Aryan Sangha, Prof James Gorham | LCS 121 | April 15, 2019

Aryan Sanghaiprof James Gorhamlcs 121 P1april 15 2019 Sanghaiannotat

Aryan Sanghaiprof James Gorhamlcs 121 P1april 15 2019 Sanghaiannotat

Aryan Sanghai Prof James Gorham LCS 121-P 1 April Sanghai ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR PAPER #4 Yarrow, Allison. “How the 90s Hurt Gender Equality Progress.” Time, 13 June 2018, time.com//90s-gender-equality-progress/. ‘How the ’90s Tricked Women Into Thinking They’d Gained Gender Equality’ was a magazine article published by Allison Yarrow on June 13, 2018. The piece looks back into the recent past to educate the readers about gender inequality and the role of the 90s in its existence today. It begins with discussing the new opportunities—like postponing marriage and kids, seeking higher education and assuming economic roles and identities outside the walls of a home—the 90s brought for women.

The article focuses on factors such as a woman’s increasing marital age, which jumped from 20 to 24 in the 90s, and the surge in economic power to highlight that the fight against gender inequality was going in the right direction. The article provides examples of successful women in prominent economic and political roles, linking their achievements to women’s empowerment in society. Yarrow mentions Sally Ride, Madonna, Janet Reno, and Madeleine Albright to exemplify this trend. The writer introduces the term “cultural feminism” and movements like “Girl Power” to represent the growing momentum for gender equality. However, the article’s climax portrays contrasting perspectives.

Yarrow claims that although women gained more power, societal notions and pop culture also supported hostility towards women. She explains how media perpetuated subordination by objectifying women and reinforcing sexism, leading to harmful effects that persist today. I believe this source closely relates to the short stories studied over the semester, which mostly depict women as domestic, weaker, or powerless—like “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “Story of an Hour.” While the stories depict overt inequality, the article discusses a more implicit form, showing how women’s empowerment in the 90s paradoxically led to objectification and commodification. The article demonstrates that societal attitudes of gender inequality persisted despite progress.

Kasulis, Kelly. “The 2,500-Year-Old Roots of Gender Inequality.” Boston Globe, 4 Mar. 2017, BostonGlobe.com. This article explores the deep historical roots of gender inequality, tracing back 2,500 years through a study of Neolithic Age skeletons in China. Researchers examined male and female bones for stress markers and diet, revealing societal disparities: males had more riches buried with them, and females showed signs of malnourishment, with smaller skeletons and poorer diets—indicating early gender bias and deprivation.

The study supports the idea that gender inequality has ancient origins. Anthropological findings suggest that during times of financial hardship, females were deprioritized for food and resources, highlighting systemic oppression that has persisted across centuries. This historical perspective helps contextualize modern gender issues, including those represented in the literary texts studied this semester. It underscores how societal and biological factors contributed to the longstanding subjugation of women, which literature from the 1800s and 1900s often depicts explicitly or implicitly. Understanding these roots deepens comprehension of gender roles and oppression across different eras.

Sutherland, Ashley. “Higher Education Institutions Reflect Gender Inequality.” The Arizona State Press, 6 Apr. 2017. This article discusses the paradox within academia: while women dominate the education sector as students and faculty, leadership positions remain overwhelmingly male. It highlights stereotypes that label women as nurturing and caring—traits associated with teaching—yet bias favors men for administrative and presidential roles, reflecting broader societal gender biases.

The article emphasizes that lack of female representation in leadership impairs progress toward true gender equality. It relates to themes in the semester’s stories, which often depict women confined to domestic roles due to limited access to education and societal restrictions. Education appears as a crucial factor in empowering women, providing them with the tools to challenge gender stereotypes and gain influence. The article underscores the importance of achieving gender balance in leadership, which can catalyze broader social change and challenge long-standing stereotypes.

Paper For Above instruction

Throughout history, gender inequality has persisted across different societies, cultures, and eras, shaping the roles, expectations, and opportunities available to women. Literary texts, scholarly articles, and social discourses have consistently documented and challenged these inequalities, revealing both overt and implicit forms of oppression. Analyzing these sources collectively offers insight into the complex and enduring nature of gender disparity and provides a foundation for understanding the roots and ramifications of such inequalities.

