Women as Pioneers

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Anthony Zamora

Ms. Gilday

ENG 102-017

29 October 2010

Women as ioneers

Introduction

We can all name someone !ho is or !as a "ioneer. #hat someone co$ld ha%e settled in a

ne! land& de%elo"ed a ne! medicine& or maybe e%en ha%e been the 'irst "erson in o$ter s"ace.

($t o$t o' all these names& ho! many are !omen) * chose to research !omen "ioneers and the

!ays in !hich they ha%e "ioneered thro$+ho$t history. My research ,$estions incl$ded ho! a

"ioneer is de'ined and !hat traits they "ossess& !ho !omen "ioneers are& and iss$es 'acin+

!omen today. *t is im"ortant to in%esti+ate this to"ic beca$se !omen are +enerally not

reco+nied 'or their accom"lishments as m$ch as males are& des"ite the 'act that !omen ha%e

been able to accom"lish $st as m$ch as males& i' not more. #his st$dy !ill sho! !ho the "$blic

reco+nies as !omen "ioneers& !hy they reco+nie them as "ioneers& and !hat e%ents in%ol%in+

!omen as "ioneers are si+ni'icant. My research 'or this to"ic !as limited by a small sam"le sie

'or my inter%ie!s and s$r%eys. Only s$r%eyin+ my "eers in the same "lace ca$sed a+e and

+eo+ra"hical limitations.

Literature Review

#here are many areas in !hich !omen ha%e "ioneered. #hese areas incl$de b$t are not

limited to& medical research& m$sic& cinema& "$blic administration& the minin+ and ranchin+

'rontier& and the ri+hts o' !omen. *n the medical area& /lorence Ni+htin+ale is !ell no!n as the

'o$nder o' modern n$rsin+ and also raised the standard by main+ n$rsin+ a ey element o'


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modern medicine& "ro'o$ndly a''ectin+ h$man health h$n+ 134. Mrs. 5am"son Williams&

better no!n by her sta+e name& Madame 5elia& !as a 'emale A'rican-American !ho "ioneered

in the m$sical area. On the e%enin+ o' No%ember 16& 17& Madame 5elia became the 'irst

A'rican-American to "er'orm at the White 8o$se 8are 2264. #his e%ent !as not only a ste"

'or!ard 'or !omen& b$t A'rican-Americans as !ell. A !oman hi+hly re+arded in the cinema is

$cille (all& most 'amo$s 'or her role as $cy in the hit 19:0s sitcom I Love Lucy. Accordin+

to O;is? a common denominator 'or nations& continents& and hemis"heres& doin+

in entertainment !hat others ha%e not accom"lished in "ro'essional di"lomacy@ 214.

*n the area o' "$blic administration& Nellie #aylor oss !as the 'irst !oman to ser%e as

+o%ernor o' a B.5. state and to this day& she remains the only !oman to ha%e ser%ed as +o%ernor

o' Wyomin+ 5cheer 3:4.


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Research Procedures

My research consisted o' t!o inter%ie!s and thirty s$r%eys. * inter%ie!ed my mother&

heryl Zamora& a 'i'ty-ei+ht year old middle school teacher& in the month o' October 2010 at her

home. * also inter%ie!ed one o' my male "eers& #rey Dones& in the month o' October 2010 at

5tarb$cs in 5e%ier%ille& #ennessee. (oth inter%ie!s !ere %ideo recorded. * ased my

inter%ie!ees ho! they !o$ld de'ine a "ioneer and !ho the 'irst "erson is that comes to mind&

alon+ !ith !hat traits they 'elt a "ioneer "ossesses. * ased i' they had any "reconce"tions abo$t

!omen as "ioneers& and !ho they tho$+ht o' as a !oman "ioneer thro$+ho$t history and in

modern days. * ased my inter%ie!ees ho! !omen !ere in'l$ential d$rin+ the o$rneys o'

American "ioneers and !hat e%ents in%ol%in+ !omen mi+ht be considered to be ="ioneerin+.@ *

ased ho! they 'elt abo$t 8ilary linton and 5arah alin as "ioneers& and i' they 'elt that men or

!omen ha%e the ad%anta+e !hen it comes to "ioneerin+. astly& * ased my inter%ie!ees !hat a

ey iss$e 'acin+ !omen today !as& and ho! they tho$+ht that !omen co$ld "ioneer to con,$er

this iss$e.

