Critical Anthology Coursework

Feminism's History

For some, the mention of the word 'feminist' inspires an image of a group of violent, angry women protesting 'women are better then men' and therefore believe they should be treated better then the male population. This is a stereotypical image which has arisen due to the lack of knowledge about what feminism is and what they fight for (although violence has been used by women in the past- purely to have their voices heard).

A feminist is a person (male/female) who believes that women everywhere should be able to to "define and re-define themselves in a world they believe has been predominantly shaped by men and male interests"- patriarchy- although most feminists also believe in extension that defining people in any way is also a product of patriarchy. So briefly, feminism is about challenging the way we think and the beliefs we uphold provoking individuals to see the world from a different perspective (in this case a woman's.)

'Feminism is about challenging the division of labour in the world that puts men in charge of the public sphere - work, sports, wars, government - while women slave away unpaid in the home, carrying the whole burden of family life.' (Introducing Feminism, Icon Books, 1994 p.3)

Although feminism believes that society has been shaped by men throughout history it is important to remember that there have been important examples of strong women, such as Joan of Arc - a martyr who was executed at the stake for being a 'witch'. Joan had devoted her life to her country fighting as a solider for her King and Country (France) but was betrayed as her death was a condition for King Charles to reclaim his country back and used her vision in a dream from God (informing her France should fight back against England) as evidence for her being a witch. Another example of a strong woman is Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. Her 45- year reign is generally considered one of the most glorious in English History and during it she established and secured the Church of England.

However, it is important to note that these women are exceptions to male dominated roles (solider/monarch) rather then the norm (domestic jobs). History in general has been written by men for men and women have been assigned their place in society and history accordingly (marginalised). Therefore it is logical to assume that most of our thinking has been shaped and formed by patriarchal interests.

It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution (late 18th century early 19th century) that gender roles became defined, males became the 'breadwinners' and the females became 'housewives'. Furthermore there was a great disturbance to the Victorian Class Structure, as a new class was developed- 'urban middle-class' (those who- from labour- had became increasingly rich) this came with problems such as a struggle for rights and people fighting against the oppression that came from feudal masters.

It was at this time of social, religious and political mass change that women began to express a desire for freedom against the ownership of men. Previously women had worked for their fathers/ husbands at home. But due to the new industrial centres across Britain, women could work independently from home. They received their own wages for their labour although they were lower in amount to a man's, furthermore they also had to work longer hours even though their jobs were not secure. Even during the late 19th century, the best financial security a woman could have was marriage. This meant that they would have to forfeit their rights to their own property and income to their husband. This ensured that a woman was completely dependant on the man as everything belonged to him.

“Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience.” (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman- Mary Wollstonecraft)

Mary Wollstonecraft, was one of the women who fought for liberation. Mary Wollstonecraft opened up a girls school in London (1783) which was unsuccessful although it did lead her to gain contact with other 'dissenters' (a group who disagreed to the treatment of all oppressed- not just women). Wollstonecraft also published a book called 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman' which was a foundation stone for the modern feminism we still have today. In this she expressed passionate views for the fight to equal rights of women and against their 'domestic tyranny' that had left them impotent to fight against patriarchy. By this she meant that women were 'forced' to stay at home and be domestic as they were uneducated, had no political rights and were socially and materially dependant on men for everything. Wollstonecraft had very liberal thoughts which was very shocking in the Victorian era, as a woman was brought up to be patriarchal, so saying things such as “My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone.” was very scandalous. And what's more this had a rippling effect not just in Britain, but reached out to other countries. In France, the playwright Olympe de Gouges, published the 'Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen', in which she called for equal rights in law, government and education.

Key Fact: The move to allow women the right to basic education, to keep their own earnings and to vote, took three generations of feminist struggle.

In 1859, The Society for Promoting the Employment of Women was founded and a Ladies Institute at 19 Langham Place. In 1865, The group The Ladies of Langham Place organised a petition for a Woman's Suffrage Bill to be presented in parliament by John Stuart Mill, a key Philosopher involved with Utilitarianism (a normative ethics theory which believes that the proper coarse of action is to bring about the greatest amount of happiness). John Stuart Mill took the issue of Woman's rights to parliament (something no woman could do). He even wrote a book 'The Subjection of Women' that argued that men and women are equal, and the differences between them were due the result of upbringing and education. ("I consider it presumption in anyone to pretend to decide what women are or are not, can or cannot be, by natural constitution. They have always hitherto been kept, as far as regards spontaneous development, in so unnatural a state, that their nature cannot but have been greatly distorted and disguised; and no one can safely pronounce that if women’s nature were left to choose its direction as freely as men’s, and if no artificial bent were attempted to be given to it except that required by the conditions of human society, and given to both sexes alike, there would be any material difference, or perhaps any difference at all, in the character and capacities which would unfold themselves.”)

