After conducting a survey in 1957, she proved that many of them were unsatisfied with being housewives. The womens movement included africanamericans, mexicanamericans, and angloamericans. As an icon in the womens rights movement, betty friedan did more than. One way in which friedan s work ends up affecting the culture of america is in making a clear case that many american women were not as happy as originally thought. Jul 29, 2006 betty friedan is often called the mother of the modern womens liberation movement. How did the feminine mystique inspire the women s movement. Bostons forgotten role in the womens movement huffpost. Betty friedan and the feminine mystique womens liberation. Jan 27, 20 the feminine mystique is a very specific cry of rage about the way intelligent, welleducated women were kept out of the mainstream of american professional life and regarded as little more. Her father, harry goldstein, emigrated from russia in the 1880s, and built a successful jewelry business in the united states. Betty friedans the feminine mystique published 50 years ago this week, on february 19, 1963 catalyzed the modern feminist movement, helped forever change americans attitudes about womens role in society, and catapulted its author into becoming an influential and controversial public figure.
In 1963, writer and feminist betty friedan published the feminine mystique in which she contested the postworld war ii belief that it was womens destiny to marry and bear children. In 1957 friedan and two friends prepared a survey of their smith college classmates prior to their 15th reunion. Expanding the civil rights movement boundless us history. Betty friedan, who ignited a movement with the feminine mystique. Betty friedan, the feminist crusader and author whose searing first book, the feminine mystique, ignited the contemporary womens movement in 1963. This research included interviewing suburban housewives and. The feminine mystique struck a nerve and quickly became a bestseller. It was a magazine released to the media that spoke volumes about the feminist movement that attracted the attention of individuals. Yet in the longer run the faults of the book loom large. What were some of the rights that women began campaigning for after.
Women felt this sense of depression because they were forced to be subservient to men financially, mentally, physically, and intellectually. This research included interviewing suburban housewives and finding information on media, psychology, and. Jan 14, 2019 the feminine mystique by betty friedan, published in 1963, is often seen as the beginning of the womens liberation movement. How did the womens liberation movement inspire a major expansion of the idea of freedom. The legacy of the feminine mystique southern oral history. No woman did more to spur the feminist awakening of the 1960s and 70s. The feminine mystique, a landmark book by feminist betty friedan published in.
Besides the feminine mystique 1963, friedan authored it changed my life. The civil rights movement inspired the womens movement by. The number of women in college dropped from 47 percent in 1920 to 35 percent in 1958. The womens movement included members of the middle class as well as the working class. Friedan calls this homemaker ideal of femininity the feminine mystique. The book highlighted friedans view of a coercive and pervasive postworld war ii ideology of female domesticity that stifled middleclass womens opportunities to be anything but homemakers. Friedan realizes women unconsciously stretch their home duties to fill the time available, because the feminine mystique has taught women that this is their role, and if they ever complete their tasks they will become unneeded. Study 30 terms chapter 11 pearson flashcards quizlet. How did the feminine mystique inspire the womens movement. The feminine mystique by betty friedan, published in 1963, is often seen as the beginning of the womens liberation movement. Three years later friedan was instrumental in organizing the national organization for women now and other key groups that helped build the movement for womens equality.
It is the most famous of betty friedans works, and it made her a household name. On the one hand, american men were upset at friedans suggestion that their housewives could possibly want anything more than to see their children off safely to school, to take care of their husbands after a long day at work, and to keep their houses spotless. What did betty friedan mean by the term the feminine. Her work propelled the stagnant womens rights movement into its second wave and helped women reclaim some equality. With her book the feminine mystique 1963, betty friedan 19212006 broke new ground by exploring the idea of women finding personal fulfillment outside of their traditional roles. The feminine mystique is a book by betty friedan that is widely credited with sparking the beginning of secondwave feminism in the united states.
Writings on the womens movement 1976, the second stage 1982, the fountain of age 1993, beyond gender 1997 and. In 1963, betty friedan 19212006 published the feminine mystique, a founding text of modern feminism that is considered one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. Yet friedan did offer an analysis of her role in the creation of the women. To preserve the past and inspire the future of her story. Discussion of themes and motifs in betty friedans the feminine mystique. She was a leading figure in the women s movement and author of the feminine mystique. The feminine mystique was one of many catalysts for the secondwave feminist movement 1960s80s. The publication of betty friedans the feminine mystique, on february 17, 1963, is often cited as the founding moment of secondwave feminism. The celebrity that the feminine mystique earned her attracted the attention of political operatives who had been laboring quietly for years to fight womens inequality in the workforce. The feminine mystique, a landmark book by feminist betty friedan published in 1963 that described the pervasive dissatisfaction among women in mainstream american society in the postworld war ii period. In the early 60s, friedan, a selfidentified homemaker, interviewed fellow smith. Betty friedan, a sister peorian, provided a visionary grassroots movement to inspire women, once thought a damaged and weaker gender, to promote themselves and bring the issue of gender inequality to the forefront.
