Abstract
This paper discusses the historical Australian plan of seizing half-caste Aboriginal children from their families so that they would be reared in orphanages where they could be cultured with the intent of marrying them off to white men. The paper explains that the historical accounts of these occurrences have begun to emerge with the life writings of Indigenous woman who suffered through this crime. Two such works are Ruby Langford's "Don't Take Your Love to Town" and Doris Pilkington's mother's life story, "Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence". This paper analyzes both of these works from a literary and historical context.

From the Paper
"The callous separation of Indigenous children from their homes and societies and barbaric policy of ethnic cleansing rank among the most heartless atrocities in the annals of history, and the least understood facet of post-colonial Australian history. The discriminatory Australian plan of seizing half-caste Aboriginal children from their Aboriginal families to be reared in orphanages where they could be cultured with the intent of marrying them to a white person or grooming them to become domestic servants was set into motion in 1931. It was phenomenon not born in the 20th century, but an injustice that gathered momentum at this time. Only in the past few years have the gruesome details of the crime surfaced, with Aboriginal families advocating for a Federal Government inquiry into the matter. The accounts of those Indigenous people who had to suffer the anguish of broken attachments and imperialist impulses have begun to surface with the emergence of the life writings of Indigenous women, including the autobiographical narration of Ruby Langford in Don't Take Your Love to Town (1988) and Doris Pilkington's mother's life story, immortalized in Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence (1996), both of which will be analyzed in this report from a literary and historical context."

Tags:separation, servants, attachments

Abstract
This paper examines the politics of knowledge in feminist theory. The paper shows how feminist theory has been concerned with unraveling a long history of discrimination through the re-appropriation of knowledge by and about women. It suggests that the nature of knowledge for feminist theory is problematic on many levels, from linguistic and psychological to social and historical and the paper discusses these issues.

From the Paper
"A central concern of feminist theory is the importance of locating and tearing down the systems of knowledge that support patriarchy. Recognizing that it is through the unnatural constructs of what is considered inherently "female" that women have been politically repressed, feminist theory is faced with the formidable political challenge of breaking free of this male-dominated discourse. This project has meant denaturalizing and deconstructing the "objective knowledge" that has justified patriarchal oppression and attempting to regain control of the meanings and representations associated with "female." The manner in which this occurs, however, is very much disputed."

Tags:challenge, patriarchal, society, control, power

Abstract
This paper argues that Terry Eagleton wrongly dismisses feminism in his famous critique of culture, "The Idea of Culture". The author argues that by ignoring the feminism, the most political and ardent form of identity politics, Eagleton weakens his argument for a homogeneous version of culture because to ignore feminism in a book about culture is to vigorously enter the debate about identity politics by inviting criticism from those who speak against political negation.

From the Paper
"Eagleton writes that "there is no 'cultural politics', in the sense of certain forms of politics which are specifically cultural. On the contrary," he writes, "culture is not inherently political at all" (122). This may be easy to write from his vantage point as a middle-class educated white male with a tenured professorship in his pocket. From the point of view of feminism however, language, itself entirely cultural, is the place at which gender, power, and culture meet most fundamentally. To enter into language is to enter into the symbolic order, a topic Eagleton engages at some length without ever mentioning feminism or gender. As early as 1976 Helene Cixous writes in her seminal essay "The Laugh of the Medusa" that "there is such a thing as marked writing; that, until now, far more extensively and repressively than is ever suspected or admitted, writing has been run by a libidinal and cultural - hence political, typically masculine economy" (80). Although this work is by now somewhat dated, it does represent the beginnings of a received notion of feminism and its political notions of gendered language. Indeed the language of Marxism is inherently male; Chapter 1 of the Manifesto of the Communist Party states that:"

