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Development of the feminist movement

The development of the feminist movement can be traced back to the nineteenth century with growing agitation for women's suffrage and for other social changes, but as a strong political force feminism came to the fore much more recently, beginning after World War II as a result of changed perceptions on the part of women regarding their roles in society, in part because of their experiences from the war years. The history of the 1950s is examined from somewhat different perspectives by Betty Friedan in her book The Feminine Mystique, with Friedan approaching the issue as a feminist, and by Barbara Ehrenreich in The Hearts of Men, with Ehrenreich approaching the issue as a sociologist. There is considerable agreement between the two books and some disagreement which may stem from different personal experiences, perceptions, and training.

Friedan sees changes taking place in American society in the period after World War II. The expectations placed on women by society were nothing new--women were expected to conform to a certain view of what was feminine and to subordinate themselves to their fathers, husbands, and children. Friedan sees a malaise developing in the female population in the late 1940s that would remain only that--a feeling, a sense of loss, a sense of denial--until the 1960s when it would be identified and given a name--the "feminine mystique," the feminine image placed on women by society. This image is confining and prevents women from seeking personal fulfillment in any endeavor not part of the feminine mystique. The role changes for women after World War II developed gradually and seemingly unnoticed for a long time. Betty Friedan notes how many women were expressing discontent without knowing the source, beginning in the late 1940s. These women felt that something was missing in their lives without knowing what it was, and many of them sought psychiatric help to discover the source of their problem. Wom...

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Development of the feminist movement. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 07:29, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1690650.html