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

Short Answer Questions

1. Following the author's reasoning, what does a societal trend towards women identifying with and pursuing male models of power show?

2. How does the author herself feel about the slow process of change and all the work that it involves?

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

4. In the author's opinion, how did early feminists view violence against women?

5. How does the author view housework?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Essay on Ch. 4: Sisterhood.

The concept of sisterhood is discussed at length in Ch. 4. In this assignment you will explore the complexity of the term based on your reading.

1) Is sisterhood something that exists automatically between women based on their gender? Why or why not.

2) When and how is sisterhood challenged?

3) Why does the author choose to base sisterhood on solidarity in the face of all forms of oppression, and in your opinion does this definition work?

Essay Topic 2

Essay on Ch. 6: Consumerism.

Analyze how resisting consumerism is, in the author's view, a positive manifestation of women's alternative uses of power. Please include quotations from the book to support your argument.

1) Begin by defining consumerism.

2) What kind of system does consumerism support, according to the author?

3) How does the author advise women to deal with consumerism? What strategies of resistance can they use?

4) Following the author's analysis, how is resisting consumerism a positive manifestation of women's alternative use of power?

5) Do you feel that consumerism distracts us from more important things? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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