Research Paper

I will be doing my research paper on how females are treated and valued in different cultures and societies. A woman’s role is different in every culture. In some cultures, women are valued and respected more than men. In other cultures, they have no rights and are not allowed any privileges, including decision making (even for themselves). In yet, other cultures, women have the same rights and privileges as men. I want to examine the role of females in different cultures and how they are portrayed in adolescent literature. My major points will include the roles of grown women: are they the head of the household, the breadwinner, the decision maker, or are they basically a servant to their husbands and society? How are these women portrayed in various children’s books: are they strong or weak characters? I will also examine young girls within different cultures and literature. Are young girls treated the same as young boys? Are they given more or less responsibility? What sorts or choices are they responsible for and how are they raised in comparison to boys? An example of this is that within the Chinese population, baby boys are considered to be worth more than baby girls. Baby Chinese girls are often left in bitches or on the side of the road because a family does not want to raise a girl. I will examine different young females in different children’s books and see how they are raised and treated compared to boys as well as other girls in other cultures. I chose this topic because my best friend’s little sister, Mia, is adopted from China. I have known Sarah and Mia for fifteen years, so the issue of sexism within different societies has always been prevalent in my life. It is something that I have never liked or understood, but also something that intrigues me very much. I will actually enjoy writing this research paper because it is something that I am interested in studying. So far I don’t have any questions about this topic; I think I have a good topic and am excited about learning more through research.
Some sources I have found include:
Ethnic Differences in Sexual Attitudes of U.S. College Students: Gender, Acculturation, and Religiosity Factors.
PROMOTING EQUALITY? GENDERED MESSAGES IN STATE MATERIALS FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS.
Malay Women's Responses to a Changing World: A Feminist Postcolonial Reading of Ellina binti Abdul Majid's Perhaps in Paradise.
Playing with fire Gender at work and the Australian female cultural experience within rural fire fighting
Status and Gender: The Paradox of Progress in an Age of Narcissism.