One of the earliest manifestations of gender inequality is depicted vividly in literary works from the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour.” These stories illustrate women confined by societal expectations, familial duties, and constrained roles within domestic spaces. For instance, “The Yellow Wallpaper” portrays a woman suffering from mental illness under the guise of medical treatment, yet her condition is exacerbated by her enforced submission and lack of autonomy, symbolized through her obsession with the wallpaper. Similarly, “Story of an Hour” explores the brief realization of freedom experienced by a woman upon her husband’s presumed death, only to be tragically reversed when he reappears. These narratives underscore the systemic repression of women’s agency and independence during their respective periods.

However, the evolution of gender roles in the 20th century, particularly during the 1990s, introduced new dynamics. Allison Yarrow’s article, “How the 90s Hurt Gender Equality Progress,” examines this pivotal decade, which appeared promising with rising average marital ages, increased educational attainment, and women’s growing presence in political and economic realms. Prominent examples of influential women like Sally Ride and Madeleine Albright exemplify that progress. Yet, Yarrow warns that this progress was paradoxical; societal attitudes and media representations began objectifying women, reducing their empowerment to superficial standards of beauty and sexuality. Movements such as “Girl Power” and cultural feminism gained prominence but often perpetuated stereotypes, leading to the commodification and trivialization of women’s achievements.

Yarrow’s analysis reveals a contradiction—while women made progress, underlying patriarchal attitudes persisted, often manifesting through media and pop culture. This phenomenon is paralleled in the earlier stories, where women’s societal roles were rigid, but internalized and cultural norms further marginalized them. The articles and stories collectively suggest that societal change is nonlinear; progress in legal and economic domains does not automatically translate into cultural and ideological shifts. The persistence of sexism, as discussed by Yarrow, illustrates that societal attitudes continue to impede gender equality, a theme reflected both in literature and contemporary social discourse.

Historically, the deep roots of gender inequality extend back thousands of years, as demonstrated by Kelly Kasulis’s article on the archaeological findings from Neolithic China. The evidence of malnourishment and unequal wealth distribution between men and women indicates that gender bias is not a modern phenomenon but an ingrained social construct. These ancient disparities were reinforced by societal hierarchies that deprioritized women’s health and well-being, often during times of economic hardship. Such historical analyses deepen our understanding of the societal structures that underpin persistent gender inequalities today.

In addition to historical analysis, the contemporary educational landscape highlights continuing challenges. Ashley Sutherland’s article, “Higher Education Institutions Reflect Gender Inequality,” discusses the paradox whereby women dominate student populations but are underrepresented in executive leadership roles. This imbalance exemplifies how stereotypes about gender and leadership endure despite increasing female participation in academia and the workforce. Such disparities influence societal perceptions of gender capabilities, reinforcing stereotypes that confine women to nurturing roles and prevent their ascent to positions of power.

Educational access and leadership opportunities are crucial in fostering gender equality. When women attain higher education, they are better equipped to challenge traditional roles and advocate for equal rights. The lack of female representation at the top levels of academic institutions reflects broader societal resistance to gender parity. As the literature indicates, dismantling these stereotypes requires ongoing efforts to promote gender diversity in leadership and influence social norms—efforts essential for progress toward genuine equality.

In synthesis, these historical, literary, and social analyses demonstrate that gender inequality is both deeply rooted and multifaceted. While progress has been made, persistent cultural attitudes and stereotypes continue to hinder full equality. Literature from the past serves as a mirror revealing the systemic nature of oppression, and scholarly articles highlight ongoing challenges and pathways forward. Understanding the historical and contemporary landscape of gender inequality underscores the importance of continuous activism, education, and cultural change to create a more equitable society.

References

• Choplin, Kate. “Story of an Hour.” The Atlantic Monthly, 1894.
• Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The New England Magazine, 1892.
• Kasulis, Kelly. “The 2,500-Year-Old Roots of Gender Inequality.” Boston Globe, 4 Mar. 2017.
• Sutherland, Ashley. “Higher Education Institutions Reflect Gender Inequality.” The Arizona State Press, 6 Apr. 2017.
• Yarrow, Allison. “How the 90s Hurt Gender Equality Progress.” Time, 13 June 2018.
• Connell, R. W.. “Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics.” Stanford University Press, 1987.
• Freedman, Estelle. “No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women.” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002.
• Scott, Joan W. “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis.” American Historical Review, vol. 91, no. 5, 1986, pp. 1053–1075.
• Faludi, Susan. “Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women.” Crown Publishing Group, 1991.
• hooks, bell. “Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics.” Routledge, 2000.