1. Progress or regression? Are women in Italy and the USA more independent than they were 100 years ago? Silvia Biondaro Serena Zaniolo 12th May 2011

2. EXPLANATION Compare how Italian women and American women rebelled against gender limitations, and how they conquered their rights Example: the film “The Color Purple” Review of forum 6 and forum 7 for evidence of students’ view of women in their respective countries Is the state of women regressing?

3. “THE COLOR PURPLE”by S. Spielberg (1985) Based on a novel by Alice Walker Tells the story of a young African American girl named Celie and the issues of sexism for African American women during the early 1900s Celie was sexually abused, and had two children by her father whoforced her to marry a widower named Albert. Albert treats Celie like a slave and beats her Albert's old flame, the jazz singer Shug Avery comes to live with Celie and Albert, and she helps Celie raise her self-confidence. Celie and Shung have an affair Celie also finds strength in Sofia, who marries Albert's son. She has also suffered abuse from the men in her family, but she refuses to tolerate it Celie decided to leave with Shug, and despite Albert's attempts to verbally abuse Celie into submission, she stands up and rebels against him

4. RIGHTS CONQUERED BY WOMEN ITALIAN USA 1945 – Women obtain the right to vote 1974 – Referendum on the right to divorce 1975 – Law passed regarding abortion and family right 1978 – Law passed regarding motherhood 1920 – 19th Amendment giveswomen the right to vote 1961 – Birth control pills are first made available 1969 – California is the first state to adopt the "no fault" divorce law 1973 – Women‘s obtain the right to safe and legal abortion

5. COMPARISON OF FORUM 6 WITH FORUM 7 SE NON ORA QUANDO WOMEN IN THE USA “[…] io non mi sento rappresentata in nessun modo da quello stereotipo di donna-oggetto che si fa sfruttare dall’uomo pur di apparire[…]” “[...]il percorso da fare è ancora in salita, perché purtroppo molte donne credono che per emanciparsi basta avere delle doti fisiche esagerate[...]” “[…]le figure di riferimento femminili che appaiono nei mass-media sono solo figure di donne-oggetto che possono portare a una visione collettiva distorta della donna[...]” “[...]certe donne d’oggi pur di apparire in TV o su una copertina sono disposte a fare di tutto, quindi il problema centrale forse è una mancanza di valori e di dignità[...]” “[...]I don’t think women are viewed as entirely equal in the US […]” “[...]today in the US women and men do have equal opportunity[...]” “[…] we still have a way to go but it is impossible to deny that women are making progress[...]” “[...]the woman is the main breadwinner of the family while the man takes more of a backseat role and tends to the house cooking, cleaning and organising it: this is very common in the USA[…] ”

6. COMMENTS ABOUT FORUMS 6 AND 7 Italian students believe that Italian women are seen as objects Italian women behave wrongly: they think that in order to be free, all they have to do is to show their bodies Italian students don’t identify themselves withthis typeof women Two different views of the position of women: according to some, women are equal to men. According to others, women haven’t yet reached the same level as men An unusual occurrencein Italy: men who do house work

7. CONCLUSION American students never mentioned that women are seen as an objects, while Italian studentsalways pointed out this issue “[…] this kind of extreme freedom can hide new ways of submission by mixing up freedom and commodification of the body and using it to receive favours. Women often forget to be owners of rights and they don’t compel respect […]” It is common for American men todo house work, while in Italy this is rare and quitestrange Italian women have a vision of their ideal freedom but this has yet to come true in real life In the past, women fought together for their rights. Now they fight alone