The terms “feminism” and “feminist movements” were developed in the modern time period (1850-1970) to address issues women faced in the modern world. Women worked together and separately for voting rights, equality in labor (and pay for that labor), equality in education, and control of their own bodies and reproductive rights. This writing assignment focuses on first and second wave feminism in Western Europe and the Americas (keep in mind that this includes Canada, The United States, Mexico, and Central and South America). This research project asks you to examine the lives of contemporary women, decide how women have reached this point in time, their successes and the obstacles they have overcome, and research the events that helped them as well as those that held them back. You may choose to add experiences from your own life in this paper. That is, if one of the topics below is particularly relevant to your life you might research that topic, and then use your paper to explain how the successes and obstacles women have faced with regard to that topic have affected you.
Begin your study of this time period by reading chapters 8-11 in your textbook, Women in World History, 1450 to the Present. Western European women and American women in the period between 1850-1970 have much in common, as you will see, and this is the beginning of first and second wave feminism, terms with which you will become familiar. See this exhibit from the Women’s History Museum about First Wave Feminism: First Wave Feminism and this article from the New York Times about Second Wave Feminism: The Second Feminist Wave.pdf. You might also look at this article about Adeline Hornbek, who established a homestead in Florissant, Colorado: https://www.nps.gov/flfo/learn/historyculture/adeline-warfield-hornbek.htm. Also look over this article, which documents some of the problems First and Second Wave Feminism helped women to overcome: A Bank of Her Own – JSTOR Daily.pdf
https://www.nps.gov/places/dearfield-colorado.htm You have been answering historical questions, analyzing primary and secondary sources, and drawing conclusions about the events of the past based on historical sources. But all of that material was provided for you as part of the course. Now you have the opportunity to create your own historical question (your thesis), research primary sources, and reach a conclusion that answers your historical question and the information you have found.
Follow these instructions carefully to complete this assignment successfully
First choose a topic. Use the Pikes Peak State Library, Pikes Peak Library History Research Guide, The National Women’s History Museum, and Women Gender and Feminism Primary Sources. Choose a topic from one of the areas below that relates to the obstacles women have overcome to arrive at this place and time. You might wish to include your own experiences as part of this assignment. If none of these apply to the topic you would like to explore, just send me an e-mail and let me know what you want to write about instead. As you are already aware, the women of the past have helped to create the world we live in today. Explore that world, and, if you wish, choose a topic that relates to your own experiences. Use the databases listed above to research your topic:
1. voting and governing rights,
2. paid and equitable employment,
3. Equal access to education
4. Family planning and reproductive rights.
After you have chosen a topic within one of the areas above, analyze the material you have read and add your own research from the Pikes Peak State Library, The National Women’s History Museum, and Women Gender and Feminism Primary Sources. Create an historical question by formulating an argument (developing a thesis) about the topic you have chosen. If you need help with a thesis look at Writing+The+Thesis.doc. You have been practicing this skill all semester in your essays and discussions so put it to use once again for your primary source analysis paper.
As you research your topic, make sure that two of your sources are primary sources. This is the rubric I will be using to evaluate your use of primary sources, your analysis of primary sources, and your essay based on those primary sources: Primary Source Analysis Rubric.docx. If you are unsure about what a primary source is see: Source Definitions: Primary vs. Secondary vs. Tertiary
Complete Steps A through E:
A. Conduct second-level research by reading the books and/or articles you chose from the Pikes Peak State Library, Pikes Peak Library History Research Guide, The National Women’s History Museum, and Women Gender and Feminism Primary Sources. DO NOT use a general internet search to find sources for your paper. Only articles from the assigned sources will be acceptable for this paper. I will check ALL of your sources so be careful to confine your research to the library and the assigned databases.
B. Choose at least two primary sources to use in your research. This should be relatively easy to accomplish as you are researching the recent (relatively) past and much information from this period is digitized.You may also use your textbook: Women in World History, 1450 to the Present, but the sources you choose are in addition to your textbook.
C. Your paper should be at least five-to-seven pages, and keyboarded in a 12-point font. You must have a bibliography, but the bibliography does not count as part of the five-to-seven page minimum length for this paper. Be sure to add any additional sources to your bibliography, but list only sources you have used in your research and cited in your paper in your bibliography. Use the Style Guide.docx to properly format your paper. For more information about writing a history paper see Writing Essays for History.html.
D. Use footnotes to cite all information that is not common knowledge, whether paraphrased, written in your own words, or quoted word-for-word. Word-for-word quotations must be placed in quotation marks. If you are still unsure about footnotes see Footnotes.html. Consult Pocket Guide to Writing in History by Mary Lynn Rampolla, for definitive information about footnote formatting and remember it is different from bibliographic formatting. If you did not purchase this book, the PPCC Library has many copies.