ôsecond waveö of feminism. This wave of feminism was local and eventually national, but its unity was seldom without jeopardy from both internal and external factions and its characteristic woman was a white woman. Leaders of this phase of the womenÆs movement included notable feminist authors and activists like Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. In The Feminine Mystique, Friedan made it clear women were viewed as second-class citizens in U.S. society, trapped in the limited role of housewife and viewed as irrelevant to the work force, (Rosen, p. 37). Such activism paved the way for the formation of womenÆs activist groups like the National Organization for Women (NOW) and others. These women and organizations understood that political and economic power was necessary to achieve their goals. They relied on growin
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