Student
Paper F99-1-10
Fall 1999, Section I
Reviewer Comments
The
Scientific Revolution during the 16th and 17th centuries influenced religious and political thought in modern Europe. The
conservative theories of women did not improve the relationship between men and
women. Hence, the conservative perception of women during that time was
responsible for delaying the progression of women's rights in society.
Gender roles, education, and the right to vote were some of the issues that led
the struggle for women's equal status in society into the late 19th century. (1)
Conservative
views basically acknowledged that women were weaker and less capable than men
were. An example of opposition of women can be seen in John Knox's work, The
First Blast of the Trumpet-Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women (1558).
In this work, Knox supported his argument against women by using a scripture by
St. Paul: "I suffer not a woman to teach, neither yet to usurp authority
above man" (1 Tim.2: 12). (2) Knox further emphasized that the scripture
meant that "a woman promoted to sit in the seat of God (that is, to teach,
to judge, or to reign above man) is a monster in nature."(3)
Two
related areas that science had an impact on women's gender role were social and
biological thought. For example, in 1762, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a French
philosopher, who claimed that society had corrupted human nature, nevertheless,
believed that the physical difference between men and women would cause them to
"naturally grow into social roles with different spheres of activity."
(4)
Regarding
the aspect of biological thought, Charles Darwin, an English biologist,
published On the Origin of Species in 1859. In this work, Darwin
"set forth his theory that animals evolved through variation and natural
selection of those most fit to survive in particular environments." (5)
Thus, the principle of natural selection reinforced the views that woman held
the weaker gender role in society.
Eventually,
the role of European women became to be associated with domestic
responsibilities, such as house keeping, childbearing and nurturing, and
household management. And on the other hand, men were commonly considered as the
breadwinner within each family. However, these gender-determined roles were
tremendously affected by the early Industrial Revolution of Great Britain during
the 18th century. (6)
Since
the Industrial Revolution had begun in the textile production, the ability for
women of Great Britain to join the workforce offered new opportunities in
society. However, as textile production became more automated during the 19th
century, the textile factories required less skilled workers and more unskilled
positions. As a result, factory owners focused on unmarried women and widows who
worked for very low wages and were less likely to form labor organization. (7)
Thus, the opportunity for women to excel their role in society became a matter
of "false" production. One reason European women could not get
conditions changed for the better was due to their lack of an education.
During
the 19th century, European women had less access to education than
men did because there was not a public secondary or private educational system
available for women. The absence of this educational system prevented these
women from obtaining the qualifications needed to enter a university. The idea
of admitting women in universities brought deep concerns to the educated,
professional men. These educated men were scared that their professions would be
overcrowded. (8)
Even
though women mostly faced oppositions for an education, there was public opinion
that supported their efforts for an education. For example, Daniel Defoe, a well
know journalist from London, started his essay, On the Education of Women, with
the following sentence: "I have often thought of it as one of the most
barbarous customs in the world, considering us as civilized and a Christian
country, that we deny the advantages of learning to women." (9) Defoe also
claimed that women were God's finest and most delicate part of His Creation and
to provide woman "the advantages of education gives to the natural beauty
of their minds." (10) Therefore, Defoe strongly believed that women had
every right for an education.
The
deprivation of education and harsh working conditions were some of the important
reasons that European women entered the political arena during the late 19th
century. Yet, gaining the right to vote became the main issue for women to
acquire equal status in society. Eventually, this issue gave rise to feminism.
(11)
Since
feminists campaigned for women's rights, there were mixed political views among
men and women as well. For example male liberals feared that granting the vote
to women would benefit political conservatives because women were thought to be
very susceptible to the influence of priests. Therefore, the political
conservative could gain more votes in his/her favor. There were conservative
women who supported the conservative viewpoint in that a woman's place was at
home in order to raise her family. Nevertheless, the mixed political views
created differences in goals and methods used among the feminism movement in
order to achieve women's equality in society. (12)
Europe's
most effective women's movements were established in Great Britain. One branch
of British feminists called the Woman's Social and Political Union, founded in
1903, was led by Emmeline Pankhurst. Pankhurst was known as a militant
suffragist because she saw herself as a soldier in a civil war to gain the right
to vote. This branch of feminists used radical tactics such as arson and window
breaking on governmental establishments. When these British suffragists were
imprisoned, they went on hunger strikes. The authorities responded to force feed
the suffragists by inserting tubes down the throat and using liquid nourishment
to keep them alive. This was a painful ordeal that Pankhurst herself also
endured. (13)
Finally,
in 1918, the British government rewarded the British women for their long and
painful journey to gain equal status in society by extending them the right to
vote. (14) This action also indirectly, rewarded the rest of the European women
by giving them new hope and faith in their struggle to gain the right to vote.
Overall,
the conservative viewpoints of the European women in reference to their
relationship between men seemed to be based solely on observational measures
during the 17th and 18th centuries. In other words, the conservative views of women
seemed to grow from men's experiences with women and then generalized their
observations to all women. Therefore, causing all women to be stereotyped as
inferior. According to class lectures, these observations were supported because
men believed they were "instinct" experts during that time.
Even
though Knox and Defoe used the Bible to support their views on women, both of
them had contradictory interpretations. For example, Knox described women as an
image of a monster while Defoe presented women as an entity of beauty.
Nevertheless,
one may argue that the conservative view of women that manifested itself in
religious, science, and political thought throughout the last recent centuries
was responsible for women holding social positions inferior to men. Yet, others
may argue that there was a fear factor among the conservative men in that the
European women may overtake these men's positions in authority, education, and
social status in society.
In
conclusion, the distribution of unequal power between men and women in any
society will surely create inferior positions. Therefore, one may argue that the
lack of power was directly responsible for delaying the rights of equal status
in society for the European women. On the other hand, one may argue that women
were scared to change from their established, stereotyped roles in order to
support themselves or the feminists cause. Therefore, the European women could
not progress because they were always caught in a "catch 22," i.e., to
be "caught between a rock and a hard place."
Endnotes
(1) Donald
Kagan, Steven Ozment, and Frank M. Turner, "The Western Heritage-Volume C:
Since 1789," (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998), 903.
(2) Kevin
Reed, "The Blast of the Trumpet-Against the Monstrous Regiment of
Women," http://www.swrb.ab.ca/newslett/actualnls/FirBlast.htm
(14 Oct 99), 6.
(3) Ibid., 6.
(4) Kagan, 707.
(5) Paul Halsall, "Charles
Darwin: The Descent of
(6) Kagan, 768.
(7) Ibid., 768.
(8) Ibid., 847.
(9) Paul Halsall, "Daniel
Defoe: On the Education of Women,"
(10)
Ibid., 2.
(11) Kagan, 854.
(12) Ibid., 854
(13) Ibid., 857.
Bibliography
Halsall, Paul, "Charles
Darwin: The Descent of Man ,"
Halsall, Paul, "Daniel
Defoe: On the Education of Women,"
Kagan, Donald, and Ozment,
Steven, and Turner, Frank M., "The Western Heritage-Volume C: Since
1789," (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998).
Kelly, Mills T.,
"Western Civilization II," (class lecture, 1999).
Reed, Kevin, "The Blast
of the Trumpet-Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women,"