History 20 - Activity Guide - Student Information Sheet: Challenges in Achieving Social Justice

This information is to accompany Unit Five of the Curriculum Guide.

Student Information Sheet: Challenges in Achieving Social Justice - Blacks in America

The civil rights movement in the United States was perhaps the first movement by a disenfranchised group to gain a global audience and influence other movements.

One of the contentious issues that precipitated the US Civil War (1860-1865) was the issue of slavery. The North which opposed slavery won the war and the Afro-American slaves were emancipated.

Following the American Civil War, a series of amendments to the US Bill of Rights were instituted.

The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery.
The Fourteenth Amendment limited the rights of states to pass discriminatory laws.
The Fifteenth Amendment gave Afro-Americans the right to vote.

Despite the victory of the North, Afro-Americans did not achieved a status of equality with the white population.

Most southern states passed laws that restricted the legal rights of former slaves.
A policy of providing racially segregated facilities for Afro-Americans characterized relations throughout much of the US.
The practice of segregation extended to schools, restaurants, public washrooms, and hospitals.
The separate services and facilities provided for Afro-Americans were often inferior to those provided for the white population.

Attempts to end segregation were resisted.

Resistance to desegregation was strong in the Southern States and was expressed by groups such as the Klu Klux Klan.
Persons actively campaigning for equal rights were often the targets of violence.
It was not until the 1950s, that the US Supreme Court ruled that the concept of "separate but equal has no place" in education.

Leadership and Tactics to Achieve Equality

There has and continues to be a debate among Afro-Americans over how best to respond to racism and inequality.

Martin Luther King

Dr. Martin Luther King became a prominent leader of the movement for racial equality in the 1960s. King and his supporters pursued Gandhi's strategy of nonviolence.

Massive demonstrations supporting the civil rights of all Americans were organized to gain public support and pressure the politicians.
In 1964 the second Civil Rights Bill was passed.

However, King's nonviolent tactics to achieve social change did not go unchallenged.

Black Muslim Movement

The Black Muslim movement had a different vision of the future for Afro-Americans. The movement believed that:

by adopting Islam, Afro-Americans would overcome their position of "slavery" and regain dignity; and,
Afro-Americans were superior to Whites who were a race of devils.

Malcolm X became of a leader of the Black Muslim movement.

He rejected the civil rights movement with its emphasis on nonviolence and integration.
He promoted Afro-American pride, separatism, and self-dependence as being keys to securing a better future.
Malcolm X also advocated the use of violence for self-protection.

Both King and Malcolm X were assassinated in the l960's.

Political Action

King and his supporters worked to ensure that Afro-Americans were registered to vote.

One Afro-American leader, Jesse Jackson has made several serious bids for the Democratic presidential nomination.
By the 1980s, there was an appreciable Black middle class.
Black participation in the American political process has increased.
However, full equality has not yet been achieved.

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This information is to accompany Unit Five of the Curriculum Guide.

Student Information Sheet: The Status of Women in Selected Western Countries

Soviet Union

Sweden

Britain

Canada

United States

Number of Working Women

93% of women work of study full time; Soviet Women's Committee lobbying for the right to stay home.

86% of women with children under 7 and 93% with children between 11 and 16 work outside the home.

25% of mothers with children under 5 work; government discourages mothers from working; only 50% of professional women with children work.

62% of women with children under 16 work.

. 65% of women with children under 18 work.

Women in the Workforce

women hold few management jobs; 95% of jobs in public education are held by women but only 50% of the school directors are women.

although strides have been made toward equality, women still get the lower paid jobs with fewer opportunities; this is often by choice to spend more time at home.

number of working mothers declining.

30% of women are clerical workers; 27% are in sales and service.

66% of women still employed in traditional female fields of office work and service industries.

Maternity Benefits

3 years maternity leave; paid full salary for 2 months after birth, then paid partial salary until child is
1 1/2; job guaranteed.

