Yudenys Cepeda English 1121
Introduction;
The question I chose for my annotated bibliography is “how has gender oppression changed throughout the years”. I became interested in this topic because of the play “Antigone” we read about in class. This play gave a great example of injustice, inequality and basic human rights. Among this, the play demonstrated oppression in women when it comes to a man being in power. Throughout history, we have witnessed gender inequality all over the world. Women have been disrespected, judged, and disfavored. Women are often seen as incapable of achieving a goal or incapable of being intelligent. Some results of this include an unfair education system among women, unemployment, lack of legal protection, freedom and so much more. We have made some changes in trying to treat women equally to men and developed new ideas that helped shape our expectations. I wish I could say that gender oppression or inequality doesn’t exist in today’s world but it does. Back in the 1880s, women did not have the right to vote, own properties ,or make contracts. They seemed like a man’s accessory. They were expected to take care of the house duties such as cleaning, cooking and organizing. Throughout the years women have gained the right to vote, own properties and now have a choice to be a stay at home wife or work outside the house. However, in some aspects, it is perceived that men have the right to hold power. In my research, I expect to get a better understanding on how gender oppression has changed throughout the years and how women are viewed in today’s society. I’m looking for answers on why we preach women’s rights but don’t practice them.
Source
Klimek. (2008). Antigone’s reach: A feminine model for today’s businesswoman. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Summary
This article focuses on the relationship of the play Antigone and businesswomen in the
corporate world. The author’s thesis focused on an analysis on how Antigone’s role in the play is similar to business women in today’s society. She states how Antigone’s character shows how she is not proud nor intimidated about being a woman. This stood out to the author because she states how in the corporate world, women are supposed to feel proud or intimated about being a woman. She emphasizes how women should just be equal as men in the corporate ladder. The author states “This study focuses on Antigone, one of the three Sophoclean tragedies, and how that play opens a window to
view modern women, especially businesswomen”. She discusses how business women are on the rise. The author explained that more women than ever are joining the business world to break social expectations. She emphasizes how women are supposed to feel intimidated in business when in competition with men. The author also stated “successful women are drawn to reality; they know advancement comes from within the process, not in the results”.
Analysis
This source was very helpful for my research. One of the reasons I chose the topic of gender oppression was because of the play “Antigone”. This source gave a clear understanding of the relationship between the play and business women in today’s society. I liked how the author used the play to show how women are viewed differently and less capable of achievement when compared to men in power. This source gave me the insight and examples I wanted.
Quote: “not proud nor intimidated about being a woman”.
Source 2;
“Explained | Why Women Are Paid Less | FULL EPISODE. Youtube, uploaded by Netflix. 04/17/2020, https://youtu.be/hP8dLUxBfsU”.
Summary:
This documentary was based on explaining how women were stay at home moms,
expected to serve and care for their husbands. In the documentary, they stated that as time passed and women got to get a job, they were paid less than men for doing the same job. Some of the reasons for that mentioned were that women are less intelligent, they can’t hold power, women should be raising children, women should be homemakers, women don’t have the same education rates and so on. The narrator of this documentary gave examples of why men are most likely to get promoted and retain power compared to women. They stated that even if a man and woman get the same education, same job and same experiences, the man will most likely be able to get promoted rather than the woman. The narrator states that if a man and woman have kids, the woman is the one expected to stay at home and care for the child. The woman is expected to attend the child’s meetings and be there if they get sick. In other words, the man is most likely to get promoted because he doesn’t have any other responsibilities other than a job. The documentary also gave examples on how in today’s time, women in Iceland get paid less than men. This video emphasizes how women are still being oppressed even though improvements have been made.
Analysis;
This documentary was very useful for my research question. This documentary gave
me insight on the gender wage gap we have today in places such as iceland. To me, this is a form of discrimination and oppression. We have been fighting women oppression for many years as the documentary portrayed. The example that was used in the video about both a woman and a man getting the same job but the man is most likely to get promoted, stood out to me. In my opinion, these are the expectations we have today. Most men would rather have their wife stay at home while they work. However, this is not always the case. Men also have maternity leave. Overall, this source was very useful.
Quote: “man is most likely to get promoted”.
Sourcel 3;
“Ill Schlesinger discusses the gender pay gap which has barely changed in 20 years. Youtube, uploaded by CBS mornings, 03/30/2023,https://youtu.be/ru0XWgctoaU”.
Summary;
This video discusses the gender wage gap we are facing and how it has changed
throughout the years. The video demonstrates statistics that show how in 2020, women were getting paid only 80% as much as men are. In 2022, this number changed to 82%. Black women were only paid 70% compared to men and latina women only 65%. To prove the statistics, they gave examples on how nursing was a profession run by women. However, more men started joining the career field and are getting paid more than the women that have been already there. They further explained that there’s a wage gap that havent been changed in years. One solution the documentary discussed was to have people be more transparent about their pay rate. They encourage conversation on how women can increase their salary if they openly spoke about their rights.
Analysis;
This source was very helpful for my research. This documentary included the
percentage of pay women get compared to men. I personally believe that we haven’t stopped discrimination and the wage gap we are seeing is proof of that. What stood out to me the most was how black women and latina women are the ones getting paid the least. For every dollar a man gets paid, a woman only gets roughly 77 cents ! This video was very informative because it gave me an opportunity to further research the wage gap between men and women. Indeed, the wage gap has barely changed in over 20 years.
Quote: “For every dollar a man gets paid, a woman only gets roughly 77 cents”.
Conclusion;
In my research, I found a lot of valuable information. Before initiating my research I
wanted to know how oppression on women has changed over the years. I found great examples of the expectations women have and examples of how women are oppressed. Some of the examples mentioned throughout my resources were how women are expected to be stay at home moms, clean, organize, cook and raise children. Women were denied access to an equal education, to vote, own properties and sign contracts. Throughout the years, women were able to break that chain and earned their right to vote and go out on the workforce. However, this doesn’t mean that oppression and discrimination against women doesnt still exist. I learned about one of the biggest differences women face against men, and it’s a wage gap. For every dollar a man makes, a woman makes only 77 cents. Latina and black women are especially those affected by the wage gap. One solution that was provided from my research included transparency. Not being afraid of speaking about our salaries and finding ways to improve our pay. This topic is important overall because I find it to be a basic human right. Gender equality can prevent violence against women, discrimination, and acts of hate. If women and men were to be equal, we would live in a safer world. As aforementioned, it’s a basic human right. If I had to pick someone I would like to know more about this topic, would be the general public of men. A lot of men are oblivious to this topic. If this information gets to men, especially those in power, maybe we have a better chance at fixing the wage gap. It’s essential for men to not only know about women’s oppression but to also act on changing it. Not much change has happened since women started fighting for their rights, but if we come together to strive for change, we can achieve it.