Friedan later worried that radical feminists were taking her principles too far. It included openended questions that we had not asked ourselves out. During world war ii women were called upon to replace men in. Friedan wanted to prove that women were unsatisfied but could not voice their. During world war ii, married women had entered the workforce in large numbers for the first time. Betty friedan explored womens unhappiness in the bestselling book the feminine mystique, inspiring the womens liberation movement. The womens movement brought considerations of power and justice inside the family. The magazine brought attention to the movement and persuaded others which inspired the womans revolution to be accepted and inspire change.
Feminine mystique 1963 to the emergence of the second wave womens liberation movement in the us in the late 1960s. Describing the period between world war ii and 1960, friedan explains the cycle of women marrying young, having large families after moving to the suburbs, and ultimately abandoning their own ambitions. Feminist theorist bell hooks took betty friedans book to task for its. David walls sonoma state university womens movement. Mar 06, 2019 betty ford 19182011 was an american first lady 197477 and the wife of gerald ford, the 38th president of the united states. As wolfe ultimately concludes, the feminine mystique spoke truthfully enough to inspire many women both at the time and since. Her father, harry goldstein, emigrated from russia in the 1880s, and built a successful. One way in which friedans work ends up affecting the culture of america is in making a clear case that many american women were not as happy as originally thought.
Until i started writing the feminine mystique she confessed in 1973, i wasnt even. What forms of exclusion and segregation did women experience prior to the womens rights movement. She served on the boards of leading womens organizations, fought for legislation to ensure womens. A groundbreaking writer and activist, betty friedan was one of the most influential women of the 20th century. When betty friedans the feminine mystique was released in 1963, it split the allegedly tranquil lives of the greatest generation in two. The feminine mystique begins with an introduction describing what friedan called the problem that has no namethe widespread unhappiness of women in the 1950s and early 1960s. The mystique is an artificial idea of femininity that says having a career andor fulfilling ones individual potential somehow go against womens preordained role. The feminine mystique related to many other coinciding movements. How did phyllis schlaflys activism affect the womens movement.
Feminists of the 1960s and 1970s would later say the feminine mystique was the book that started it all. After all, during world war ii 193945 women had ably stepped into the workplace to keep industry running as the men went to war. Betty friedans the feminine mystique, which turns 50 next month, transformed the lives of women across america. Betty friedan champion for womens rights infinite fire. The feminine mystique and womens equality 50 years. Why sheryl sandberg is no betty friedan the new republic. Her famous book, the feminine mystique, changed america. The feminine mystique began as a simple questionnaire. The womens network had substantial influence over social welfare policy in the new deal agencies jane hoey, for example, served as director of the bureau of public assistance from 1936 to 1953 and established an impressive record of government service.
The feminine mystique and womens equality 50 years later. Jun 06, 20 the celebrity that the feminine mystique earned her attracted the attention of political operatives who had been laboring quietly for years to fight womens inequality in the workforce. How did the feminine mystique affect the american culture. Jan 28, 20 betty friedan s the feminine mystique, which turns 50 next month, transformed the lives of women across america. However, in most womens magazines in the late 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s, the happy housewife, whose only ambitions are marriage and motherhood, replaces the careeroriented new woman.
While the firstwave feminism of the 19th and early 20th centuries focused on. They experienced their unhappiness as a personal problem and blamed themselves for their misery, which friedan called the problem that has no name. The feminine mystique is the false notion that a womans role in society is to be a wife, mother, and housewife nothing else. Once her feminine mystique had inspired a generation with dreams of. Why was liberation theology so popular in latin america in. She did the mopping and the marketing and took her husbands gray. In what ways was the womens rights movement similar or different to the womens suffrage movement. Best known for her book, the feminine mystique, which examined the frustrations and discontent of women in the modern world, friedan became a leading advocate for womens rights in the work place and beyond.
Friedan says that the feminine mystique, which only works if women remain immature. Friedan encouraged women to seek new opportunities for themselves. A leading figure in the womens movement in the united states, her 1963 book the feminine mystique is often credited with sparking the second wave of american feminism in the 20th century. Considered by many as the mother of the second wave of modern feminism, activist and writer betty friedan was one of the most influential feminist leaders of the second half of the twentieth century, a cofounder of the national organization for women now and its first president. Apr 22, 2015 how did the feminine mystique inspire the womens movement. Betty friedan and the birth of modern feminism the heritage. The feminine mystique is a book by betty friedan that is widely credited with sparking the. February 4, 1921 february 4, 2006 was an american feminist writer and activist.
Thousands of women recognized themselves in the pages of her study and were inspired to join the growing movement for womens rights. In the feminine mystique, betty friedan put a spotlight on the hidden, yet immense problems women faced during the 1950s. Cosentino jrnl b1 media and society professor garcia april 9th 2014 in 1957, friedan was asked to conduct a survey of her former smith college classmates for their 15th anniversary reunion. Womens rights movement, also called womens liberation movement, diverse social movement, largely based in the united states, that in the 1960s and 70s sought equal rights and opportunities and greater personal freedom for women. Betty friedan is often called the mother of the modern womens liberation movement. The feminine mystique written by betty friedan identified the problem that has no name which feminists later labeled sexism. She helped found the national organization for women in 1966.
