WOLLSTONESCRAFT AND MARTINEAU ESSAY Flashcards
When was A Vindication of the Rights of Women published?
1792
When was Thoughts on the Education of Daughters published?
1787
When was How to observe morals and manners published?
1838
When was Society in America published?
1837
Who critiqued Wollstonecraft for having a lack of sympathy towards women?
Poston
Who claimed that Wollstonecraft was an “immortal whose writing hold meaning for the present and the future”
Manus (1993)
Who believes Wollstonecraft’s influence is largely invisible?
Weiss (1996)
Who argues that Martineau advanced the sociological understanding of her readers globally?
Hoeckers-Drysdale (2011)
What did Watts (2011) argue?
Martineau was a significant figure in social science
Outline paragraph 1 - Wollstonecraft
- A Vindication of the rights of women (1792)
- Rousseau: logical flaw and inequality
- wollstonecraft makes a comparison between females and birds trapped in cages
- women must reform themselves in order to reform the world - this can be seen as victim blaming - Poston: lack of sympathy towards women. Also, Wollstonecraft offers no solutions for reform
- Her contributions: considered first feminist, her writings hold meaning for present and future (Manus, 1993)
- impactful but invisible (Weiss) - more to her than just her feminist works, enlightenment, liberal
Outline paragraph 2 - Wollstonecraft and education
- criticises Rousseau for his believing that a women education should be planned in relation to mens
- Wollstonecraft believed that education should be open to all genders: maths, reading, philosophy, history
- education allows us to develop reason (which 18th century education denied - manus), which is needed in order to identify and overcome inequalities and social injustices
- her enthusiasm can be shown through her opening of a school for girls
- envisioned an educational curriculum much like the one we have now - boys and girls as equals not servants
- thoughts on the education of daughters (1787) - discusses duties middle class mothers would encounter when caring for children - e.g breastfeeding
- criticism: too focused on middle class
Outline paragraph 3 - Martineau and Feminism
- Martineau critical of comte’s view that females are less human than males
- Society in America (1987) discusses the conditions of women: keen supporter of equal pay (unfortunately still an issue in contemporary society so this implies her contributions have not been great)
- believed women should get involved with nursing as it encouraged females to get professional work
- like Wollstonecraft, she can be accused of victim blaming for arguing that women’s emancipation should come from their own actions
Outline paragraph 4 - Martineau and sociology
- translated Comte - perceived this the best reflection of her influence (Hoeckers-drysdale, 2011)
- Hoeckers-Drysdale believes Martineau advanced the sociological understanding of her readers across the globe though her writings
- How to observe morals and manners (1838) describes how to study society (things, artefacts) and this preempted durkheim
- watts (2011) - significant figure in social science
Outline introduction
- key writings
- texts put forward views on feminise, education and society
- conclude by arguing: strong contributions but their feminist work is more well recognised that their ideas on the study of society
- extent of work ignored - contributions not as strong as deserved
Outline conclusion
- both highly influential figures - first feminist/female sociologist
- Wollstonecraft praised for feminist work
- Martineau’s translation of comte expanded his ideas
- some ideas considered un-feminist
- writings are a product of their time
- work of Weiss and Durkheim evidences how many of their ideas have gone ignored
- significant males have been given credit
