Answer the following questions only using the sorces given
1. According to Karen Offen, most nineteenth-century feminists argued that “women, as the peace-loving sex, had specific qualities and talents from which the entire society could benefit . . . ” (333). In other words, feminists advocated for greater civil and civic power for women based on women’s essential differences from men rather than their essential sameness. In what ways does this limit the chances of their cause succeeding yet at the same time aid feminists in pushing for greater control over their own lives? Put another way, are claims based on traditional notions of womanhood ultimately self-defeating, or are they pragmatic calculations given the cultural realities of the 19th century? Explain your answer and keep your focus on the situation discussed in the reading. Were the women successful? To what extent?
2. Sandi Cooper argues that World War I gave rise to a heightened state interest in rebuilding families that took two different approaches. According to the Cooper reading, what were these approaches and what claims can be made for why a state would adopt one approach and not another?
3. In what ways do current debates in the United States over birth control, reproduction, and women’s bodies echo those of the early twentieth century as explored in the unit readings? What does this tell us about how far women have come in terms of controlling their own bodies? Be specific and make explicit references to pertinent sections from the readings.
4. Simone de Beauvoir asks, “How can a human being in woman’s situation attain fulfillment? What roads are open to her? Which are blocked? How can independence be recovered in a state of dependency? What circumstances limit woman’s liberty and how can they be overcome?” Though she was writing in the 1940s are any of these questions still relevant today? If so, which ones and why? If not, explain your response.
