Feminism and Witches

A detailed Summary of Feminism and Witches

In a history class last year, I was made aware of a movement from some radical feminist groups that claimed the slaughter of innocent women in the 16th and 17th century witch trials as a parallel to the misogynistic persecution they perceive as an integral part of culture today. The use of the inquisition of witches as an analogy for the contemporary subjugation of women is ahistorical due to the evolution of the social dynamics that occurred between the 16th and 20th centuries.

The political climate of the 16th and 17th centuries was one of great conflict, with many opposing forces struggling for control. As a patriarchal society, women were not allowed into the forefront of politics, therefore having no direct voice in judicial and societal matters. This made women prime candidates for persecution under a law system completely under the control of males.

In early modern Europe, religion had a much more powerful influence upon the lives of the masses than it holds today. Those in the position to receive an education were commonly limited in their endeavors to theological seminary. Those of the traditionally uneducated classes - first and foremost women - were saturated by the theological interpretations of the religi

Women's roles in society have broadened considerably in the last half millennium due to the separation of the church from the state and the relative acceptance of women as equal in secular society. Women of the 16th and 17th centuries were confined exclusively to the domestic quarter; their duties consisted chiefly of wife, mother and housekeeper. In the contemporary era, women have available a vast array of both domestic and non-domestic activities with which to contribute to their household and inspire personal satisfaction. While it is true that inequality still exists between the sexes, the station of women in contemporary society has risen to a level that would cause an agitated, postmortem disturbance in Pope Urban VIII (reigning Pope during the early 17th century).

One of the greatest crusades of the modern feminist movement is the quest to shatter the 'Glass Ceiling'. The Glass Ceiling is a modern term representing the unseen and powerful force limiting the upward mobility of women in a corporate setting. Men in power oftentimes enforce this invisible menace, subconsciously feeling threatened by female competence and additional competition. Feminists liken this to the uniform denial of admittance of women by the guilds of early modern Europe. However, in the corporate world of toda

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Approximate Word count = 880
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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