Writing By: Shawna Winstead &

Amy Camberos

Earlier in history, the second-class status of U.S. women was taken for granted. Husband and wife’s were one which meaning him.

At the time women were not allowed to:

Vote. Buy property in their name

Serve in Jury Duty, Make legal contracts

A central lesson of conflict theory:

The power yields privilege, like a magnet,

Power draws society’s best resources to the elite.

Men used their privileges to use social institutes to

maintain their position.

Women basic rights were granted after a prolonged and

bitter struggle.

Back in the late

1800’s

1917 and still

women were

fighting for their

rights

Feminist were known as suffragists against such views

Here is a picture of one of the women that were arrested for

protesting in front of the White House. These women

were in peace protesting for their rights. In exchange

many women were beaten and arrested, in order to stop

the protest.

Women’s movement had a radical branch

that wanted to reform all the institutions

of society and a conservative branch who’s

main concern was to win the vote for

women, and it won in 1920.

At this point women were taught to

work temporary while completing

school and getting married.

Feminist instead looked at school as a

way to pursue their careers, and

started protesting against gender

inequalities.

Three aspects have become realized, this

is the wave that we are in today

A greater focus on women in the

Least in Industrialized Nations.

Criticism of the values in the work

place and society

Removal of impediments to women’s

love and sexual pleasure

A Sociologist name Sue Fisher, who

observed at a hospital was shocked to

hear, a male doctor recommends a total

hysterectomy, when a patient showed

no signs of cancer, then explained to his

patient that the uterus and ovaries are

“potential disease producing,” and have

no use for them after bearing children.

¾ of these surgeries or unnecessary.

Reality is that doctors make more

money when doing hysterectomies.

Male Doctors tend to discriminate women even

when seeking medical help

A researcher at Cedars Sinai Medical Hospital in Los

Angeles, California checked their medical records

and found that out of 2,300 patients with coronary

bypass surgery 4.6 percent of women died as a

result of surgery compared to 2.6 percent of men.

Excuses used were that women’s surgeries were

more complicated than men's, but reality is that

doctors take women's complaints of chest pains

one tenth lighter than when men complain of

chest pain.

Doctors are faster at giving men exercise stress

test, radioactive test, and surgery, more than

women. Doctors wait until it is to late to send

women to get surgery and then they die in the

Now more women are becoming

physicians, and doctors, which are

more sensitive to women’s health

problems, will be more concerned on

women’s wellness and will send

women patients to get pap smears and

mammograms done accordingly and in

timely manner for example.

Up until 1832 women where not even

aloud to attend college. When they

where finally admitted the were treated

as house keepers, doing chores for the

men. This went on until the 1900’s. Now

women make up 57% of the graduates at

the bachelors degrees and 61% of the

masters. However, there is still a gender

gap the kinds of degrees are still gender

based. Men going into fields such as

construction and women into fields like

library science.

The pay gap is one of the most notable

inequalities. Women make on average

72% less then men. This can equal

$650,000 total by the end of the career.

There a few factors in this pay gap, the most

prevailing factor is the job choices and

degrees that each gender chooses. While

men are generally in business and

engineering, which are higher paying

positions. Compared to the more feminine

jobs of teaching and nursing. This accounts

for about half of the difference in pay. The

rest is from gender discrimination and “child

penalty” assuming women missing work to

care for their family.

Out of the top 500 corporations

in the U.S. only 12 are headed

by women.

One hold back is that men see women as a

support group placing them in positions that

prevent them from climbing the corporate

ladder.

Another is the lack of a mentors, people to

guide and teach the next generation.

The ceiling is breaking though, women who

have been in their careers for decades are

now reaching the top, these women are

highly motivated and have learned how to

play by the man’s rules.