They contacted friedan, who was ready to move beyond the book, and worked with her to form the national organization for women in 1966. She is remembered as one of the leading voices of the feminist and womens rights movement of the twentieth century. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the feminine mystique, the 1963 book by betty friedan. It strengthened conservative opposition and thwarted the passage of the equal rights amendment. In the feminine mystique friedan challenged this prevailing notion, causing many women to reexamine their lives. The publication of betty friedan s the feminine mystique, on february 17, 1963, is often cited as the founding moment of secondwave feminism. The feminine mystique is a very specific cry of rage about the way intelligent, welleducated women were kept out of the mainstream of american. Describing the period between world war ii and 1960, friedan explains the cycle of women marrying young, having large families after moving to the. Feminine mystique at 50 we felt like the exhibit should be about the writing of the book, said jenny gotwals photo 1, lead manuscript cataloger, who helped assemble the show. Feminine mystique by betty friedan started it all thoughtco. The feminine mystique sparked a national debate about women s roles and in time was recognized as one of the central works of the modern women s movement.
How did the feminine mystique, written in 1963 effect the. Protest marches abound with women of color and poor women publicly denouncing the political stronghold and exclusionary practices of the movement especially in it s early years, which had primarily been an intentionally exclusive women s country clubs that spoke to betty friedan s feminine mystique of uppercrust pumps and pearlswearing white women. How did betty friedans book, the feminine mystique, inspire women across the country to organize for equal rights. So if you want to understand the passion that helped fire up the modern womens movement there may be no better place to start than with the. How did these images influence how women were treated and perceived. How did the women s liberation movement inspire a major expansion of the idea of freedom. However, in most women s magazines in the late 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s, the happy housewife, whose only ambitions are marriage and motherhood, replaces the careeroriented new woman. Further, prevailing attitudes held that truly feminine women had no desire for higher education, careers, or a political voice. Betty friedan died of heart failure on february 4, 2006, in washington, d. Betty friedan, author of the the feminine mystique, is said to have ignited the second wave of american feminism. This encouraged her research for her book the feminine mystique. She also helped advance the womens rights movement as one of the founders of the national organization for women now.
The feminine mystique at 50 was gleaned from the 150 boxes of friedan material housed at the schlesinger library photos 2, 3. In the feminine mystique, friedan explores the unhappiness of mid20 th century women, describing womens unhappiness as the problem that has no name. Middleclass white women in particular were considered warriors in that battle. When friedan wrote the feminine mystique, more than onethird of all women were in. When betty friedan s the feminine mystique was released in 1963, it split the allegedly tranquil lives of the greatest generation in two.
It coincided with and is recognized as part of the second wave of feminism. This was the ideal, the mystique, that was both promoted and accepted. Louis menand on betty friedan, the feminine mystique, and the power of the books that defined the early years of the womens movement. On the one hand, american men were upset at friedan s suggestion that their housewives could possibly want anything more than to see their children off safely to school, to take care of their husbands after a long day at work, and to keep their houses spotless. She coined the term feminine mystique to describe the societal assumption that women could find fulfillment through housework, marriage, sexual passivity, and child rearing alone. Discussion of themes and motifs in betty friedan s the feminine mystique. Oct 04, 20 this year marked the 50th anniversary of the feminine mystique, the 1963 book by betty friedan. Friedan used statistics and interviews to illustrate womens desire to achieve the feminine mystique. The perfect nuclear family image depicted and strongly marketed at the time, she wrote, did not reflect happiness and was rather degrading for women. Betty friedan, the godmother of the postwar us womens movement, was an accidental feminist. She is remembered as one of the leading voices of the feminist and womens rights movement of. She was a leading figure in the womens movement and author of the feminine mystique.
To this end, i deploy key concepts provided through social movement theory eg collective identity, collective action frames, social problem construction. It discusses the lives of several housewives from around the united states who were unhappy despite living in material comfort and being married with children. For instance, by the end of the 1950s, 14 million girls were becoming engaged by age 17, and the average age of marriage had dropped to 20. The book highlighted friedan s view of a coercive and pervasive postworld war ii ideology of female domesticity that stifled middleclass women s opportunities to be anything but homemakers. Friedan began writing the work after she attended her fifteenyear college reunion at smith, a women s college. Feminine mystique spoke truthfully enough to inspire many women. What forms of discrimination were women subjected to in the workplace prior to the womens rights movement. Furthermore, friedan questioned the womens magazine. Jun 05, 2012 this was the ideal, the mystique, that was both promoted and accepted. Protest marches abound with women of color and poor women publicly denouncing the political stronghold and exclusionary practices of the movement especially in it s early years, which had primarily been an intentionally exclusive womens country clubs that spoke to betty friedans feminine mystique of uppercrust pumps and pearlswearing white women. Nov 27, 20 feminine mystique at 50 we felt like the exhibit should be about the writing of the book, said jenny gotwals photo 1, lead manuscript cataloger, who helped assemble the show.
366 79 574 1562 905 1316 762 964 185 26 1362 974 1282 918 76 1101 1547 265 782 1256 382 803 736 1046 1048 551 424 358 198 524 336 1407 592