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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter Six, what does the author claim women active in feminist movement have been ambivalent about?

2. What was the early feminist belief about creating change according to the author?

3. How does consumerism relate to the author's discussion of power?

4. For the author, what activity would be most likely to help spread feminism and its goals to a wider cross section of women?

5. Overall, what is the author's approach to presenting feminist ideas in this book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Essay on Ch. 9: Women and war.

In Ch. 9 the author discusses the nature of violence against women and the phenomenon of violence in general. She uses war as an example of how women, too, demonstrate a capacity for violence. In your essay, think about the connection between traditional beliefs about gender and the author's analysis of women and war. Use quotations by the author to support your argument where necessary.

1) Discuss the author's position on how war is an example of women's capacity for violence.

- How do women support war?

- Does women's support for war, and their encouragement of male family members to go to war, seem to come from and reinforce traditional beliefs about men's and women's natures (e.g. aggressive, nurturing, etc.), whether innate or culturally learned?

2) Is condoning war the same as condoning violence? What can you gather about the author's views on war? Following the author's thinking, is war an example of using violence as a form of social control?

3) Does encouraging women (and gay men) to participate in the military and in war promote social equality?

4) If violence is a manifestation of hierarchy and power, what do women have to gain or lose from participating in war?

Essay Topic 2

Essay on Ch. 7: Women and work.

From the beginning of the feminist movement, work has been an important issue in feminism. In this paper you will discuss early feminist views of work, as well as the idea of a gendered division of labor (e.g. housework as women's work, and therefore as devalued).

1) Describe traditional beliefs about work and gender. What kind of work was seen as men's work and what kind of work was seen as women's work? Do we still see these ideas reflected in contemporary society?

2) Quoting the text, discuss early feminist views of housework and of work outside the home. Does the rejection of housework by women reflect society's devaluation of so-called "women's work."

3) What is the author's critique of this early view, e.g. how is the early feminist idealization of work outside the home connected to traditional beliefs about success?

4) How can changing attitudes about work in and outside of the home assist in addressing the imbalances perpetuated by traditional, gender-biased beliefs?

Essay Topic 3

Essay on Ch. 1: The mainstream feminist movement.

In Ch. 1, the author goes into great detail regarding the weaknesses of the mainstream feminist movement.

1) Discuss the role of race and class in the author's critique. Why and how is mainstream feminist theory classist and racist? Provide specific examples from the text.

2) In the second part of your paper, discuss why and how less privileged women's perspectives can alter (and have altered) feminist theory.

3) What is specific to less privileged women's vision and perspectives that more privileged feminists have overlooked?

(see the answer keys)

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