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Confused Social Standards In Betty Friedan´s The Feminist

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Based on class content such as readings and educational documentaries it is clear that women of all backgrounds share universal struggles, including how to deal with infused social standards. Over the course of the semester, hearing in depth recounts of not only practices forced upon females to make them adhere to certain beauty and purity standards but also witness access being denied to certain female groups (especially those of color) in order to keep women from progressing up the social and economic ladder has put the story, appearance and outlook of every woman in perspective. Each individual has to deal with a unique aspect of being female that has greatly affected her life in a way unfathomable for a male in America. Conducting an interview …show more content…

Being a female comes with certain character expectations such as demurity and vanity. The social construct of the female behavior has also encouraged women and young girls to like things traditionally seen as feminine such as the color pink, cooking, playing with dolls, as well as to not participate in sports and to avoid things seen as too masculine or too rough. For example, in The Feminine Mystique authored by Betty Friedan, Friedan provides a firsthand account of a housewife who adhered to the social standards of feminine activities at the time stating, "I've tried everything women are supposed to do—hobbies, gardening, pickling, canning, being very social with my neighbors, joining committees, running PTAs...I've …show more content…

However, as a homosexual Mexican woman often times the context of her religion conflicted with her sexual orientation. " My religion didn’t accept me growing up. I still one-hundred percent believe in God but I don’t necessarily believe in the rules that come with the religion I was raised with. But I wouldn’t say that has really changed or affected the way I see the world or what I choose to do with my life. I am still the person that I am and I could not imagine a life without God. I feel very fortunate to have God with me because even though some people aren't accepting, at the end of the day I know that I can live in this country and be who I am wholeheartedly and God will still love me. I know around the world, especially in the past not every woman gets to live that chance." Similar to religion in the way it is engrained in every aspect of life, societal practices in many countries force women to modify their bodies and sexuality for the pleasure of others. For example, in Sudan the practice of female genital mutilation was heavily underway. A woman is "perceived as...nasty...described as hypersexual, without the ability to control her sexuality [and] considered undesirable for marriage" if she does not participate in a form of genital mutilation (African Journal of Reproductive Health, 29) Another practice that used to be widely accepted in many parts of the world was the

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Susan Oliver writes an exceptional biography that describes in detail the life, success, struggles and failures of Betty Friedan. From her childhood as a divergent American-Jew living in Peoria, Illinois to being an outstanding student and writer in school, finding her path as a strong feminist at Smith College, her struggles as a mother and wife to mothering the second feminist movement. Susan Oliver explored all the factors that contributed to Betty Friedan’s strong private and public persona. Betty Friedan, a driving force of the second feminist movement, is barely recognized for the emancipation of women. Mostly known as the author of the Feminine Mystique, Susan Oliver made sure to demonstrate that Betty Friedan was more than a mere

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In her essay, “The Importance of Work,” from The Feminine Mystique published in 1963, Betty Friedan confronts American women’s search for identity. Throughout the novel, Betty Friedan breaks new ground, concocting the idea that women can discover personal fulfillment by straying away from their original roles. Friedan ponders on the idea that The Feminine Mystique is the cause for a vast majority of women during that time period to feel confined by their occupations around the house; therefore, restricting them from discovering who they are as women. Friedan’s novel is well known for creating a different kind of feminism and rousing various women across the nation.

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American women were beginning to break down barriers, such as educational opportunities and equal pay for certain jobs, which had been entrenched in the American society for years. Although women had overcome many barriers, it was found that “gendered and sexualized assumptions still shape the class situations of women and men in different ways” (Acker 444). As the class system continued to impact the inequalities of gender, men had the ability to alter their class status, where as women were unable to change their social class based solely off occupation. In the 1970’s women were influenced to undergo alterations of their identity and appearance to marry into a higher class. In “Cinderella” the idea to resemble a higher class was made by the father, who “brought presents home from town, jewels and gowns” (Sexton 33-34).

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Throughout decades the roles of women in society constantly evolves. However, society continues to limit the natural progression of women, who want more for themselves. In “Why Women Smile” by Amy Cunningham and in “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan, both discuss how the majority of time, women are always expected to act on the role given to them by society. Due to these notions that are set by society, the social roles of women have not progressed to their full potential.

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Female genital mutilation is also known as female genital cutting or infibulation. Though they all refer to the same African practice, the meanings conveyed by each of the three vary to extensive degrees. For each of these words, I will explore the pros and cons attached to the word that influence the way that we experience, and have opinions toward the practice, and ultimately determine which is the most appropriate. When I think of mutilation, I

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