Well-behaved Women rarely make history, mainly because history has notoriously supported the sight of women, rather than the sound.
In an article entitled, Sexual Anarchy, the history of women's sexuality is examined; we find (unsurprisingly) men and women had very divergent opinions regarding sexual intercourse, marriage, and feminism.
17th and 18th Century England found themselves concerned with how to provide for superfluous women in the community, (or women who continued to age without marrying.)
Few men, such as Jesse Boucherett argued that unmarried women should "engage freely in all occupations suited to their strength..."
More commonly, however, men argued that women MUST marry for personal and medical reasons. If a suitable mate could not be found in Europe, than women should be shipped to the colonies where men were abundant and women seldom. "Physicians promoted the idea that women needed sexual intercourse... as the evil results of abstinence are ESPECIALLY noticeable in women. Furthermore, Dr. Charles Taylor, an American obstetrician, warned that unmarried women needed to protect their health by finding other outlets for their 'unemployed functions' or suffer the consequences of 'disturbance and weakness'".
Naturally, Women found this diagnosis to be a crock a SH*T. Celibacy, according to feminists, was not harmful, but healthful.
Some women went on to say, "intercourse was inherently an abusive and dangerous act and sperm was a virulent poison composed of alcohol, nicotine, and venereal germs." Intercourse was necessary only for reproductive reasons and should only take place every couple of years, according to Fransis Swiney: Uber feminist.
By the turn of the century feminists and suffragist saw celibacy as a "silent strike" against oppressive relations with men.
Men responded by describing women as lesbians, angular spinsters, hysterical feminists, and members of the shrieking sister hood, etc.
It was easier for men to justify a woman's desire for emancipation as a mental unbalance rather than believe a women to be his equal.
FUN FACTS OF SEXUAL ANARCHY ARTICLE: ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY, "COLLEGE EDUCATED WOMEN WHO ARE STILL SINGLE AT AGE 30 HAVE ONLY A 20% CHANCE OF MARRYING. BY 35, THE CHANCE DROPS TO 5%. 40 YEAR OLD WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY A TERRORISTS THAN TIE THE KNOT. (EXACT ODDS= 2.6%) YIKES!!!
Very interesting statistics and thoughts about Sexual Anarchy. I like your blog too, the portriats are nice. Do you think it is possible that women are still more accepted today as sights rather than sounds?
ReplyDeleteThose stats from the Sexual Anarchy reading really took me by surprise! The opposing arguments about whether or not marriage is good for women were very interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I think there are a lot of people out there who still think women should only marry a man based on practicality. I just recently had a friend ask me if I would marry a man for money if I was unmarried by the age of 30 and I said no. I think it would suck more to be married to someone I didn't want to spend my life with than to be single. That said, depressing statistics :)
ReplyDeleteWow, those statistics are incredible! Thanks for including them!
ReplyDeleteChristina- Yes, I believe that women are still more accepted as sights rather than sounds, although not to the extreme degree found within this article or this period of time that it ecompasses. Women are consistantly described by thier looks rather than intelligence, athletic ability, charm, humor, career, etc. This is accentuated by marketing concepts aimed at women to help them look better. You rarely see a pill or creme for women declaring that it will make us smarter. However there are a myriad of products aimed at helping us be beautiful! We do it to ourselves, mostly because it feels good to have men or other women believe that we are attractive. it's society, and I don't see it changing anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI thought the statistics were incredible as well, and that is why I included them. However, since reading them I feel like I'm walking around with a ticking clock around my neck! i'm 24 and will be 25 in a couple months... the statistics made me feel like I don't have as much time as I had originally anticipated. My chances of marrying are literally lessening every hour! AHHH! On a side note, I wouldn't marry for money either, although my mother always told me that it is just as easy to love a rich man as a poor man. ( I think my mother would marry for money,in fact I think she did. perhaps that's just her generation)
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