question 2 Flashcards
(25 cards)
Who wrote The Feminine Mystique and when?
Betty Friedan, 1963.
What concept did Betty Friedan coin?
The ‘problem that has no name’ — widespread dissatisfaction among women.
Why was The Feminine Mystique important?
It helped articulate the emotional and intellectual foundations of second-wave feminism.
What idea did Simone de Beauvoir introduce in The Second Sex?
That ‘one is not born, but becomes a woman.’
What was the dominant gender ideal in the 1950s and early 60s?
The nuclear family with women as homemakers.
How did mass media reinforce traditional gender roles?
Through TV ads, magazines, and cultural norms.
What effect did suburbanisation have on some women?
It left many middle-class women feeling unfulfilled despite material comfort.
How did rising literacy and leisure affect women?
It gave them time and capacity to reflect and organise.
What was the expectation for educated women in the early 60s?
They were still expected to marry young despite rising education levels.
What kinds of jobs were typical for women?
Low-paid, gender-segregated jobs like teaching, nursing, and clerical work.
When did the UK and US pass Equal Pay Acts?
1970 in the UK and 1963 in the US.
How did the civil rights movement influence feminism?
It inspired protest strategies and showed systemic change was possible.
What strategy did feminists borrow from civil rights activism?
Marches, lobbying, and consciousness-raising.
When was the National Organization for Women (NOW) founded?
1966.
What did NOW campaign for?
Workplace rights, education, and reproductive rights.
Why is NOW important even though it was founded after the early 60s?
It emerged from discontent already present in the early 60s.
Who were the main leaders of the early women’s movement?
White, middle-class women.
What groups were often excluded from early feminist discourse?
Working-class women and Black women.
Who later critiqued the exclusion of Black women’s voices?
bell hooks.
What did early feminism often focus on?
Domestic dissatisfaction rather than intersectional or structural issues.
How was feminism portrayed in the media in the early 60s?
With mockery or hostility.
What were common media stereotypes of feminists?
‘Man-hating,’ ‘unnatural,’ or ‘radical.’
How did popular culture reflect views on feminism?
Negatively, through cartoons and opinion pieces.
How can you use this knowledge with exam sources?
Support sources showing dissatisfaction or civil rights influence; challenge those ignoring race/class.
