I need a feminist topic for my dissertation

[KittyTwoShoes]

Title says it all really. I'm going to be starting my final year (of a BA) in a week or two and need a topic for my dissertation. I want to do something about feminism, but I'm stuck for ideas.

There are pretty much no rules for what it can be about, as long as I can relate it (however distantly) to the USA in some way - either as a comparison or as the main topic.

And it has to fit within a 10,000 word limit.

Any suggestions?

How about maternity care in the US (or lack of it? Lots of people on here have mentioned the appalling treatment and relatively high death rates (for the western world) of the women giving birth.

That's a good idea, Scallops. I'll give it some thought.

Prolesworth, I'm actually studying History and Politics but technically one of my modules has to be from the American Studies dept. (The only way they could keep it open this year.) None of them are, so it has to be the dissertation.

What's the Sarah Palin thing? It sounds like it could be interesting but I don't really know much about it... (sorry!)

That sounds really interesting Starlight, I'll keep that in mind.

How about abortion rights. A big topic in the US.

What about
The invisibility of the female in History

I've already written an essay on abortion rights, so I'm not allowed to do it again. Thanks, though!

That's a good idea, massivehead... Ah, I knew good old MN would come up with some inspiration!

US maternity leave policies (or FMLA in general (what it does provide and the large exceptions to it) and whether/how it disproportionately impacts men and women.

Attitudes to women's choices in childbirth in the US (thinking particularly of policies like not allowing VBACs, pushing of medicalised birth, outlawing of midwife-led birth centres or midwives in general in some states)

I'm interested in the way that the USA was so far ahead in some ways, with bringing forward equality laws etc IIRC, but has stalled on issues such as abortion and maternity leave etc (and other things), leaving it way behind many oher developed countries? - could you find out why for me? :o

I did an American Studies BA and my dissertation was on date rape and dating violence and American Universities' responses to the issue.

I also did essays on pornography and hate speech looking at the free speech issues vs the incitement of hatred against women, one on the semantics of the abortion debate, specifically looking at how both sides use language to polarise debate, one on the fight for the right to vote (might be good for you as historical?!) and finally one on why Little Women by Louisa May Alcott was America's first feminist novel!

Any of those any help?

I'd have loved to do one on birth but couldn't fit it in; Jessica Mitford's book the American Way of Birth is fascinating and would compare interestingly to Naomi Wolf's Misconceptions?

Oh, thank you! These are all really, really great ideas.

What about looking at the treatment of women polticians in the US? There was some quite eye-wateringly sexist stuff about Hillary Clinton during the election.

a kind of "why america isn't ready for the female Obama"

My friend did her thesis a few years ago on African American women and rap music and she said she could have written books about it, there was so much to say. Or, to be really topical, how about looking at the way the press handled Hilary Clinton's campaign. I'm no expert, but I thought the way both she and Obama were portrayed as 'minority' candidates was very interesting, given that women make up, I think, 51% of the popluation there. Was some campaigning directed at African American women? If so, how and why? How did HC and BO try to win women's votes?

Elephants, a kind of xpost I think

indeed jenny!

I want to read all of these imaginary dissertations!

Thanks everyone! I'm off on holiday so if I'm not back I'm not being rude, just have no laptop :) You've been a great help!