Gendered Identities in Eras of Transition
10:30-10:45 Celia Faux
10:50-11:05 Grace Braught
Grace Braught is a senior at West Virginia University studying History with focuses in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Her major is complemented by minors in Political Science and International Relations. Grace is currently serving as the vice president of Phi Alpha Theta chapter. Throughout her time in undergrad she has acquired a keen interest in researching British History and Women's History. Grace completed a research project on Women's working conditions during the industrialization in Britain where she focuses on hazards in the workplace and longterm effects of employment. Her latest research is on early modern Europe and the development of querelle des femmes, the first question of feminism. After graduation, Grace hopes to continue her studies and research in history in graduate school.
National and individual identities have shaped human societies throughout history. The documentation and interpretation of history is centered around the identities of individuals of the past who have impacted our world today. Some identities have fallen victim to being forgotten throughout time, with only the most documented being being represented. The representation and documentation of those faded identities is imperative to history and the future of our societies.
Researching these historical perspectives allows us to understand the past in a new light. One historical perspective that has recently gained traction is women’s history. From prehistory to early modern history women have experienced neglect in the areas of education and acquiring knowledge, resulting in limited knowledge of their perspectives. This increases the importance of the limited publications by women authors. Historians cannot fully understand identity today without looking at the past and taking the limited historical perspectives of women into consideration. In my proposal, I will discuss these themes of early feminism making a connection to women's working conditions in the early 19th century of newly industrialized Britain. I will touch on topics such as working conditions and the double-workday. I will connect these stories with the abuse these women received in the workplace and how these individuals have been silenced. I will use evidence from the Match Girls Strike and first hand stories to support this abuse. Including evidence of medical neglect in the form of white phosphorus and bone cancer which resulted in the deaths of many young women. Finally, I will conclude my proposal by referencing back to the early stages of feminism and how it has slowly through hardship and determination molded into what we now know as the Gender Suffrage Movement. It is only through these women and their identities that we can fully understand history and society today.