In the 1870's and 80's, discussion moved towards the issue surrounding a woman's sexual subordination and the moral division between virtue and vice. Josephine Butler (a feminist who was especially concerned with the welfare of prostitutes) campaigned against the 'Contagious Diseases Act', which forced prostitutes to undergo a medical examination. The Acts were administered by groups of plain clothed policemen (who became known as the ‘spy police’). Their job was to keep the women in their area under surveillance. They harassed prostitutes and working-class women, many of whom were vulnerable and illiterate, with no knowledge of their legal rights. Women accosted were presumed guilty and if they would not comply with an examination they had to go before the magistrate to try and prove their virtue. Any woman could be identified as a ‘common prostitute’- as the definition of ‘common prostitute’ was vague which gave the police power. By one of these policemen a woman would be forcibly subjected to a fortnightly internal examination. Under these laws, any woman in designated military towns could be forcibly inspected for venereal disease. There were many instances of women who were not prostitutes and underwent the ordeal of examination (‘rape by speculum’). If found suffering from gonorrhoea or syphilis, she would be interned in a secure, certified lock hospital (a hospital with special venereal wards) for up to 9 months. Subsequently, the women who went through this ordeal were forced into the sex trade as, to all intents and purposes, she would have lost her respectability and with it her choice. Poor women were particularly at risk as they, unlike middle or upper class women, could not afford to always travel in a carriage or with a chaperon. It was decided that soldiers/sailors and other men should not be examined because they would not accept it as they believed the female body, not the men they serviced, was identified as the primary source of disease and prostitution. As the men were not checked, the Acts were futile in preventing spread of disease.Josephine Butler recognised the distorted and differing affects that the 'Contagious Disease Acts' had on each sex (harming women and privileging men) and interpreted prostitution as ‘abuse’ or 'exploitation' of one sex by another. She also raised the issue that for some women prostitution was their only work, and that this was fuelled by men’s sexual desires.

In 1892, 'The Local Government Act' allowed women the right to vote in local elections, and the right to stand as councillors. Furthermore at this time there was a rise in 'social purity' feminism (a movement that sought to abolish prostitution and other sexual activities that were considered immoral according to Christian morality).This lead to some women claiming 'moral superiority' to men as they had ridden themselves of their 'animalistic' sexual urges. Though some women opposed this such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton who claimed "A healthy woman has as much passion as a man.". However some women took a more direct and drastic action against the 'male sub-culture' by damaging bars- which they thought was the source of male brutality towards women.

The suffragettes (militant women) were the main movement that took this drastic approach as at the time, it was obvious to them that situations some women were in (even young girls) were so outrageous that action had to be taken, and they felt that violence was a natural, normal reaction that would get their message across quickly and would have instant effect for their cause. "I was a Poor Law guardian, and I shall never forget seeing a little girl of 13 lying in a bed playing with a doll - I was told she was on the eve of becoming a mother, and she was infected with a loathsome disease. Was not that enough to make me a Militant Suffragette? We women Suffragists have a mission - to free half the human race, and I incite this meeting to rebellion". This is a quote by Emmeline Pankhurst, a main figure to the Suffragettes, which examples one of the poor conditions females were put through due to their lack of rights. 

Emmeline Pankhurst was married to Richard Pankhurst, a radical reformer, atheist freethinker and supported the women's rights movement- which was a key issue at the time. Herself and her husband became apart of the 'Independent Labour Party', (ILP) but when her husband died and the ILP opened a hall in memory of Richard, she was outraged to discover that women were not allowed to join the branch of the ILP. It was at that moment that understood her socialist movement had been wasted and instead formed a new woman's organisation named 'Women's Social and Political Union' (WSPU). Their motto was "Deeds, not words". The WSPU grew rapidly to the point that in 1907 they had 3,000 branches, their own newspaper 'Votes for Women' which sold 40,000 copies per week and had 250,000 members attend the Hyde Park demonstration which called for the right to vote. However in 1911, the Prime Minister Asquith sidelined the suffrage issue. This caused the women to attack government buildings and to go on hunger strike.

Emily Davidson is another key figure to the suffragette movement. She joined the WSPU in 1906 and 3 years later gave up her job as a teacher to devote her full time for the suffragette movement. She was frequently arrested for acts ranging from causing a public disturbance to burning post boxes and spent a number of short periods in jail. By 1911, Davison was becoming increasingly militant and on the 4th of June 1913, she ran out in front of the king's horse as it was taking part in the Epsom Derby. Her purpose was unclear, but she was trampled on and died on 8 June from her injuries.

