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APPENDIX B:
Content Analysis:
Subset Descriptions: Justice and Natural Rights
Subset 1: Equal Work Performed
Presents women as equal contributors to the nation, home or the workforce.
Arguments in this subset argue that since women serve the government and their
communities in essential ways, they have the right to vote on matters that affect their
lives.
Subset 2: Equal Rights by Nature or Humanity
Women are entitled to certain rights because of their basic humanity. This form
of argument relies on the idea of natural or inalienable rights and insists that these rights
remain valid even if they are not acknowledged by those in power.
Subset 3: American Democratic Tradition
Appeals to the history of the United States and the ideas of the nation’s founding.
This group may also include references to national leaders and symbols that evoke
patriotic feeling, reminding the audience of the disparity between America’s professed
philosophy and the practice of denying women the vote.
Subset 4: Oppression of Women Without the Vote
Argues that women are denied the tools to care for themselves or maintain a good
life without the vote. Presents women as defenseless and vulnerable to the decisions of
the government and urges the audience to support votes for women as a means of
empowering women to make decisions on matters that concern them. Other forms of this
argument present women as bound to the decisions of men who are less knowledgeable
than they on a given matter.
Subset 5: Elevation of Women
Claims that women will better continue their path of progress with the vote.
These presentations suggest that the vote will bring woman into a higher sphere of moral
and social being.
Convention