Apr
27
History Symposium: Gender Roles
April 27, 2009 | | Leave a Comment
The presentations of this section dealt with gender roles throughout American History. The first speaker had researched the women involved in the life of William Byrd II, a Virginia politician during the 18th Century. The speaker demonstrated how these women, although suppressed by their circumstances, were able to stand up against Byrd’s will. She gave good examples of the dynamics of Byrd’s relationship with his wives, but there did not seem to be sufficient evidence regarding the other women’s significance to Byrd’s demise. It also seems insufficient to suggest that Byrd’s frustrations with his failure as a strong patriarchal figure were what lead to his political shortcomings.
The second speaker talked about the Daughters of the American Revolution, and how they were an example of patriotic feminism. She argued that this group was an example of feminism, much unlike their progressive counterpart, because they used their influence and power as women to uplift men instead of uplifting themselves. I think that her argument was well-founded, and provided a less liberal take on the feminist movement, which is not often found.
The last speaker, presented her thesis on how Disney films have re-invented the gender roles of classic fairy tales to fit their own ideals about a woman’s role and the definition of femininity. Although somewhat interesting, the topic seemed almost too obvious, and has been researched to great length; I feel like the speaker did not add anything to the literature on the subject. However, I do believe it would be important to discuss the role Disney has played throughout American history by perhaps looking into the actual effects it has had on the youths that grew up watching their many hits–perhaps through journals, public opinion polls, etc. This sort of research would provide more meaningful evidence that could better convince the audience of Disney’s impact, rather than relying on supposed common knowledge.
