“Sing me a song of social significance,â€Â a popular 1930’s song from the Broadway musical “Pin’s a Needles,â€Â was one of many topics discussed at Thursday’s women’s herstory month lecture by Jill Fields, Ph.D., the author of “An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie and Sexuality.â€Â
This lecture is one of several events this month celebrating the history of women and promoting gender equality in America.
Fields said informing people about the role of women in history is extremely important because it̢۪s currently not incorporated into the required history curriculum.
“Despite over 30 years of research and numerous scholarships being given to women, women’s history is still not included in K-12 or collegiate curriculum,â€Â Fields said. “Knowing women’s history completely changes how you view American history that both women and men have contributed to.â€Â
Friday, students have the opportunity to learn about women’s history on their own at 5:15 p.m. in McLane 121 by attending the Cineculture Club’s showing of the short film “Fighting For Our Lives,â€Â which presents a history of women prisoners.
A panel discussion will follow the film and features formally incarcerated women and other activists challenging inhumane prison conditions.
A second film about domestic violence, called “Our Voices Within: Out of the Shadows,â€Â will also be shown and survivors of domestic violence and representatives from Free Battered Women will speak.
Fields said stepping out and learning this history for yourself is the best way for women to develop pride and become assertive about their rights.
“We do have a contender for the democratic presidential nominee, which is a huge step in the right direction,â€Â Fields said. “But when you look at Congress, it’s not 50/50 and many professions are still male dominated, even artistic industries like the rock and roll industry.
“It is a dynamic situation because opportunities, role models and encouragement all have to be there. Now we have more opportunities, but we need to look to historical role models and be encouraged to be assertive.â€Â
M. Petoom • Mar 10, 2008 at 2:13 pm
You should be ashamed to spell any word incorrectly and ditto for punctuation. In this article you put an apostrophe between the n and the s in Pins which is merely a plural, and spelled formerly as though it were the adverbial form of formal.. Don’t you have editors? Or at least spell and grammar check?
M. Petoom • Mar 10, 2008 at 9:13 pm
You should be ashamed to spell any word incorrectly and ditto for punctuation. In this article you put an apostrophe between the n and the s in Pins which is merely a plural, and spelled formerly as though it were the adverbial form of formal.. Don’t you have editors? Or at least spell and grammar check?