During the Middle Ages, women were considered to be inferior to men and were not formally educated. It was common for women to be unable to read and write in their own language. Even though some were fortunate enough to be taught how to read, some were still unable to write. Women were not usually taught how to read Latin, the language of male scholars and people of the Church, who also happened to be male. In the later Middle Ages, even most nuns were not able to learn Latin.
Partially literate women became increasingly common in the later Middle Ages; but very few women were given the opportunity to learn to read and write. One of the most famous women readers , the Virgin Mary was often portrayed in medieval paintings and illuminations depicting the Annunciation, for example. Illustrations would show Mary before or beside an open Bible, implying that she was able to read. Pictures of the Annunciation were common, and people would most likely come across pictures of Mary reading in their Bibles or payer books. Mary was not the only woman to be portrayed with an open book beside her. For example, a painting by Jean Bourdichon shows Anne of Brittany kneeling before an open book. Another painting by Robert Campin and his assistants shows a woman reading in a painting of the Madonna and child with saints.
In the schools of the Middle Ages, reading and writing were taught separately Some aristocratic women were taught to read but might not be able to write themselves. Some of the most famous women during the Middle Ages were able to read. One of the greatest queens ever to rule England was Eleanor of Aquitaine who could read but not write. She compensated for that by have people called scribes to write for her. During her reigns as the Queen of England and France, Eleanor was very concerned about the literacy of people living in Aquitaine . The famous poet Marie de France may have performed or presented her stories to the court of Eleanor and her second husband, Henry II. Marie wrote fables and lais for a living, and her stories became so popular during the Middle Ages that her works entertained both the French and English courts and were translated into many different languages.
Throughout the Middle Ages, nuns were taught to read portions of the Bible, and many of them were able to write as well.
One of the aspects of the Middle Ages which is explored by numerous scholars today is that of the antifeminist stereotypes which pervaded literature and cultural mores during the period. In an era governed by men, the fact that women were treated as inferior is unsurprising; archetypal visions of femininity fit neatly into medieval history. However, most people would like to believe that such pigeonholing has been left in the past, allowing for more liberated times in which women are portrayed realistically and as the equals of men.
While women make up a significant portion of the labor force, few women reach the top of the occupational food chain. Notable leadership scholar, Peter Northouse (2010) observes that women make up 46.7% of the labor force, hold 50.8% of the managerial and professional positions and have earned more Bachelors degrees than men, encompassing 57.5% of all degrees earned (p. 305). Yet, only 3% of all companies in the Fortune 500 have women as their CEO, just 15.2% hold board seats in these same companies and only 16.8% are members of the U.S. Congress (Northouse, 2010). The discrepancy is suggestive of a glass ceiling preventing women from achieving the same career growth as men indicating occupational discrimination of some form.
In the period of 1200 – 1400 in the Medieval West, the Church had a huge influence over society. There were many ideals set by the Church that the people were expected to accept. Women in particular, had specific roles in which they had to conform to, and the majority of women did so. The two main roles available for a women in this time period were that of a wife, and taking on the responsibilities of caring for a household. The other main choice that came about through the development of the church was the role of a Nun, where a women was expected to live a life of contemplation and prayer. Both of these roles were prominent in between the years of 1200 and 1400 and women conformed to these ideals as many did not have a choice. However, there were many influencial women during this time, and these women had significant roles in the development of women and how they were viewed by society.
Petroleum seepages, in some form or another have been around since ancient times for boat caulking, road mending, and as medicine, however, the modern petroleum industry was truly born with the first drilled oil well in August 1859 by Edwin L. Drake at Titusville, PA. (Laudon, 347) At first, in the United States, oil production was controlled by small operators but by the late 1870's John D. Rockfeller had purchased most of the nation's refineries-controlling the United States industry. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1911 split Rockfeller's Standard Oil Trust into three smaller companies; today they are known as Mobil, Chevron, and Exxon. (Lynch, 214) Since that time, oil has become a major part of everyone's way of life. Oil is used to provide fuel for automobiles, tractors, trucks, aircraft and ships. Petroleum products are the basic materials used for the manufacture of synthetic fibers for clothing and in plastics, paints, fertilizers, insecticides, soaps, and synthetic rubber etc... (Lynch, 207) Due to this demand, companies are constantly searching for more oil deposits.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful women of the Dark Ages. She was married to one the best kings of the Dark Ages, Henry II. Growing up, she was well educated and was raised in one of Europe’s most cultured courts. She gained a vast inheritance when her only brother and father died. Being the eldest of the siblings, at fifteen-years-old, Eleanor had become the most eligible heiress in Europe.
eastwood, kay. women and girls in the middle ages. 305.4. manhattan: crabtree publishing company, 2004. Print.
