HIS FPX 1150 Assessment 3

Lessons from History

History offers many lessons and advises us on what to decide on in the current and coming days. Despite a lot of instances in History of the U.S. teaching us lessons about doing things better in the future, this presentation lays emphasis on the rights of women.

Chosen Issue and Primary Research Question

One problem that might be investigated is the struggle for women’s suffrage in America. The primary research question might be: What are some of the current issues involving women’s rights in the US that are similar to those which led to the suffrage movement, even though some progress has been made on this front?

Sub Questions

Some sub-questions that might assist in answering this primary question are:

• Is there equality of treatment for men and women in the workplace?
• Have opportunities and attitudes for women increased?
• Are women occupying important roles in influencing public policy?
• What is the present role of women in politics in the United States?
• How would leaders of the suffrage movement perceive women’s rights today?

Through answering these sub-questions, we can better understand how suffragists managed to effectively campaign for their rights and ultimately achieve their objective of being entitled to vote.

Overview

The struggle for women’s suffrage in the United States was prolonged and arduous; that commenced during the mid-19th century and ended with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. Analyzing the reasons behind this past event and how it would eventually shape society’s long-term condition necessitates an all-encompassing assessment of multiple variables such as the social, political, and cultural dynamics during the era, the significant actors and players involved, and the techniques and methodologies used in pursuit of achieving the mission of women’s suffrage.

Credibility of Resources

• Addams, J. (1915). Modern History Sourcebooks: Jane Addams: Why Women Should Vote, 1915. Retrieved from: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1915janeadams-vote.asp
• Walton, M. (N.D). A Woman’s War. Retrieved from: www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/the-great-war-woman’s-war/
• Interchange: Women’s suffrage, the Nineteenth Amendment, and the right to vote. (2019). Journal of American History, 106(3), 662–694. https://doi.org/10.1093/jahist/jaz506
• Miller G. (2008). Women’s suffrage, political responsiveness, and child survival in American history. The quarterly journal of Economics, 123(3), 1287–1327. https://doi.org/10.1162/qjec.2008.123.3.1287

HIS FPX 1150 Assessment 3 Lesson from History

Causes and Long-term Impacts

Women’s suffrage refers to the constitutional right of women to be allowed to vote during elections. Women had not been given the right to vote in most societies, including ancient Greece and Rome, as well as certain early democracies in Europe (Britannica 2023). In the US, it took activists and campaigners almost a century to gain this right for women (History.com Editors, n.d.).

One of the long-term consequences of women’s suffrage has been more political equality for men and women. As women gained increasing numbers of voting rights, their voting numbers increased steadily. Additionally, it has been found that, following American women securing the right to vote, child mortality rates fell by as much as 15 percent and education funding and enrollment both increased (Britannica, 2020).

Relating Past Challenges and Strategies to A Current Organizational Issue

Women in America today continue to struggle with issues of overall perception and acceptance as working people. Work-family conflict remains a specific problem for American women (Kim et al., 2023). Past studies of women’s challenges during the 18th and 19th centuries can be used as a framework for understanding these problems in contemporary times.

By studying the lives and dreams of women of that time, their war and poverty experiences, and the men who supported them (or did not), we can better see how these issues have changed over time. This historical study can guide the solution of today’s organizational problems for gender equality and work-family balance.

For instance, organizations can build policies and initiatives that facilitate work-family balance through an understanding of the pressures imposed on women who have children when it comes to balancing their home and work life. Initiatives may involve flexible work schedules or on-site childcare. Moreover, through an awareness of the importance of men’s supportiveness and encouragement towards both housewives and working wives, organizations can inculcate a culture of gender equality.

Conclusion

Historical research on women’s struggles can be beneficial in giving context to what is occurring today regarding challenges of gender equality and work-family balance. Learning from the past through understanding allows organizations to create policies and programs that facilitate work-family balance and a culture of gender equality.