Comm2_MHD2_Somozo

Position Paper
1

WHATS IN A NAME?

Somozo, Beah Davee Marie Hortelano

2014-35733
May 28, 2015
University of the Philippines, Manila

Prof. Hope Bayani Quijano

Comm2_MHD2_Somozo
Position Paper
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WHATS IN A NAME?

Thesis statement:
Women should keep their maiden names after marriage as a stand for equality, women empowerment, better
opportunities and individuality.

I.

Marriage is a sacred act that requires deep consideration especially for women since they sacrifice
more going into a marriage.

II. Our names are very important since they are symbols of our identity.
III. Women should keep their maiden names since it would be better in terms of professional,
egalitarian, perceptual, and individual views.
A. In the professional arena, keeping an established maiden name would be less of a hassle to
changing ones name.
B. Keeping ones maiden name would promote equality.
C. Peoples perceptions are influenced by keeping ones maiden name or not.
D. Changing ones name would mean abandoning the name you have been with for half your
life.
IV. I take a stand to free women from the chains of an outdated patriarchy.

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Whats in a Name?
Marriage, the union of two people. The binding of their hearts, souls and minds before a Supreme
Being. The vow of fidelity and companionship till death do us part. The promise to stay by each others
side in sickness and in health, rain or shine. Yes, a marriage entails a lot of things. It is a great responsibility
on both sides. It takes a great deal of time, deep thinking and serious considerations before one decides to
tie the knot. Even being deciding to get engaged is a major decision. Most especially to women. Women
sacrifice a lot when they get married. Traditional marriage usually involves obedience, obligation and
dependence, on the wifes part (Drachman, 2001). She is taken from the family she grew up with to live
with her husband. Now living far away from her familiar home. She is expected to follow wherever her
husband goes. To obey her husband. To bear his children. To care for him while tending to the children.
Nowadays, the influx of egalitarianism and women empowerment led to the emergence of Companionate
type of marriage. A marriage built on friendship, mutuality and equality (Drachman, 2001). But even with
this, women are still expected to do one thing. Give up their names.
Our names are very important to us. They give us our identity. They are the first things that get
people to know us. To notice us. They can be used as a source of power. When a woman marries, she is
expected to give up the name she has been using all her life and take on her husbands. If her husbands
name is powerful or if her husband comes from an affluent family, why not? And the woman has nothing
to her name except herself. But what if the woman is already respectable in her own right? What if she
already has built up a reputation of excellence using her name? All of that will be lost when she takes on
her husbands name.
I take the stand that women should keep their maiden names. Either as a whole, via hyphenation,
middle name or, at the very least, professionally. She can use her husbands name if she wishes with the
immediate family and close friends. But the name that she has been using for the rest of her public or career
life should be her own. And no negative connotations should be connected to this.
I have four arguments supporting this stand. First, is professionally. With the rising percentage of
women in higher education and even finishing college, they gain more knowledge. The more knowledge
they gain, the more successful their career will be. In this day and age, women marry in their late 20s. And
by that time, they already have established careers and reputations. Using a different name when you have
already established a great professional reputation with the other will only cause chaos and confusion.
Applying for a job would be even more difficult and you will need to revert back to using your maiden
name when getting credentials from your previous employers and even your very own academe for they
will not recognize your new name, unless you informed each and every one of them. And even when you
still remain in the same company, hospital, etc. People, especially your previous clients, would have
difficulties addressing you. They will be confused as to how to address you. And confusion leads to errors,
which can be a quite an annoyance. Which makes the whole changing of names more of a bother.