In 1914 war broke out, and although many women opposed it, more and more women were being  given 'men's jobs' for example- Engineering, making armaments, working in factories etc. They also got the same pay as men. As the Pankhurst's predicted war provided new employment opportunities for women. Just 2,000 had been employed in government dockyards, factories and arsenals in July 1914, but by November 1918, this figure had risen to 247,000. The number employed in the transport industry expanded by 555% to roughly 100,000. In other areas such as agriculture, banking and the civil service, there were smaller, but still noticeable, increases. At least one million women were formally added to the British workforce between 1914 and 1918. Many women did find their wartime labour experiences in some way 'liberating', if only because it freed them from woefully paid jobs in domestic service. And on 6 February 1918 the Representation of the People Act gave women over thirty years of age the vote if they were householders, the wives of householders, occupiers of property with an annual rent of £5 or more, or graduates of British universities. Although this bill enfranchised only about eight and a half million women, it was a start. Ten years later, in 1928, women won the right to vote on the same terms as men.

Modern Feminism

This video is just one example of how modern feminists are trying to get their voices heard in issues on women's rights. These young girls, use a blunt and shocking approach to show how women are still treated unfairly in a modern patriarchal structured society.

Statistics collected in 2013 show that approximately 85,000 women are raped on average in the UK every year, in addition over 400,000 women are sexually assaulted each year. This means that 1/5 women (aged 16-59) have experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16. Furthermore it was recorded that in January 2014, over a third of rape cases are dropped- this is most likely due to the victims being too frightened or ashamed to speak out.

In addition, recently the TV show EastEnders, the company has used the sensitive topic of rape in their story line, in an attempt to try and raise awareness on an issue that many feminists believe is dismissed through lack of understanding.

This is this episode which left viewers numb with shock as the plot quickly escalated to the shocking scene of Linda bleaching herself in the shower to rid herself of Dean's unwanted attention.

In the following episodes the viewers are shown a fragile and disorientated woman, who is trying to hold the family together (as there is a sub-plot which involves attempted murder) whilst also trying to hold herself together in a home she feels scared in.

As the storyline continues, it shows one of the strong possibilities that can be a result from rape-pregnancy.

According to medical reports, the incidence of pregnancy for one-time unprotected sexual intercourse is 5%. By applying the pregnancy rate to 346,830 female survivors, RAINN (an American website raising awareness on abuse) estimates that there were 17,342 pregnancies as a result of rape in 2012.

Linda doesn't know who the father is, and struggling with coming to the terms it could be her nephews and not her husband’s causes her to consider abortion. But being the woman she is (soft and maternal) she cannot bring herself to end a life.

Linda continues to try and move on, informing no-one of her attack, until her nephew starts to date single mother Stacey Slater.

Stacey herself was a victim of rape from a pub landlord, this resulted in her murdering the rapist and fleeing the country until this year when she returned home with her daughter and faced the court.

It isn't until Linda tries to warn Stacey that Dean is a dangerous player, that Stacey is understands there is something more sinister behind her warning. Stacey, having gone through the ordeal herself recognised the signs imediately and helped Linda gain the confidence to tell her husband by reflecting on her own past actions and what she would change.

Although the immediate events that followed were what Linda was trying to avoid by eventually telling people and letting people support her, she gained help from her husband, mother and friends and took one step closer to recovering.

This storyline has gained some negative attention which has been debated on whether it was right to expose such a sensitive topic. In an interview with the Radio Times, actress Kellie Bright, who plays Linda, was asked if she thought EastEnders should be tackling such a pre-watershed issue. She replied: "Yes. EastEnders is a programme that is supposed to be reflective of real life and this issue is part of our society. Why shouldn't it be tackled? I think it's been done in a really sensitive way. It's out there so it's not going to be a shock to viewers and they have the option to make a decision not to watch it. It's a way to educate people." Furthermore in a statement, the BBC said: ‘EastEnders has a rich history of tackling difficult issues and Linda’s story is one of these. ‘We have worked closely with Rape Crisis and other experts in the field to tell this story which we hope will raise awareness of sexual assaults and the issues surrounding them.'

Many feminists believe that it is due to rape culture that there is a lack of understanding. Rape culture means that as a society we excuse or otherwise tolerate sexual violence. More often then not it’s situations in which sexual assault, rape, and general violence are ignored, trivialized, normalized, or made into jokes.

This is the reason why most feminists were in support of the BBC's storyline, showing that rape is not something to be joked about but is a serious issue that is inflicted, on not just women but men. A feminist named Vicky Prior wrote the article, "EastEnders: Why Linda Carter’s rape by Dean Wicks is a necessary storyline.” for the Metro. 

