her lack of good looks: â€Å""Yes," responded Abbot; "if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that." "Not a great deal, to be sure," agreed Bessie: "at any rate, a beauty like Miss Georgiana would be more moving in the same condition."† (Chapter 3) Jane is conscious of her social ambiguity and disadvantage in terms of femininity and its charms : â€Å"A Victorian woman's value resides chiefly in her femaleness† (Archibald, 8), and she seeks to overcome both through mental discipline in Lowood, where she does gain an education, only to become another socially ambiguous figure in Victorian England, a governess. This was the only respectable option open to a single woman without a family, or even money or connections enough to get suitably married