15 months parental leave can be divided between either parent; 90% of salary is paid; right to work a 6-hour day at reduced pay until child is 8.

only EEC country not to give women automatic right to keep jobs after maternity leave - women must hold job for 2 years first; women who meet this requirement entitled to 90% of salary for 6 weeks and partial payment for 12 more weeks.

may collect unemployment insurance up to 60% of wages for 25 weeks.

employers do not have to offer maternity leave; women can utilize an employers disability plan for leave of 6 weeks to 3 months, with payment in accordance with terms of the plan.

Daycare

provided as part of benefit package, by government or through cooperative; affordable daycare in high demand.

government subsidizes 90% of daycare funding as well as leisure centres for children up to 12.

poorest child care facilities in Europe; only 2% of children under 2 are in publicly funded daycare; private babysitters expensive.

need for licensed daycare; promised government funding yet to materialize.

no federal funding for daycare facilities, although some state and municipal governments provide subsidies.

Women at Home

men rarely help with domestic chores, especially caring for children; women must line up 2 hours each day for food and spend 3 hours each day doing housework.

women do 40 hours of housework per week compared with men's 10; men fairly enlightened about chores they perform, that include cooking, shopping, and babysitting.

housework the exclusive responsibility of working-class mothers but is shared in high income families; father rarely involved in childcare.

women spend 90-100 hours per week on jobs inside and outside the home; men willing to help but not to accept responsibility - act under the direction of women.

number of hours women devote to housework has dropped 8 hours per week since 1965; but women who work outside the home still work full-time equivalent on domestic duties.

	Soviet Union	Sweden	Britain	Canada	United States
Number of Working Women	93% of women work of study full time; Soviet Women's Committee lobbying for the right to stay home.	86% of women with children under 7 and 93% with children between 11 and 16 work outside the home.	25% of mothers with children under 5 work; government discourages mothers from working; only 50% of professional women with children work.	62% of women with children under 16 work.	. 65% of women with children under 18 work.
Women in the Workforce	women hold few management jobs; 95% of jobs in public education are held by women but only 50% of the school directors are women.	although strides have been made toward equality, women still get the lower paid jobs with fewer opportunities; this is often by choice to spend more time at home.	number of working mothers declining.	30% of women are clerical workers; 27% are in sales and service.	66% of women still employed in traditional female fields of office work and service industries.
Maternity Benefits	3 years maternity leave; paid full salary for 2 months after birth, then paid partial salary until child is 1 1/2; job guaranteed.	15 months parental leave can be divided between either parent; 90% of salary is paid; right to work a 6-hour day at reduced pay until child is 8.	only EEC country not to give women automatic right to keep jobs after maternity leave - women must hold job for 2 years first; women who meet this requirement entitled to 90% of salary for 6 weeks and partial payment for 12 more weeks.	may collect unemployment insurance up to 60% of wages for 25 weeks.	employers do not have to offer maternity leave; women can utilize an employers disability plan for leave of 6 weeks to 3 months, with payment in accordance with terms of the plan.
Daycare	provided as part of benefit package, by government or through cooperative; affordable daycare in high demand.	government subsidizes 90% of daycare funding as well as leisure centres for children up to 12.	poorest child care facilities in Europe; only 2% of children under 2 are in publicly funded daycare; private babysitters expensive.	need for licensed daycare; promised government funding yet to materialize.	no federal funding for daycare facilities, although some state and municipal governments provide subsidies.
Women at Home	men rarely help with domestic chores, especially caring for children; women must line up 2 hours each day for food and spend 3 hours each day doing housework.	women do 40 hours of housework per week compared with men's 10; men fairly enlightened about chores they perform, that include cooking, shopping, and babysitting.	housework the exclusive responsibility of working-class mothers but is shared in high income families; father rarely involved in childcare.	women spend 90-100 hours per week on jobs inside and outside the home; men willing to help but not to accept responsibility - act under the direction of women.	number of hours women devote to housework has dropped 8 hours per week since 1965; but women who work outside the home still work full-time equivalent on domestic duties.