First of all there is one well known way of making a man made oil which eventually becomes gasoline or diesel fuel, that has been around for a long time, it is called bio fuel. Bio fuel is a fuel that is made from plants or other growin...
Society in medieval times was no place for women. In the medieval times women were dominated by men and had no control or power of their own lives. Every decision made for their lives was made either by their family or their husbands.
...valuated and affirmed by those around us. For women, however, this process is often interrupted, due to the fact that “when women display leadership behaviors we consider normative in men, we see them as unfeminine, [and] when women act more feminine, we don’t see them as leaders” (Sarah Green, Harvard Business Review). This issue is felt and internalized, rather than seen, and drastically decreases women’s motivation to lead within an organization. In contrast, Morrison notes that women, while kept from the innermost circles of leadership and power, and constantly, and with high intensity, purported to succeed: “the pressure is in being a minority, set apart by gender before anything is said or done, and in being responsible for representing women as a group because there is no one, or few others, to share that responsibility” (Breaking the glass ceiling, pp. 17).
Throughout history there have been women who have lead, they have been the leaders of their households, taking care of the family home and the needs of the children in the house. They have scheduled meetings with teachers, handled PTA responsibilities and managed the household budgets. According to Dayle M. Smith, in her work, “Women at Work: Leadership”, (2000), during the century before 1950, women have held a behind the scenes support group for their spouse who would go to work and make the money for the household (p. 8). Though these aspects of leadership have been largely minimized and downplayed as “women’s work” and beneath the level of a man, few if any men ever dared to replicate the ability of the female in the home. Before WWI, women were kept out of the work force except for positions that were deemed feminine. Nursing, childcare, secretarial and teaching positions were allowed to be held by women. However, positions of leadership were not granted to women, such as Principle, Hospital Administrator or Child Care Administrator (p. 8). They were deemed as unsuitable for leadership roles as they were weak, dim-witted and emotional.
Activities and philosophies that advocate for the connecting of communities with socially sentient beliefs and actions is what have come to be referred to as civic engagement. They are thus individual or collective actions aimed at addressing issues that are deemed to be of public concern. They can be manifested in many ways including; public service, civil activity, service-learning, crusading and advocacy to mention but a few as the list is endless.
For many decades, women have faced inequalities in the workforce. At one point, they were not allowed to work at all. Although women's rights have improved and are now able to work alongside men, they are still treated unfairly. According to the 2012 U.S. Census, women’s earnings were “76.5 percent of men’s” (1). In 2012, men, on average, earned $47,398 and women earned only $35,791. This is when comparing employees where both gender spend the same amount of time working. Not only do women encounter unfairness in work pay, they also face a “glass ceiling” on a promotional basis. This glass ceiling is a “promotion barrier that prevents woman’s upward ability” (2). For example, if a woman is able to enter a job traditionally for men, she will still not receive the same pay or experience the same increase in occupational ability. Gender typing plays a huge role in the workplace. It is the idea that women tend to hold jobs that are low paid with low status. Women are not highly considered in leadership positions because of social construction of gender. Society has given women the role of “caretakers” and sensitive individuals. Therefore, women are not depicted as authoritative figures, which is apparent with the absence of women in leadership roles in companies. Furthermore, sex segregation leads to occupations with either the emphasis of women in a certain job or men in a certain job. In 2009, occupations with the highest proportion of women included “secretary, child care worker, hair dresser, cashier, bookkeeper, etc.” (3). Male workers typically held job positions as construction workers, truck drivers, taxi drivers, etc. (3). Sex segregation represents inequality because the gender composition for these jobs depends on what ...
There were several things that the researcher hoped to observe during this study. One of those was evidence that the community residents recognize their potential that they can have power. The researcher was convinced that the constituents wanted more than being a disenfranchised people but to become empowered members of their community.
Glass ceiling is an invisible barrier limiting women from progressing to the top of the corporate ladder. In the article, Women in leadership: persistent problem or progress”. Kochanowski argues that there is multiple reason for the “glass ceiling” barrier. She argues that women face gender based stereotypes. Women receive the argument that they all have family responsibilities. Women’s traditional roles hinder their ability to succeed In. Although research suggests that “women who are highly career focused found little evidence in work and family interference between men and women”. In the “The real reason so few women are in the boardroom” Nemko argues that women do not make progress at the top because they would
Community building, another key determinant in communal success, is referred to as the practice of engaging neighborhood members to reach a common goal (Glanz et al., 2015). In the scenario given, the health department charted information from members of a low-income community in regards to their poor nutrition. The survey allowed for the