Dueling | Insults of a Woman | The Press | Masculinity | Women's Rights |
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Press was most free, democratic debate common
The duel flourished most under what circumstances?
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Insults had no authority, posed no challenge to honor, could be easily dismissed
Why were "insultos de mujer" not considered threatening?
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Ignorance and despotism
A free press was meant to be society's best defense against [blank] and [blank]?
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Uruguay
In some ways [blank] was among the most progressive countries in Latin America when it comes to women's rights.
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Free to speak, so long as they didn't "attack, accuse, denounce, insult or otherwise engage in polemics"
How were women allowed to speak in Uruguayan society?
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"Incivility in speech and action" and violence in society
The duel was initially utilized in order to prevent what?
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The elderly, weak or infirm, and many of the lower classes.
Who else was excluded from political speech due to the gendering of responsibility?
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As president, couldn't participate in the illegal activity, therefore couldn't immediately answer for his words. Upset others (particularly Luis Alberto de Herrera) because it acted as a loophole.
What was the significance of Batlle y Ordonez in the usage of dueling?
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The ability and willingness to duel
How was responsibility redefined, according to Bliss?
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Justified discrimination, because women couldn't participate in the duel and thus couldn't back up their words.
How did the duel effect women's rights?
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It enabled the elite to clash - the honor codes were complicated and often contradictory, often working to serve selfish motives for the individuals involved
Dueling emerged largely because of what division of society?
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Were allowed to write for newspapers or hold public office, but excluded from the "daily bread of politics".
To what extent could women participate in government?
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Perception that their laws were deficient, evident by the frequency that the House of Representatives debated the topic.
What made Uruguay's press different from other countries that punish libel?
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Questioning a man's masculinity because he refuses to fight, and then saying his words have the impact of a women, created an environment where women's words weren't taken seriously, and where women couldn't debate any controversial topics.
How did referring to non-dueling men's insults as "insultos de mujer" reflect on society at this time?
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Bliss writes about "respectable femininity" in contrast to femininity alone. Why do you think she made this distinction when talking about the marginalization of women?
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Rather than being utilized as a way of resolving conflict, used as a way of antagonizing many people. Used as intimidation, particularly by those who were superior duelers.
How was the duel misused during this time?
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---
Why do you believe dueling became popular when it was prohibited by Catholic church and was also illegal until 1920?
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After publication, newspapers were held responsible for what they published -- freedom of the press was coupled with responsibility for what was written.
In what major way did the the Latin American press differ from the United States?
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Dueling was masculine and fought on the field of "honor"- that honor was so closely associated with a masculine practice, does this exclude women from being honorable individuals?
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The parading of virility in the public sphere in order to work dispute-resolution gives rise to a culture where it makes sense to exclude women.
In what way did Uruguay create a public sphere against women?
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---Responsibility, necessary to participate in public conversations, also meant a certain willingness to die---
How does the relation between speech and the willingness to die reflect on Uruguayan society at this time?
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---Alternatives to Dueling---
How might women have been able to "guarantee" their words during this time period?
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Given the choice between hard-to-win judicial libel cases and the use of dueling, dueling began to gain immense popularity.
How did Uruguay's difficulty in monitoring the press influence the use of dueling?
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Yes and No - pushed to margins, but enjoyed more freedom than many other nations allowed at this time.
Did women have freedom of speech in Uruguay? Why or why not?
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In what ways can the exclusion of women from the public sphere be critiqued, considering that most other governments at this time did not allow women to hold much political and economic power?
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