fNaylin has 13 post(s)

In Caliban and the Witch: Women, The Body and Primitive Accumulation Silvia Federici portrays the oppression of women in relation to economic and social changes. Federici references an event known as Kett’s Rebellion, which plays an important role in discussing how women came together to revolt against these changes and later became demeaned for their actions. Kett’s Rebellion occurred in response to the beginning stages of land privatization and directly correlates with the ongoing degradation of women during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. Kett’s Rebellion sprouted due to the belief that “common” land could not be privately owned and maintained by the wealthy for profit. It was during the 1500s that Kett and his followers were able to successfully revolutionize against their government using warfare and other non-violent forms of protest. This includes a program constructed by Kett himself to eliminate the abuse of private common land ownership (Federici 83). Though the rebellion itself had later failed and discontinued, its influences did not. This was observed throughout the following years, after land privatization once again became a forthcoming threat to society.

The penalties that followers of the anti-enclosure movement faced due to Kett’s Rebellion and the emergence of a capitalist society imposed degradation on women after the 1500s. Women were subjected to the consequences of capitalization the most, seeing as how they had been forced to rely on their male counterparts for freedoms and support for most of their history. The common lands were once a place where women were free to embrace their ideas and such. But even that liberty was slowly being striped from them. It was women who became unable to support themselves because of their inability to become migrant workers, insufficient wages, and a lack of opprotunity. Instead, they experienced many limitations when it came to what type of work they were able to perform. In some cases, women supported the military by becoming cooks, washers, wives, and even prostitutes. Not a single woman was granted a combat position, let alone even permitted near the battlefield. All these restrictions and forms of economic and social control go on to prove that women faced the greatest loss of dignity.

In the third chapter of Angela Davis’ Women, Race & Class, much is revealed about the origins and beginning stages of the women’s rights movement. As Davis revisits the history of the women’s rights movement, she discusses the Seneca Falls Convention. What instantly becomes ironic is that although the convention was organized with the intent to give women a platform to express their need for liberation, there was an astonishing lack of female presence. Instead, men who had little concern for the issues that brought about the convention were largely in attendance, proving that male superiority still reigned over the female population.

At the Seneca Falls Convention it became evident that a large disconnect existed between women of different races. There was an enormous lack of inclusion of the heavily oppressed Black female community. Black women were completely disregarded in the conversations that took place regarding the liberation of women, despite the fact that they faced the same and often greater hardships than their white female counterparts. Black women faced oppression not only due to their womanhood, but were also subject to racism. It was only after Angelina Grimke criticized the insufficient inclusion of Black women that there became greater advocation for the Black female population.

Female workers were mostly limited to industrial fields, where they experienced gruesome work hours and conditions. The poorer a woman was, the more grueling her work would be. Those that were able to work within their homes usually were not in control of the types of work they performed or the flow of their wages. There were even times at which women were not paid for their work at all. This was due to the belief that women were expected to cater to the needs of their husbands, by ensuring that they tended to home and to their children.

Overall, Davis shows that race, sex, and class are all elements used to make women appear more inferior both to one another and in the eyes of a man.

Good evening everyone. My name is Naylin Rivera. Although I was born and raised in America my entire life, I am of Puerto Rican descent. I have a love for animals and a passion for music and attending concerts. Currently, I work part-time as a sales associate in a retail store not too far from the city. Originally, I was a student at LaGuardia Community College, but as my career interests expanded and altered I made the decision to transfer to Hunter College. As of now, I am seeking a Bachelor’s degree in economics. Nonetheless, I am still very much interested in finding opportunities to work alongside all types of exotic and domestic animals in the future. My main reason for taking Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies is because the class happens to fulfill part of the Hunter Core requirements. However, I am very interested in exploring the roles women have had throughout different time periods and how past events have impacted the lives of women in this day and age. I also want to have a deeper understanding of the injustices women have faced and what actions were taken by women in response to them.