Betty Friedan - Week 11

Betty Naomi Friedan was born in 1921 and died in 2006. She was an American Social Reformer and Feminist who went to the University of California in 1942. Her main claim to fame was the book she wrote in 1963 called "The Feminine Mystique" it attacked the theory that women could find fulfillment only through childbearing and homemaking. She challenged the ideal of which Betty herself was a suburban housewife who also wrote part time, that a womans role was to make beds, cook meals and serve her children and husband. This book made a huge impact on Society triggering change



She also wrote "It Changed my Life" all about the Women's Movement in 1976 and the Second Stage in 1981. She was one of the founders of the National Organization for Women in 1966, and played a big part in the struggle for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.


Betty was the co-founder of NOW (National Organisation for Women) that was establised in 1966 to support "full equality for women in America in a truly equal partnership with men". Through legislatvie lobbying, court litigation, and public demonstrations, NOW seeks to end sexual discrimination in employment.
She made a big push for paid maternity leave and for child care centres, also to change the laws to adoption.

WOMEN IN THE 50's - WEEK 9

1. You can see that things have changed for women after the war, simply because they are in college and there are female teachers at the college. Its still obvious that an education is only something for the rich girls to do while they are waiting to meet the man of their dreams. The Academy was for girls only and you were still considered a spinster if you were unmarried at 30. Even though the academy wouldn't condone it, women were learning about contracteption and that they can choose when to start their families.


2. It will take a long time before society's attitude changes towards the roles of women, some examples of this was the sacking of the school nurse for giving out contraceptive. The girls were very much class conscious, as in whose families had money, community standing etc... What was the standing of the family they intended marrying into what their husbands job was and how much money he would make. Katherine was trying to teach the girls to think outside the square, she was considered a forward thinker and very progressive. The fact the girls were given elocution lessons in how to cross your legs was a sign that these girls role in life was to marry well, look after their husbands and children and make sure both are kept happy. It was not socially acceptable to study and work after marriage.


3. The hair and clothes was typical 1950's, the pencil skirts and college look. The microphones were another giveaway of the time period as was the band and the I Love Lucy shows on TV. TV was still a big novelty as it hadn't been around long enough for everyone to be sick of it. Something that was amusing was the obsession that women loved appliances, the newly married wife in the movie couldn't wait to show off her washing machine as if this was going to make her life so much better having this particular washing machine. I also noticed it was very socially acceptable to smoke, they even had those long plastic cigarette holders to make it look even cooler.