“It takes belonging to the privileged caste to view the universe as one’s own, to consider oneself as guilty of its faults and take pride in its progress; those alone who are at the controls have the opportunity to justify it by changing, thinking, and revealing it; only they can identify with it and try to leave their imprint on it.”
– Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex
In February 1807, the New Jersey State Assembly became the last state in the U.S. to revoke women’s suffrage. Voting rights were then limited solely to white Protestant males who could provide property ownership. At the start of the 19th Century only 6% of the adult population could vote in the United States. The restrictions on women’s participation in government was an effort to appease Southern politicians who were concerned that New Jersey’s clause that allowed “all adult inhabitants” within the state to vote might also encourage slaves and “illegal aliens” (immigrants) to participate in elections in the South. In 1869 the Wyoming Territory would become the first region in the U.S. to reinstate women’s participation in government, sparking a chain of events that ultimately led to the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
It should also be noted that the 19th Amendment did not give women the right tovote. Because the Constitution does not expressly deny any citizen this right. Instead this amendment made it illegal to restrict a person’s ability to vote based on their gender.
Almost one hundred years later, issues relating to gender inequality are still at the forefront of major social and political issues in the United States and around the world. This week we will look into the gender and social disparity in America through case studies that address the lives of significant leaders in the gender equality movement as well as dilemmas regarding the past and present history of gender disparity.
This assignment focuses on the nature of American Citizenship and the also another essential aspect of how the American Empire of the late 19th century addressed the status of newly acquired territories such as Guam, Hawaii, The Philippines, and Puerto Rico. In your essay reflect on how far the social progress and voting rights of men and women at the turn of the century have been protected or denied.
You are expected to choose any one of the following resources listed below and then submit a 300-500 word review of your selected documentary in the class discussion board. Throughout this course we will be dealing with a number of controversial topics where students are encouraged to express a multitude of perspectives and ideas which should be allowed to be openly discussed.
Write a 300-500 word reviewon your chosen source. Your documentary/podcast review should contain:
A very brief summary (no more than 50 words) that explains the premise of your chosen documentary.
In your opinion, who is the intended of your chosen media source? Do the content creators succeed or fail in connecting to this audience?
Your response/reaction to the film. Here you can discuss the following:
What did learn and what you would like to learn more about?
Did you enjoy the structure/presentation of your chosen media or did it fail to keep your attention?
Were there any details that you found especially surprising or interesting?
What perspective or point of view do the content creators take when presenting your chosen media?
In your opinion is there a particular moral, political, or social ideology that your source is in on the side of?
Are there any individuals or groups showcased in your media source in a positive or negative light?
Do you feel that your source was balanced in presenting multiple perspectives, or mostly one sided?
Discuss at least one place within your chosen source where the information/presentation could be improved. This can include:
Describing at least one blind spot or missed opportunity your source could have addressed.
Places where the content creators could have provided more information.
Identify at least one instance of bias (a preference toward one point of view over another) that occurred in the documentary.
This could be from the way the film is presented, an explanation given by one of the experts interviewed, or the way the information is packaged.
Note: There will always be occurrences of bias in everything you watch in this class. Becoming aware of how a preferred point of view can inform the way a story is told is one of the primary goals of this course.
In order to earn full credit for the writing assignment:
Include in your review at least one example from your reading of our American Yawp text that most closely relates to the ideas presented in your chosen documentary/podcast.
Connect what you’ve discovered in your chosen source to at least one idea or concept that we discussed during the pre-recorded lectures, slides, or your reading of the American Yawptext
Documentary:
Websites to use
https://www.npr.org/player/embed/891442022/891622642#
Book:
Chapter 16:
Chapter 19:
Chapter 20:
