In the 18th century, there was no question about the role of a woman. She was to take care of the household, her husband, and her children. Women battled for their rights, arguing that they deserve at least basic rights such as being able to vote. In 1919, women were granted this right. Now, a century later, times have changed. But, how much? And in what aspects?
In present-day society, many will argue that women are in fact “equal” to men. With the modern feminist movement, women receive a lot of push-backs. Both men and women claim that feminism is past its prime, and no longer necessary. This idea that feminism is no longer necessary in society is a very controversial topic. While women are fighting for their right to equal pay, proper punishment for sexual assault, and simply the right to their own bodies, many people will claim that this effort is no longer necessary and that feminism is an archaic cause.
Why is this the notion that so many people are holding today? What makes people think that while progress has been made, there is nothing more to be done? The wage gap has become smaller, and we nearly had a woman in the presidential office. However, there is still more to be done, and younger generations are taking this problem to the forefront. 1919 had women’s suffrage, 2019 has the #MeToo movement and the challenging of rape culture. This shift, though slight, is still influential. Women’s rights may potentially be my paradigm shift topic, as I find it very interesting due to the intersectionality of the topic.
I think you chose a fantastic topic! The women’s rights and feminist movements have had so many major shifts over the years and has always been controversial. Ideas of what feminism is have changed both in the eyes of the public and within the movement. Feminism, specifically 2nd wave feminism, is also a passion of mine so I hope you choose this topic and I look forward to seeing where you choose to take it.
I think that this is a very interesting topic to discuss because it has such a strong connection to college students. We are the future of the world and changes in culture and treatment of women start with us. It’s especially interesting how your paradigm shift started a century ago, but is still so relevant today. Overall this is a very interesting topic and I think you can really do an interesting analysis of the treatment of women and how expectations for how women are supposed to act has changed over time.