My s$r%eys !ere distrib$ted to a hi+h achie%ers +ro$" at 5e%ier o$nty 8i+h 5chool on

October 1st& 2010. #he hi+h achie%ers +ro$" !as s$r%eyed d$e to the ass$m"tion that they !o$ld

"ossess the no!led+e to ade,$ately ans!er ,$estions on my s$r%ey. * collected s$r%eys 'rom

'i'teen males and 'i'teen 'emales so that * !o$ld ha%e a +eneral idea o' ho! each +ender tho$+ht

o' !omen "ioneers. /irst& st$dents !ere ased to a+ree or disa+ree !ith the de'inition o' a

"ioneer taen 'rom Merriam-Webster. #hen& * ased the st$dents i' they tho$+ht that the

"ioneerin+ s"irit !as still ali%e& !hat !ays it is ali%e& and !hy or !hy not the "ioneerin+ s"irit is

still ali%e. 5t$dents !ere ased to a+ree or disa+ree as to !hether "ioneerin+ is on land only& and


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also i' they belie%ed that 8ilary linton and 5arah alin are "ioneers. * ased the +ro$" !hat

!omen they tho$+ht o' as "ioneers and !hat traits characterie a "ioneer. #he 'inal ,$estion

ased o' the +ro$" !as i' they tho$+ht men or !omen ha%e the ad%anta+e !hen it comes to

"ioneerin+& alon+ !ith !hy or !hy not. An eCam"le o' the s$r%ey res$lts can be 'o$nd in

AEN


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Women s$rro$nd the "ioneerin+ !orld& in more !ays than "eo"le may no! it. *

researched !ho the "$blic reco+nies as !omen "ioneers& !hy they reco+nie them as "ioneers&

and !hat e%ents in%ol%in+ !omen as "ioneers are si+ni'icant. My res$lts "roected that the

American "ioneerin+ s"irit is stillali%e in s$ch !as incl$din+ technolo+y& medicine& s"ace& and

"olitics. A "ioneer can be de'ined by "ossessin+ one or more o' the 'ollo!in+ traitsH co$ra+e&

leadershi"& o"timism& intelli+ence& con'idence& determination& and the ability to in'l$ence others.

Women be+an to "ioneer more a'ter +ainin+ the ri+ht to %ote. #his e%ent led to the Women;s

Mo%ement and a more +eneral res"ect to!ard !omen. My research& d$e to miCed res$lts& did not

allo! me to determine i' 8ilary linton and 5arah alin are "ioneers or only "oliticians. #his

research has been sho!n that "oliticians can be "ioneers& b$t the 'act that "oliticians are or are

not "ioneers is hea%ily based on o"inion. 5acaa!ea !as the most in'l$ential !oman be'ore the

100s& hel"in+ e!is and lar ma" their !ay all the !ay o$t to the aci'ic. /$rthermore& in the

last 'i'ty years& osa ars and the stand that she too !as a notable "ioneerin+ e%ent to!ard the

de%elo"ment o' A'rican-American and !omen;s ri+hts. Men ha%e the ad%anta+e !hen it comes

to "ioneerin+& based on the 'act that !e are li%in+ in a male dominated society. Will this

ad%anta+e to!ard men e%er be o%ert$rned in the !oman;s 'a%or) Accordin+ to my inter%ie!s

and s$r%eys& males !ill al!ays dominate society. A ey iss$e that is 'acin+ !omen today is seC

discrimination.

8o! do these res$lts hint at the '$t$re o' "ioneerin+) A +ro$" o' yo$n+ men 'eel that

co$ra+e and leadershi" are !hat it taes to be a s$ccess'$l "ioneer& !hile a +ro$" o' yo$n+ ladies

belie%e that o"timism and intelli+ence are the traits that de'ine a "ioneer. no!in+ that the

American "ioneerin+ s"irit is still ali%e and !ell& !ill !e see co$ra+eo$s leaders as "ioneers o'

the '$t$re& or !ill these ne! "ioneers be intelli+ent o"timists) Only time !ill tell.


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Wors ited

h$n+& in+-#hom. Women Pioneers of Medical Research. De''erson& NH Mc/arland

I om"any& 2010. rint.

E"stein& ynthia /. and William D. Goode& ed.The Other Half Roads to Women!s

"#uality. En+le!ood li''s& NDH rentice-8all& 1971. rint.

8are& Ma$d . $e%ro Musicians and Their Music. Ne! JorH G.. 8all I om"any&

1993. rint.

Dones& #rey. ersonal *nter%ie!. 9 Oct. 2010.

Moynihan& $th (.& 5$san Armita+e& and hristiane /.


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Pioneerin% &urvey

1. What is your gender?

Male____ Female____

2. A pioneer is anyone who opens up new areas of thought, research, or

development.Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree

3. Is the American Pioneering spirit still alive? In what ways? Why or why not?

4. Pioneering is on land only.Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree

5. What women do you consider pioneers?

6. Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin are pioneers.Strongly Agree Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Disagree

7. What are some important traits of a pioneer?


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8. Men____ or Women____ have the advantage when it comes to pioneering.

Why?

Thank you for completing this survey.

Documents

Women as Pioneers