could be achieved by an oppressed group with concerted action and strong leadership, and this inspired a number of minority groups in American society to assert their rights and to demand that the political leadership pay attention to their needs. The feminist movement followed the same general course as the Civil Rights Movement, beginning with organization and passing through various periods of radicalization and retrenchment as obstacles were overcome, successes achieved, and new challenges discovered. Both the Civil Rights Movement and the women's movement have suffered from their success--because of that success, many people think the problems of racism and sexism are behind us. Unfortunately, they are not, and women have only started to achieve the equality that is their due in American society. The role of women in American society was conditioned by religious attitudes and by the conditions of life that prevailed through much of American history. The culture of Europe and America was based for centuries on a patriarchal system in which exclusive ownership of the female by a given male was considered important, with the result that women were relegated to the role of property with no voice in their own fate. The girl-child was trained from birth to fit the role awaiting her, and as long as compensations were adequate, women were relatively content:
For example, if in return for being a man's property a woman receives economic security, a full emotional life centering around husband and children, and an opportunity to express her capacities in the management of her home, she has little cause for discontent (Fremon 12).
While this statement is arguable in the way it assumes that women are not discontented under such circumstances, it is clear that for most of history women were expected to be content with this sort of life and were trained for that purpose. Clearly, circumstances of family life have changed in...