吴　婧

【摘 要】美国妇女的发展历史是美国历史的一个重要组成部分，其内容涉及到如历史、政治、经济、文化等诸多领域。而美国妇女运动同样在美国历史上留下了永远不可磨灭的印记。

【关键词】妇女美国职业妇女 美国妇女运动

1 The history of American Women

The immigrants to American brought with not only the production technology of their countries, but also the ideas about the natural differences between males and females. The American colonists believed that males and females were essentially different with males superior to females. Women engaged in any activity must under the authority of their husbands.

1.1The social status of American women in the past

In the 19th century, women began working outside their homes in large numbers, but women's treatment was very badly, they worked in the poorly ventilated, crowed rooms for nearly 12 hours a day and got low payment. Until the 1910s, the United States began to pass legislation limit the working hours and improve working conditions of women. However, the sex discrimination was the most significant factor that impact American women's life. Many retail stores would not issue independent credit card to unmarried women. Some labor laws were restrict the rights of working women. For example, some laws prohibited women from working more than eight hours a day and working at night, which effectively prevented women from holding some important positions that require work overtime.

1.2 The work of American women in the past

The industrial revolution made people's way of work changed greatly. The use of machine and the produce shifted from home to factory eliminated women as the producers of goods, many young women became the first industrial labor force in the United States. But most of occupations for American working women were limited to factory work. At the early of 20th century, women also had not greatly improved their status of working. The majority of women were still employed in factory work and service jobs. Secretaries, bookkeepers, and typists took a large portion of American working women. The teaching profession was the largest field of career for American women. It was very hard for a woman to enter the employment field of male.

2 The present situation of American women

In the modern American society, large numbers of women have entered the professions, the trades, and businesses of every kind. The right of a married woman to work outside the home is no longer in question. About 60 % of wives now working for wages. With the independent in economy, the American woman today is in the position to exercise more authority within her home or to end an unhappy marriage. Women's issue-sex discrimination, reproductive rights, care of children, economic equality-get full attention from the policy makers.

Although the women's movement has achieved greatly and women's status has changed greatly, there still some problems faced by American women. First, it is very hard for working women to enter into the leadership. The result of a survey showed that only six percent of managers are female at American big companies. A small proportion of female were in the field of physical science, engineering, agriculture, and law.

3 The future development of American women

3.1 Enhance women's synthesis equality

In future, the structure of social life will vary constant with the development of world economy. It will bring great pressures to human's social psychology, particularly for women. So women should learn to adjust their own psychology condition under the complicated social reform. In doing so, women can face the challenges and pressures with right psychology condition, and get the final victory in the serious competition. However, in order to enhance women's synthesis ability, American women also need to accept various professional technology training, such as management and leading ability. These trainings will help working women to widen their employment space, break the "glass ceiling" phenomenon that prevent American working women from entering the field of leadership.

3.2 To achieve the economic independence

In recent years, as job problems become serious, in American, some people suggested replacing women workers who have heavy family burdens with unemployed unmarried women. Some husband added: "send our wives return to home and subsidize us with their wages". Even some working women echoed this: " I think I should give up my own career for the sake of my husband's future and my children's future".Most feminists strongly oppose these views. Economic independence is the primarily condition that help working women to get status and independent in social life. Only by attending the public labor and getting independent on economy can women establish their own dignity and value. So deal with the women's employment problem is still an important duty of women liberation.

3.3 Further raising women's effect on social affairs

As always inferior to men in the politics field, small proportions of American women get access to the politic management affairs of the state. The weak political status of women has influenced their status in social life, so women should participate the process of management affairs of the state or society as much as possible. The American government also should employs legal, administrative and educational means to eliminate all kinds of discrimination against women to protect their special rights and interests.

From the world wide, American women should reinforce their cooperation with the women organizations of other countries. Because maintaining world peace, achieving the equality, and promoting common development are the common desire of world women.

References：

[1]Maurine Greenwald Women、War and Work New York: Greenwood Press 2006.

[2]Sudan Faludi The undeclared war against American womenNew York: Anchor 2006.