Film: Women in Politics: Makers: Women Who Make America (vol. 2)

For this film review, compare Chapter 11 and the film in the areas of politics, access, attitudes toward women in Congress and Senate. How were they received by their male counterparts? Did women have any influences as members of Congress? What did they do to survive in Congress? When they ran for office, how difficult was it for them to get money and support? Do you think women have it easier today than in the past? If we elect more women to office, what do you think their issues would be? What does the future of politics look like for women? Remember, you can select a series of questions or give your overall thoughts (opinions) about women in society. NOW remember, the 70’s was a turning point for women in politics. Many women were already active in the Civil Rights movement and started to run for public office from school boards, local office, state office, and Congress. If you heard Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s speech, she mentioned that when she came into Congress, there were only a hand full of women in Congress. Today, there are over 70 members of Congress that are women, we have see how many more were elected last week. So, while you may not like Pelosi, she was the first women speaker in the history of Congress. Now, we may have the first African American speaker in Congress. The changes in Congress are happening. So, you may think the film is old, but it’s part of “her real story.”

Question 2:Week 6 July 15-21 unit 6.3 Ch. 11, 12 Gender and LGBTQ community, due Nov. 21, 11:30 pm

Chapter 11 covers a wide range of topics that is basically the history of women in the U.S. The chapter covers the social side of the history, while looking at the economic and political side of women in society. The social aspect begins with the terms “sex” and “gender,” how is this define? What does it mean when you used both in terms of interaction. For example, how do children interact with each other, boys and girls at home or school. How does socialization shape those ideas about boys and girls? Economically, we read in the chapter on immigrants about human capital, if they enter the U.S. with high human capital, they are more likely to had a good job. “Human capital theory is the view that upward mobility is a direct result of effort, personal values and skills, and investment in education” (p.35). Historically for women, they find themselves in similar economic situations as many minorities do. The thinking in society suggested that effort and personal values for women is not a strong trait. Skills and education is another trait of women not being successful. For working class women and minority women, the upper class was out of reach even if they were successful. WWII changed women and how they thought about themselves, they could now go to work and do jobs that men did. One of my aunts has a picture of about 20 women, Some are standing, while others are kneeling behind a big WWII bomber. I asked my aunt, what’s this picture? She answered proudly, “We built that plane.” What did this do to their self-esteem? I remember when I first heard “pink collar workers”, I didn’t know what this meant. I learned it mean jobs like secretarial jobs, nurses, teachers, and flight attendants. Women knew that the politics had to change. The women’s movement was all about social-economic-political change for women. When you study the SES for women in society, they are still in lower levels of society. The biggest fight is yet to come, they will elect more women representative to office. Women will be part of change along with minority women, Native American Indians, African Americans, Mexican Americans and Latinx, Asian Americans, and White liberal males or working class males. This is what California’s state legislature looks like today.

The Evelyn and Hope story in ch. 12 elaborates on the experiences that a gay/lesbian married couple go through. The way their children could be treated because their parents are gay or lesbian. Medical issues and social security problems and getting through the bureaucratic policies. Come in contact with people who are not gay or lesbian and don’t understand the difference between sexual orientation, sexual identity, and sexual behavior then treating them with disdain.

Select one the following questions typed and double spaced, report # and question #.

1. Has the move away from higher paying industrial jobs to high computer tech jobs be helpful or hurt women as they strive to achieve equality?

2. The percentage of women is increasing in traditional male occupations and decreasing in traditional female occupations (fig.11.1). Comment on whether the ideal situation would be an absolute balance across all occupations and professions, why or why not?

3. Discuss the contradictions presented for the LGBTQ community, with the data revealed in figure 12.1 and related text material. How would you explain these results? Do you believe this influences how the overall society views LGBTQ individuals?

4. How should the military handle previous discharge under the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy?”

Question 3:Today, we notice that politics is changing so slowly for women and the LGBTQ community, yet it will be interesting to see how women and gay/lesbian candidates will do politically in U.S. There are many women and gay/lesbians running for public office, from local office to Congress and Senate.Do you think running for office is easier or harder for women and gay/lesbian candidates? Does our discussion on sex and gender still affect women and gay/lesbians in politics? How will they approach issues that are important to both groups, and all our minority groups. What would be their issues? Based on past classes that I taught at SDSU years ago, when I first taught a class, many men in the class suggested that we couldn’t have a women president because they would be weak in making decisions of going to war or pushing a button for nuclear missiles, would this also apply to all our groups include the gay/lesbian candidates? What other reasons would people have against having women and minorities running for office? As the younger generations begin to take over American society(yes, this means you), what are your thoughts about a diverse future in politics, will you see a women president, Latino(a) president, Asian American president, Native American Indian president, an LGBTQ president?