In this article she talks about how even being "brutally aware" of the "violent" acts that happen against women, she believes in the illusion that other people are influenced by, "It will never happen to me." But there is an inescapable reality that most viewers found uncomfortable about the rape of Linda Carter: it can happen to anyone, at any time. As sexual attacks have been made more aware to society throughout time, women have learnt to take precautions against the dangers that men can hold. All women know to go on dates in public, or to avoid secluded places that aren't well lit (like back alley ways or parks).  But one of the reasons why Linda's rape was so horrific was due to it happening in her own home, a place she should have been safe and secure against danger. The other reason, apart from it happening by her nephew, was that he is the opposite to what we, as a society, imagine a rapist to appear like. Dean Wick's is an attractive man, owns his own business- quite the opposite to a "ugly old flasher in a dirty mac". This shows the viewers that this horrific ordeal can happen to the most normal of people.

As mentioned before the BBC worked closely with Rape Crisis to make the story realistic. This however means that Dean will be unlikely to be held accountable for his crime, as rape convictions are increasingly becoming lower. Furthermore, later on in the show, when Dean's secret is close to being out, he desperately tells Mick that it's Linda's fault for gaining unwanted attention as she wears "short, skin tight dresses" and that she practically "asks for it". 

This too shows a realistic attitude towards rape. That if a woman in dressed nice and is looking beautiful, it isn't for her benefit- it's for a man's- therefore she is 'there for the taking'. And when she says no or screams/ fights to get away, it's because she is being a 'dick tease' or trying to be 'kinky'. This too reflects the rape culture structure of our society.

In conclusion, the recent storyline of EastEnders’s is important, as our society has become to relaxed about rape and sexual attacks which is partly due to the rape culture. And this storyline also exposes how in danger men and women are- avoiding secluded area's is not always enough and feminists would agree.

Marxisim

Marxism is a political  movement which fights for the rights of the opressed. This theory was invented by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. This theory was created due to the belief that history was largely determined by the struggle between the upper and lower classes which had contrasting interests. Marxism is the theory of revolting against capitalism, the hegemonic ideology of society. The belief was, if the lower classes overthrew this structure, they would then be free to build a new socailist society which ended their oppression.

Modern Marxism

The 1970's

• On May 4th 1970- Ohio National Guardsmen were on the Kent State college campus to maintain order during a student protest against the Vietnam War. For a unknown reason, the National Guard suddenly fired upon the already dispersing crowd of student protesters, killing 4 and wounding 9 others
• In 1972 their was a terroist attack on the Olympic Games in Munich: Eight membersx of the terroist movements Black September snuck into the Olympic Village and killed 2 Israeli athletes were killed during the raid, 9 others were taken hostage. Black September tried to negotitate an exchange however their demands where not met. German officials organised a rescue resulting in the hostages murder.
• On January 22nd 1973- the U.S Government made it legal to abort babies.
• In 1974 the serial killer Ted Bundy, a notorious serial kiler and rapist, started his killing spree. Ted was connected to a minimum of 36 murders. In 1989 he was sentenced to the death penalty (electric chair). His intelligence and charm gave him a somewhat celebrity status during his trials, and his case inspired many novels and films.
• In 1975 Arthur Ashe was the first black man to win Wimbledon. He became an American World No. 1 professional tennis player. Winning 3 Grand Slam titles, ranking him among the best tennis players from the United States.
• In 1976 the first sign of Ebola in Sudan starts to show. A young boy conytracts the virus and within 10 days is dead. Over the next few months 602 cases are reported including 431 deaths.
• In 1978 the first test-tube baby was born. Though the technology that made her conception possible was seen as a triumph in medicine and science, it also caused many to consider the possibilities of future ill-use.
• In 1978, John Paul II became Pope.
• The Jonestown Massacre (1978), which had a death toll of 918 people, was the most deadly single non-natural disaster in U.S. Jim Jones founded Jonestown as he had a vision of a communist community, one in which everyone lived together in harmony and worked for the common good. This compound was under his control and far away from any U.S Government influence. However, it all went wrong when Congressman Ryan visited due to reports of bad things things happening there. It became apparent that some members of Peoples Temple were being held there against their will and offered the next day to help anyone who wanted to return home. At the airport, after an attempt on Ryan's life, followers from Peoples Temple shot innocents in cold blood. Later on that day,Jone's told his congregation that the military would react and the only way out was to commit a "relvolutionary act" of suicide. On November 18th, 1978, 912 people died from drinking the poison, 276 of whom were children.
• In 1979, Margret Thachter was the first female to become Priminister. The 'Iron Lady' is remembered for her steely resolve and determination over her conservative social and economic policies.

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