In this paper I will be going over issue 17, “Has the Women’s Movement of the 1970’s Failed to Liberate American Women?”. Sara M. Evans and F. Carolyn Graglia each voice their opinions about the issue. They talk about the history of the women’s movement throughout time and the effects it had in our country. F. Carolyn Graglia writes about how she agrees the movement has failed to liberate American women. Her views on feminism concluded that the feminist movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s was a reasonable but a faulty idea, in that it was based on a worthy opinion (that all men and women should be equal).
Women have had a lengthy battle when it comes to freedom. Women such as Shirley Chisholm, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem helped lead women in the Women’s Liberation Movement. Shirley Chisholm is an important character in taking action to make men and women equal. Shirley was the first African American women elected into congress in 1964, she battled the oppression women faced in working in male-dominant jobs, and worked with pride. Robin Morgan was a writer who was very dedicated to feminism and fighting for women's freedom, she was apart of the New York Radical Women.
The women’s rights movement focused on gender equality. Liberal and conservative women disagreed on many issues that the second wave of feminism, the basis of the women’s rights movement, brought to light. Two documents reveal the differences in the opinions of the opposing sides during the women’s rights movement. In an “Interview with Phyllis Schlafly” by the Washington Star, published on January 18, 1976, Ms. Schlafly opposed both the ERA and the Women’s Rights movement. Comparatively, the “Statement of Purpose” by the National Organization for Women, published on October 29, 1966, stated that NOW stood for Women’s Rights and equality.
As mentioned before, many feel as though women still face discrimination in the workforce. However, it is no question that attitudes towards the feminist movement have become less critical overtime. In fact, 51% of men and 69% of women currently identify as feminists, according to the 2015 poll by YouGov. Many celebrities have pushed for women’s rights, which has contributed to its recent acceptance. Overall, there were several components to the rise of the women’s rights movement in the period 1940-1975.
What was the historical significance of Betty Friedan to the evolution of women’s rights in America in the 1960s? Women have always fought hard for their equality. Since the very first convention held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, countless women have joined together to try and improve the standard of life for all women within the United States. In the later years of the 19th century, women gathered behind activists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, with the hope of achieving voting rights of women under the Constitution. On August 26th, 1920, their goal was achieved with the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Women Fighting for Justice “When you deprive people of their right to live in dignity, to hope for a better future, to have control over their lives, when you deprive them of that choice, then you expect them to fight for these rights.” – Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan. The missions of all of these activists is summed up in this. All of them are strong women who fought for what they believed in: Mother Jones fought for children’s working rights; Harriet Tubman fought for African Americans and racial equality; and Kimberly Bryant is fighting to help get more African American girls into the IT industry.
According to Steinem, boys and girls need to be equally represented in media so they both understand the importance of not only helping others and benefiting society but also receiving help from those more skillful. This message embodies the goal of true feminism, to empower women and feminize men to advance
Gloria Steinem: Female Activist Gloria Steinem rose to national fame as a feminist leader in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s for her work as a journalist, activist and political organizer. Her tireless efforts to lobby for social and economic equality allowed Gloria to emerge as an enduring symbol of female liberation. She advocates for intersectional feminism which examines the intersections where forms of oppression overlap and looks at the institutions and conditions hindering women from advancing as a whole. Gloria adapts her approach to issues as the social and political landscape transforms and she continues to promote an intersectional feminist agenda in a paradoxical world where many changes have occurred, but many issues remain.
Same Objectives, Different Strategies: The Transformation of the Feminist Legal Strategy The fight for women’s rights had never been easy for feminists and at the outset of the 1960s, women’s legal equality seemed momentarily out of reach. The chaotic social and political landscape of 1960’s America was as much a blessing to feminists, as it was a burden. The civil rights movement had picked up momentum from landmark judicial decisions and simultaneously fostered a discussion about the opportunity for women’s legal equality.
In Gloria Steinem’s, “Our Revolution Has Just Begun,” Steinem addresses many different aspects of feminism, including the myths surrounding it and the hard evidence of sexism in the world today. This is closely linked to standpoint theory, defined as “different social and historical situations give rise to very different group and individual experiences and theories about those experiences” (WL, G-6). Steinem offers many valid criticisms of modern society and the stereotypes and myths surrounding feminism and women’s culture. For instance, she offers two main stereotypes that are common misconceptions of feminism today. The first stereotype is that feminism is only for white women of the middle class, and the second is that the feminist era
Women in the Progressive Era began with little to no rights at all. They didn't have any other role in society especially for poor white women except to stay at home and do what their husbands tell them to do. Over time women began to give themselves an identity, and rights through feminism, icons, and taking action. They began to make a change and make a bang culturally. Jane Adams on of the first most prominent female activists created this idea of "the new woman," during the Progressive Era.
Known as the “Second Wave Feminism Movement”, many individuals targeted the areas of equality and discrimination. These included rights within reproductive health, the wage gap, and harassment within the workplace. Unlike the Women’s Suffrage Movement of the 1920s, women in the 60s and 70s felt the need for a more liberating movement. They had many of the same ideals as the CIvil Rights Movement, using sit-ins, marches and picketing protests. This movement also ultimately led to the expansion of many rights for women.
As she saw and experienced many different aspects of these social movements, one may question if this book is completely imaginary, or if it had some truth behind it. America could have truly become something that resembles the Republic of Gilead, the new society established after the fall of America. Examining the influence that the feminist movement had on The
Music has long had the power to convey powerful and meaningful messages that were directed towards a specific audience throughout history. Its ability to do the aforementioned was exemplified during the beginning and early stages of the Feminist Movement, particularly with Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” (1967) and Helen Reddy’s “I am Woman” (1972). These two songs sought to empower the women of their era by encouraging gender autonomy. Though released five years apart, there were many similarities between the two songs in terms of their musical and lyrical composition, as well as their message and intended audience. However, due to the surrounding social issues of their time period, two very different underlying secondary messages were incorporated
The United States of America is a relatively new country that evolved exceptionally fast. Yet the common ideas of gender haven't evolved much. Namely, many historical events were accomplished by women or involved women; however, they aren't taught in high school. Most, if not all, educated individuals know these great male historical figures that influenced the US: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, and etc. Most of 'American history' is white men history, or better summarized as (his)story.
