Modern Feminism

Patricia Burnett, Detroit's chapter president of the National Organization for Women, shows off large signs bearing the

group's message in 1970. AP Images

"Motherhood is bliss." "Your first priority is to care for your husband and children."

"Homemaking can be exciting and fulfilling."

Throughout the 1950s, educated middle-class women heard advice like this from the time

they were born until they reached adulthood. The new suburban lifestyle prompted many

women to leave college early and pursue marriage and children. Magazines such as

Ladies Home Journal and Good Housekeeping and television shows such as "Father

Knows Best" and "The Donna Reed Show" reinforced this idyllic image.

But not every woman wanted to wear pearls and bring her husband his pipe and slippers

when he came home from work. Some women wanted careers of their own.

Book questioned traditional women's roles

In 1963, Betty Friedan published a book called "The Feminine Mystique" that identified "the

problem that has no name." Amid all the demands to prepare breakfast, drive their children

to activities and entertain guests, Friedan had the courage to ask: "Is this all there is? Is

this really all a woman is capable of doing?" In short, the problem was that many women

did not like the traditional role society prescribed for them.

By USHistory.org, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.14.17

Word Count 670

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Friedan's book struck a nerve. Within three years of its publication, a new feminist

movement was born. Nothing like this had been seen since women fought for the right to

vote. In 1966, Friedan and others formed an activist group called the National Organization

for Women. NOW was dedicated to the "full participation of women in mainstream

American society."

They demanded equal pay for equal work and pressured the government to pass laws that

prohibited gender discrimination. When Congress debated the historic Civil Rights Act of

1964, which prohibited discrimination in employment on account of race, conservative

congressmen added gender to the bill. They believed that the inclusion of women would

kill the act. When this strategy backfired and the bill was signed into law, groups such as

NOW became dedicated to its enforcement.

Radical groups developed from feminism

Like the anti-war and civil rights movements, feminism developed a radical subgroup by

the end of the decade. Women held "consciousness raising" sessions where groups of

females shared experiences that often led to their feelings of struggling with a common

problem.

In 1968, radical women demonstrated outside the Miss America Pageant near Atlantic City,

New Jersey, by crowning a live sheep. "Freedom trash cans" were built where women

could throw all symbols of female oppression, including false eyelashes, hair curlers, bras,

girdles and high-heeled shoes. The media labeled them bra burners, although no bras

were actually burned.

The word "sexism" entered the American vocabulary, as women became categorized as a

target group for discrimination. Single and married women adopted the title Ms. as an

alternative to Miss or Mrs. to avoid changing their identities based upon their relationships

with men. In 1972, Gloria Steinem founded a feminist magazine named Ms.

Changes began to occur

Authors such as the feminist Germaine Greer prompted many women to confront social,

political and economic barriers. In 1960, women made up less than 40 percent of the

nation's undergraduate college classes, and far fewer women were candidates for

advanced degrees, like masters degrees or Ph.D.s. Despite voting for four decades, there

were only 19 women serving in the Congress in 1961. For every dollar that was earned by

an American male, each working American female earned 59 cents. By raising the nation's

consciousness, changes began to occur. By 1980, women were a majority of American

undergraduate students.

As more and more women chose careers over housework, marriages were delayed to a

later age and the birthrate sharply declined. Economic independence led many

dissatisfied women to dissolve unhappy marriages, leading to a skyrocketing divorce rate.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, calling upon the memory of her mother,

evokes the mood of the women's rights movement: "I pray that I may be all that she would

have been had she lived in an age when women could aspire and achieve, and daughters

are cherished as much as sons."

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Quiz

1 What is the relationship between the first and final paragraphs of the article?

(A) They quote advice historically given to women about their proper role in the

family.

(B) They contrast views of women's value before and after the feminist

movement.

(C) They describe the effects of the feminist movement on women in society.

(D) They illustrate that motherhood is the most important role a woman can

have.

2 Read the following paragraph from the section "Book questioned traditional women's roles."

In 1963, Betty Friedan published a book called "The Feminine

Mystique" that identified "the problem that has no name." Amid all the

demands to prepare breakfast, drive their children to activities and

entertain guests, Friedan had the courage to ask: "Is this all there is? Is

this really all a woman is capable of doing?" In short, the problem was

that many women did not like the traditional role society prescribed for

them.

What does this paragraph accomplish?

(A) It illustrates how Friedan's book captured many women's lives and the way

they felt about them.

(B) It describes the impact that Friedan's book had on many women's families

and relationships.

(C) It emphasizes the important role that women played in organizing and

running the household.

(D) It gives background information related to why no one wanted to name the

problem being faced.

3 The central idea of the article is MOSTLY developed by:

(A) describing the Civil Rights Act and exploring its impact on feminism

(B) summarizing Friedan's book and describing its continued relevance

(C) exploring ideas about NOW and providing membership statistics

(D) providing context for the feminist movement and summarizing its results

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4

4 Which statement accurately and objectively summarizes the goal of the feminist movement?

(A) The feminist movement protested discrimination against women only in the

workplace.

(B) The feminist movement argued justly that women should be able to leave

unhappy marriages.

(C) The feminist movement demanded equal rights for women so they could

make independent choices.

(D) The feminist movement developed radical methods to frighten lawmakers

into doing what they wanted.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5