Textbook
1. Men and women migrated to the United States in the hopes of better opportunities. Most came from Asia, Europe and Italy. Although men and women came for the same goal, more opportunity, their reasons behind the move were very different. Many women came to the United States in search of independence and the opportunity to marry whomever they chose. Men, who also came for freedom, mostly came to work temporarily, then return to their homeland with money. There was a high labor demand in the United States which provided immigrants with work yet little pay. Both men and women suffered the low wages without gender discretion. Male immigrants initially came more frequently than women, but that changed with the demand from the garment factories which employed many immigrant women. Many women were sexually abused on the trip to the United States and some after arriving turned to prostitution. Both men and women had to face the difficulties of relocating to a foreign and strange place, but it seems as though the women found more independence and freedom in the United States than the men did, in comparison to their homeland.
2. Women involved in the industrial protest, the populist movement and the settlement house movement may have all come from different backgrounds or with different skin color but they all ultimately shared one common goal: equality. Women in the industrial protest, fought for better wages, working conditions and not for one specific factory, but for all factories. These women worked alongside men, truly making this a wage and labor cause not solely a women’s right movement, though women were crucial in implementing and creating this cause. The populist movement came from farmers in the south, most whom were in debt. The Populist Party brought white and black women together leaving behind racial tension and focusing on the common goal of women’s suffrage. Women of the settlement house movement, led by elite and middle class women, sought to transition immigrants slowly rather than immediately. This was done for the betterment of immigrant’s lives and also for the community. The differences among these women are the causes they were fighting for. But whether it is for labor laws, suffrage or social reform, women broke boundaries by uniting with those from different classes and race.
Source Interpretation
3. Addams “diversity of experience” focused on the different levels of class, and experience in the lives of immigrants living around Hull House. She saw the poor as poor because they were lazy and therefore didn’t work. She saw the rich as those who lived in specific areas, such as Hull House, since there were rich women living there. The ‘landlords’ were seen as benevolent, though didn’t earn much respect from the poor. The rich would give the poor money and they would try to copy what the rich were wearing in terms of style. Thus the poor immigrants essentially loss their traditional wear and style. The view of all around the Hull House contributed greatly to Addams writing because it provided her with a shadowed view of the complications of ethical standards and immigrantion.
4. Addams, coming from a well off family and being college educated herself, moved into the Hull House, with preconceived ideas and thoughts that soon would likely change. Addams soon came to see that although there were differences in the classes of people, the reasoning for these classes may not be as clear as she had thought. For instance, the poor, she came to realize, were not poor because they were lazy, but because they couldn’t do better for themselves, it wasn’t a choice they had made but rather a choice life had made for them. It was the structure of class itself that kept women in these ill defined roles and places in society. Addams saw that it was society that allowed for rich and poor to be divided so deeply since the rich controlled the money and wages that the poor worked desperately for. Her experience in Hull House allowed her to change her point of view, open her eyes a little wider and come to better understand women from all classes, including the rich and poor.
3 comments:
Bran’D R #1
Rachel, I have to admit that it took me a while to understand the text, however reading your blog provided me with clear, straightforward responses that I lacked in my answers. On that note, I agree that prior to Addams visit to the Hull House, she had preconceived notions about the rich and poor classes. Even being as educated as she is, Addams’ initial thoughts did change once entering the Hull House, therefore illustrating the clear class distinction existing between the wealthy and poor. Her experiences just goes to show the very little understanding each class has towards one another in regards to their social and economic state of being. Unfortunately, as you had mentioned, those suffering from poverty, are in a state of being that will not allow them to move up in their societal status since the money they do earn is spent on basic necessities needed to support their own well-being. Yet, at the same time those in poverty may display very little respect for the wealthy, while others in poverty try to imitate their lavish lifestyle. Therefore, displaying the complications of the charitable relations between the rich and poor classes.
Sonia- R#1
Rachel, I agree with what you wrote about Addam’s first impression when moving into the Hull House. Having already had a strong opinion and belief of the poor being lazy she naturally believed that she would encounter them that way. Fortunately for her the poor people showed her why they were where they were in their lives. Her experiences allowed her to change her mind and not judge on face value. Volunteering gave her an insight into the lives of people of whom she chose to not have a high opinion of. She realized that it was not of their own doing that they were poor, but rather the social structure in which they were living affected their income. Here’s a question for you, do you think people still have preconceived notions of poor people as lazy today?
Tyler R #2 to Sonia
Hi Sonia. I just thought I would answer your question as well. The poor today, I believe, lack a couple different things, which make them poor. Instead of saying the poor are "lazy, we can say they may lack motivation. Many poor people may feel they have no reason to better their lives.
They also lack the resources to move up in the social structure. The poor are usually uneducated making it extremely difficult to find a well paying profession. Saving money isn't their priority because they constantly have bills to pay and children to feed.
I think the poor also lack hope, which can contribute to the lack of motivation. They have no hope for a better life, so why strive for a future that is probably never going to come to them when they have the present to worry about?
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