Tags:feminist, marxism, homogeneity, political, cultural, gender

Abstract
This paper demonstrates how the portrayals of women in ancient sources, such as Agrippina in accounts of the reign of her husband Claudius and Messalina on the reign of her son Nerom, are negative and false constructions. This misconception has occurred, the author claims, because historians are effectively apologists for these incompetent or crazy rulers, blaming the misdeeds of men on the women in their lives. The paper concludes that Roman women actually did not have much power and influence, even women of the imperial court, so that their portrayal as being power-hungry and manipulative women are manifestations of popular cultural ideas of the time and not their actual roles.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Women in Ancient Rome
The Reign of Claudius
The Portrayal of Messalina
The Reign of Nero
The Portrayal of Julia Aggripina
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The circumstances of Messalina's execution offer another clue as into the sexist Roman psyche. There is a huge sexual double standard that allows for women to be called wicked if adulterous, while men can not only get away with similar behaviour, but are expected to. In Roman society, it was socially accepted and even assumed that men, married or not, would make use of mistresses, and/or of slaves or prostitutes. This is further evidence that the hegemonic values of Rome affected the ways male authors would deal with female protagonists.
"Suetonius' account is contradictory in how it claims that Claudius was "wholly under the control of these [freedmen] and of his wives" during his reign, acting "according to the interests of each [...] for the most part in ignorance and blindly," yet also demonstrates how Claudius was seen as ignorant and unfit even before his marriages and rule, with his own family and peers harping on, and insulting, his general foolishness. It is only through Suetonius internalizing the misogynistic social narrative of women that he becomes an apologist for Claudius, blaming many of his errors on Messalina, even after consistently demonstrating through his own writing how unfit Claudius was to hold political office."

Tags:scapegoats, militaristic patriarchy, claudius sexist didactic

Abstract
This paper discusses how the religion of witchcraft was affected by the Renaissance. The paper explains that, during the Renaissance movement, older religious beliefs, institutions and spiritual folklore were stigmatized and abandoned in favour of Christianity. The paper further explains that witchcraft was then viewed as a form of magic because the witches were associated with practioners, who utilized herbs to cure people and to cast spells. The paper relates that, during the Renaissance, many witches were stereotyped, persecuted and made scapegoats for society's problems.

From the Paper
"After the birth of the Renaissance movement, many people still approached witches to help them with their problems, but anyone caught engaging in these practices could be tried, imprisoned, or executed. In fact, many of the stereotypes about witches have stayed afloat, having been born during the Renaissance. From the Mediterranean to Ireland, witches were said to fly about at night, drinking blood, killing babies, and devouring human corpses. Many early Christian missionaries encouraged newly converted kingdoms to pass laws protecting men and women from charges of witchcraft."

Tags:naturalness, stereotypes, laws, conspiracy, scapegoat

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that the matter of births out of wedlock is a continuous issue that has its causation deeply linked to values, morals and beliefs. The writer points out that statistical information gathered by census bureaus and departments of health indicate that in nearly all industrialized nations, including the United States, the number of births out of wedlock has increased dramatically over the past thirty years. The writer maintains that the number of opposing explanations for the increase in the number of births out of wedlock over the past thirty years is equal to the variety of opinions concerning the act of having a child out of wedlock. This paper argues that the increase over the past thirty years in births out of wedlock is due to the concurrent increase in women's rights, with a specific emphasis on the increase in reproductive rights. The writer concludes that although it is possible that other explanations do exist for the increase in births out of wedlock, such as the epidemic of teenage pregnancies, for the most part the increase in births out of wedlock among adult women can be attributed primarily to the increase in women's rights, and not to a decrease in morality.

From the Paper
" The number of births out of wedlock has continued to increase, and these increases can constantly be tied to the increases in women's rights and reproductive freedoms. As reproductive technology became more advanced, and as women gained more equal ground in the career force, more and more women began to choose the option of intentionally becoming pregnant out of wedlock. This explanation for the increase in out of wedlock births has been all but ignored by the far moralistic right who point to promiscuity and lack of moral behavior as the cause for increased out of wedlock births. On the contrary, many women are far from promiscuous, but have decided to put their desire for having a child and raising a family above society's dogma that children are only appropriate after marriage. Reproductive technologies now allow women to use sperm donors, and also allow women to wait much later in life before having children. Thus, the stigma associated with having a child out of wedlock has decreased in direct proportion to the increase in women's rights, which is concurrently related, in a positive manner, to the increase in births out of wedlock."

Tags:pregnancies, single, mothers, child, premarital, sex

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that while the concept of cosmetic surgery remains a controversial topic amongst many people today, the practice of cosmetic surgery has become a common procedure for many North Americans. The writer points out that despite growing popularity, there is an increase in social debate over the accessibility and utilization of cosmetic surgery for teenagers. This paper seeks to explore how cosmetic surgery can be damaging, both physically and emotionally, for teenagers. The writer discusses that teenagers struggle to express themselves, yet disdain for their appearance may be deep-seeded and may have more to do with personal dissatisfaction than how they actually appear. The writer maintains that teenagers considering cosmetic surgery should have to undergo certain levels of counselling, both to determine whether they are making a wise decisions and to teach teenagers to look inwards for answers and not assume that purchasing a new body will solve all of their social and emotional problems.

