Currently, my CTW II class is working on a research paper which builds upon the previous assignments we have completed this quarter. My particularly essay directly relates to our Archival Research, Annotated Bibliography, Rhetorical Analysis, and Survey projects. Now, I am beginning the drafting stage of our final paper.
Archival Research:
Since the first assignment I have been captivated by the topic of women, specifically their inequality, on college campuses. In the archives, I found myself reading article after article on the integration of women onto the Santa Clara University campus. From this I learned about the perceptions of people in the middle of the twentieth century that were less than pleasing to women. I find this almost unbelievable as women’s rights have been a hot topic for centuries.
Annotated Bibliography/Rhetorical Review:
This quest to find out more led me to research the origins of women’s educational opportunities in the nineteenth century. Delving into the past has given me an opportunity to understand the beginning of women’s educational rights. Initial
ly education for women became available in order for wives to have intellectual conversations with their husbands and to embrace their natural role as teachers. For some reason the idea that women would want education on their own volition was seemingly unacknowledged. Their education was for the purpose of others, not for their own betterment.
Additionally, from the archival research project I gained a particular interest in the Santa Clara community. Thus, I began to research modern occurrenc
es of sexism on my campus. Interestingly, in the last three years there have been two major incidents making national news occurring on my campus. A few years ago as a Halloween prank, an off-campus fraternity placed a cage in their front yard with a sign reading “Bad B*tches Only.” And earlier this year there was an incident in Malley Fitness Center regarding the attire a student wore to the gym. Each case caused social uproar on the campus, in the local community, and around the country.
…off-campus fraternity placed a cage in their front yard with a sign reading “Bad B*tches Only.”
Survey:
http://www.cusd305.org/news/what_s_new/atwood-_hammond_grade_school_needs_assessment_surv
From here, I developed a survey designed to gain the perceptions of SCU students on modern day sexist acts. The survey was particularly interesting because I was able to do a side by side comparison of men and women on the same questions. While 100% of the male surveyors agreed that sexism still existed, only 33% of them were aware of sexism occurring on SCU’s campus.
Research Essay:
As I move forward into the next phase — the writing phase, I have come across a new idea. In the 21st century, women receiving education is the norm. There are policies in place equating men and women. Seemingly, preferential treatment based on gender has been eliminated (or at least significantly diminished). However, there is still social injustice occurring every day. How is there such a divide between institutional standard and the inequality faced in day to day life?
there is still social injustice occurring every day
Exploring this question while incorporating the history of women’s education dating back to the nineteenth century, the integration of women at SCU, and the modern sexist experiences at SCU will create my essay. I look forward to see how these ideas tie together with the pervasive theme of social injustice occurring in each.