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Second is for equality. Many women seem to get the feeling that replacing their name to their
husbands objectifies them. They become their husbands possession while the husband is still his own.
Even the whole origin of a woman taking her husbands name stinks of female inferiority. In the past, a
woman was considered as a mere vessel or no one before she married and took her husbands name. In the
words of the English jurist Henry de Bracton, they became "a single person, because they are one flesh and
one blood". This idea became popular, so did the clerical habit of designating a married woman by her
husband's surname. The married woman had formerly been a vassal with no surname at all, but now, in
theory, she came to share the surname of her husband as a symbol of their legal and spiritual unity. However,
if there was one person in a marriage, that person was the husband. Married women still could not hold
property, vote, or go to law. Legally, at the point of marriage they ceased to exist (Coulombeau, 2014). To
avoid that, women should keep their own name. Heck even the reason that a womans surname is their
fathers is just because of the traditional belief of changing the mothers surname. Plus, if your man allows
you to keep your own name, you know that he values you as your own person. He will treat you as an equal.
Third is perception. A womans name influences how others perceive her. A woman who changes
her name to that of her husband is seen as more caring, less ambitions, and more nurturing compared to
those who chose to keep or hyphenate theirs (Etaugh, Bridges, Cummings-Hill, & Cohen, 1999). In
comparison with the average married woman, the woman with a hyphenated name was perceived as more
friendly, good-natured, industrious, and intellectually curious. She was also perceived as well educated and
as more likely to have a career (Forbes, Adams-Curtis, White, & Hamm, 2002). These researches show that
ones name does have an impact as how they will be perceived.
Lastly, this has been the name that Ive used for more than half of my life. With this name, I have
faced sorrows, embarrassments, and joy. With it, I have received my own share of triumphs, failures,
opportunities and missed chances. With this name, I have tasted the bitterness of defeat and the sweet tang
of victory. I will have to abandon all this if I decide to take my husbands name. I will have to throw away
the name that has been with me all through thick or thin.
I am taking a stand. A stand to be myself from the day I was born till the day I die. A stand to not
forget my roots but to keep it in the forefront of my days. A stand to abolish female inferiority. A stand for
women empowerment. A stand for equality. A stand to be my own person even when I am connected mind,
body and soul to someone else. I do not mean for women to disrespect their husbands by keeping their own
names. But to uphold equality and their sense of individuality. A woman should love and care for their
husbands till death do them part. But I think it better for a woman to prove this through their own actions
and not only from what used to be a mere act of subjugation. It is high time that women be free from the
chains of an outdated patriarchy.

Comm2_MHD2_Somozo
Position Paper
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Bibliography

Coulombeau, S. (2014, November 1). Why should women change their names on getting married? BBC
News Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29804450

Drachman, V. G. (2001). Sisters in Law: Women Lawyers in Modern American History. USA: Harvard
University Press. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=izzUtQc5H5wC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=f
alse

Etaugh, C. E., Bridges, J. S., Cummings-Hill, M., & Cohen, J. (1999). Names can never hurt me?: The
effects of surname Use on perceptions of married women. Psychology of Women Quarterly,
23(4), 819823. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from 10.1111/j.1471-6402.1999.tb00400.x

Forbes, G. B., Adams-Curtis, L. E., White, K. B., & Hamm, N. R. (2002). Perceptions of Married Women
and Married Men with Hyphenated Surnames. Sex Roles, 46(5-6), 167-175.
doi:10.1023/A:1019613819247

1
Comm 2 Prof. Hope Bayani Quijano
Tentative Bibliography
Section: MHD2

Name: Beah Davee Marie H. Somozo

Score:

Degree: BS-Biochemistry

Date: May 28, 2015

A. I decided to work on the topic: Maiden Names and Marriage

B. My tentative title for my concept paper is:
Whats in a Name?
C. The contextual focus of my paper is written/typed below:
Topic: Maiden Names and Marriage
Purpose: To understand the importance of a name to women who are getting married
Relevance: Women should not be burdened by traditionalist views. They have as much right to
keep a name they have been using for more than half of their lives and people should respect
that.
Audience: Women of all ages, Female Teens, Men of Marriageable ages
Subject Area: Philippines

D. The following are the combinations of key words that I use to search online materials and
online library catalogues to find relevant articles and books:
1. Marriage and Maiden Names
2. Women keeping their Maiden Names
3. Women and their maiden names
4. Married women keeping their maiden names
5. Marriage and women keeping their maiden names

E. I have checked the library resources, and found the following resources;
Complete Bibliographic Citation using correct APA

Type of APA

This book (or newspaper article,

style format for documentation:

Source:

journal article, etc.) is useful

(Add the name of the library and Call Number for

because

print, non-e sources)

1. Coulombeau, S. (2014, November 1). Why should

Magazine

It gave a different opinions about

women change their names on getting married? BBC

Article

the topic.

News Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29804450

2
2. Drachman, V. G. (2001). Sisters in Law: Women

Journal Article

Lawyers in Modern American History. USA:

It spoke about the concerns of

Female lawyers about the topic

Harvard University Press. Retrieved May 20, 2015,

from
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=izzUtQc5H5
wC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
3. Etaugh, C. E., Bridges, J. S., Cummings-Hill, M.,

Journal Article

It shows how surnames affect

peoples perception on women.

& Cohen, J. (1999). Names can never hurt me? The

effects of surname Use on perceptions of married
women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 23(4),
819823. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from
10.1111/j.1471-6402.1999.tb00400.x
4. Forbes, G. B., Adams-Curtis, L. E., White, K. B.,

Journal Article

It shows how people perceive

& Hamm, N. R. (2002). Perceptions of Married

men and women with hyphenated

Women and Married Men with Hyphenated

surnames.

Surnames. Sex Roles, 46(5-6), 167-175.

doi:10.1023/A:1019613819247
5. Humphries, L. A. (2015). Dr. Maiden Name Will

Journal Article

It shows of the prevalence of

See You Now. The Harvard Medical Student

women choosing to keep their

Review(2). Retrieved May 20, 2015, from

maiden names.

http://www.hmsreview.org/?article=dr-maiden-namewill-see-now
6. King, L. (1980). What Every Woman Should

Book

Know About Marriage, Separation and Divorce.

It gives information regarding the

topic.

Toronto, Canada: James Lorimer & Company.

Retrieved May 20, 2015, from
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=noRkBXRHL
T0C&pg=PA52&dq=marriage+and+maiden+names
&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rcJhVem2KIX3oASGn4CgAw&
ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=marriage%20
and%20maiden%20names&f=false
7. Kopelman, R. J., Van-Fossen, R. J., Paraskevas,

Journal Article

It talks about the statistics of

E., Lawter, L., & Prottas, D. J. (2009). The Bride is

women keeping their maiden

Keeping Her Name: A 35-Year Retrospective

names.

Analysis of Trends and Correlates. WCOB Faculty

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Publications. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from
http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/cgi/viewconte
nt.cgi?article=1069&context=wcob_fac
8. O'Brien, L. (2013). Embracing feminism? More

News Article

It shows how women are keeping

women keeping maiden name after marriage, says

their maiden names in the

Facebook study. The Independent. Retrieved May

modern era.

20, 2015, from

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/homenews/embracing-feminism-more-women-keepingmaiden-name-after-marriage-says-facebook-study8693617.html
9. Should Married Women Take Their Husbands'

Magazine

It has opinions of professionals

Name? (1997). Jet, 92(15), 54-57. Retrieved May 20,

Article

regarding the topic.

Book

It discusses Womens Rights

2015, from
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=3T8DAAAA
MBAJ&pg=PA54&dq=marriage+and+women+keepi
ng+their+maiden+names&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6cJhVa
mAE9fUoATlYDwCg&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=ma
rriage%20and%20women%20keeping%20their%20
maiden%20names&f=false
10. Thomsen, N. (2009). Women's Rights. New
York, USA: Infobase Publishing. Retrieved May 20,
2015, from
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=Cr9jU9PIMd
0C&pg=PA8&dq=marriage+and+women+keeping+t
heir+maiden+names&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6cJhVamAE
9fUoATlYDwCg&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=m
arriage%20and%20women%20keeping%20their%20
maiden%20names&f=false

regarding the topic.

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Comm 2 Prof. Hope Bayani Quijano
Argumentative Research Paper

Modified Cornell Note Taking System for Readings and Research

Student Name: Beah Davee Marie Somozo

Degree Program: BS-Biochemistry

Source Citation Information in APA Format:

This is where you provide who, what, where, when, etc. (Title/s, author/editor, publicatio info,
copyright date of publication, page numbers, URL).
Indicate the type of source: (e.g. magazine)

What are your gathered facts?

Pg.
#

Original Text: Re written or cut & pasted

Think: What did I learn?

What do I understand better?
Whats the main idea? What
new questions do I have?
Record as: Summary,
paraphrase, quote, outline
Indicate type of Notation:
e.g. Summary, paraphrase,
quote, outline = based on
Record as
Add other uses of cited texts:
a new question, a key word,
inights, inferences and then put
in parenthesis: (other uses)

May be encoded or
handwritten