From the Paper
" We are not helping teenagers by offering singular and evasive surgeries as solutions to their social woes. Understandably there may be cause for argument that some procedures are acceptable, but cosmetic surgery should never be seen as a necessary solution to the difficult pubescent years. If parents are going to allow their teenagers to undergo cosmetic surgery, they should remain part of the process and not distance themselves from the decisions their teen will have to make. Becoming involved and asking questions a teenager may not have thought of may in fact deter a teenager from making a decision they ultimately may live to regret. Teenagers have yet to develop a sense of mortality and permanency in their train of thinking. Cosmetic surgery is permanent and rarely reversible. A teenager may be enchanted by the idea of a perfect quick fix, but should the procedure go awry, as they may, teenagers are not emotionally equipped with the tools that will allow them to deal with such trauma."

Tags:body, apeparance, growing, up, adolescent, change

Abstract
Feminism is a consciousness of the oppression that women face because they are women. This paper examines how the experience of women during the late sixties and seventies, shows that important reforms took place throughout the 20th century resulting in the elimination of barriers in law and custom that had denied women the freedom to pursue their own dreams. It discusses how feminism brought a toppling of ancient barriers to women in the professions and support for a whole series of freedoms in personal behaviour that had not been permitted before.

From the Paper
"Consciousness-raising has brought about the changes that liberated women from their housewife role. Before this occurred women learned that truly feminine women do not want careers, higher education, political rights, the independence and the opportunities that the old-fashioned feminist fought for. As a result in the sixties, this attitude changed. Women were no longer gaining the fulfillment that they thought they would receive as a housewife. They looked towards other venues to establish their fulfillment and their desires."

Tags:equality, career, sex, domestic, violence

Abstract
This paper discusses gender socialization, explaining the differences between the way males and females behave and how they are perceived in our society. The paper also identifies different types of socialization, that is by parents, peers and teachers and identifies some negative effects that can result.

Outline:
Socialization in by parents
Gender Socialization by Peers
Gender Socialization by Teachers
Socialization by media
Effects of Socialization

From the Paper
"Early on in children's lives, they are subject to pressures to learn gender roles as well to acquire an identity specific to their sex. Gender roles are initiated sometimes even before the birth of a child, as seen by the fact that many parents purchase certain clothing that fit certain gender stereotypes. For example parents expecting a girl may purchase more "feminine" clothing such a pink outfit with a teddy bear logo whereas a boy would be more incline to receive a blue outfit with a race car logo on it, which would signify "masculinity" (O'Barr, 1989).
"Parents also tend to treat their kids differently depending on their sex. A baby boy tends to be treated less diligently than would a baby girl. A addition baby girl would tend to receive quicker responses from their parents when distressed than would a boy of the same age. Children also receive different toys from their parents that reflect their parents gender expectations. Girls' toys are typically dolls, play houses and cosmetic related toys. Boys also receive gender appropriate toys like toy cars, blocks, action figures, etc."

Tags:individuals, stereotypes, expectations

Abstract
Using symbolic theory and identity theory, this paper describes the internalization of symbols portrayed in the sexual consumerist culture and looks how these unattainable standards make self-verification near impossible. Self-verification--a matching of self perception and perceived identity standards--is a crucial part of one's self-esteem. The inability to feel we've attained the society standards creates a disturbance in our cognition and makes us feel incompetent and unworthy. This paper looks behind the production of fashion magazines and what implications these consumerism-driven values have on today's young women's self-esteem.

Outline:
Sexuality & Consumerism
Symbolic Interaction with Identity
Behind the Production of Fashion Magazines
Internalization of Identity Standards in Magazines
Implications of Low Self-Esteem
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Self-esteem plays an important role in both our cognition and behavior. As Cast & Burke (2002) suggest that self-esteem serves as a self-motive directing our behavior; to an extent where we could be creating opportunity structures or social contexts that allow self-verification. Young women are at their transition phase in entering womanhood. They are unattached to major life demands, still exploring in the field of romance and sex, finding their identity. This explorative stage leaves their self-esteem and identity particularly vulnerable especially when they are the targets of the consumerist market. Sexual consumerism projects certain values that symbolically interact with young women's identity; and in turn has an effect on their self esteem. There are two main values in the contemporary brand of "femininity": being sexually seductive and attainment of physical beauty."

Tags:femininity, beauty, image, media, fashion, magazines