Matt Ortega Matt Ortega

P. 6 P. 6

Unit 10Unit 10

PromptPrompt

2010-Compare and contrast the 2010-Compare and contrast the goals and achievements of the goals and achievements of the feminist movement in the period feminist movement in the period circa 1850-1920 with those of circa 1850-1920 with those of the feminist movement in the the feminist movement in the period 1945 to the present.period 1945 to the present.

Background: 1850-1920Background: 1850-1920•Industrial age

•Women are not a common sight in the workplace, which at this time was mostly factory work.

•Only in struggling family’s did women work alongside men.

•Separate spheres

•“the wife as the mother and homemaker, the husband as wage earner.”

•Discrimination of women in the workplace was great

•Lacked basic legal rights

•Well paying jobs were off limits

•Husbands were unsympathetic

•Women were almost always payed less than men for an equal amount of work

Background: 1850-1920 Background: 1850-1920 cont.cont.

•English law stated that women had no legal identity and hence no right to own property in her name.

•Napoleonic code preserved the principle of female subordination

The Feminist Movement: The Feminist Movement: 1850-19201850-1920

Goals

•Women wanted freedom from discrimination in education and employment including:

•Access to higher education

•Access to higher employment

•Adequate income

•Full legal rights

The Feminist Movement: 1850-The Feminist Movement: 1850-19201920

The First FrontThe First Front• Organizations were founded by middle class Organizations were founded by middle class

feministsfeminists• These organizations campaigned for equal These organizations campaigned for equal

rights rights • Realized that paied work could relieve the Realized that paied work could relieve the

monotony that women had found and put monotony that women had found and put greater meaning in their lives greater meaning in their lives

• Followed in the footsteps of Mary Followed in the footsteps of Mary Wollstonecraft Wollstonecraft • A Vindication of the Rights of WomanA Vindication of the Rights of Woman

• ““The rights of women should be respected”The rights of women should be respected”

The Feminist Movement: 1850-The Feminist Movement: 1850-19201920

The Second FrontThe Second Front

•Marxism

•Women were inspired by the socialist movement

•Socialist women leaders argued that the liberation of working-class women would come only through the liberation of the entire working class

Accomplishments on Accomplishments on both Frontsboth Fronts

• 1882-English law gives women full property rights1882-English law gives women full property rights• 1880- Women become more commonplace in professional 1880- Women become more commonplace in professional

and white-collar jobsand white-collar jobs• The right to vote is slowly granted in individual European The right to vote is slowly granted in individual European

countriescountries• Finland-1906Finland-1906• Norway-1913Norway-1913• Denmark and Iceland-1915Denmark and Iceland-1915• The Netherlands-1917The Netherlands-1917• Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Sweden-1918Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Sweden-1918• Germany and Luxembourg-1919Germany and Luxembourg-1919

Background: 1945-Background: 1945-PresentPresent

• Child rearing no longer took the energy and time that it Child rearing no longer took the energy and time that it had throughout all of historyhad throughout all of history

• As a result women could go out and seek jobs for themselves, As a result women could go out and seek jobs for themselves, in the booming economy of the 50’s-70’sin the booming economy of the 50’s-70’s

• Women still faced long established discrimination in:Women still faced long established discrimination in:• PayPay• Advancement in occupationAdvancement in occupation• Occupational choice in comparison to menOccupational choice in comparison to men

• Most women could still only find part-time workMost women could still only find part-time work

The Feminist Movement: 1945-The Feminist Movement: 1945-PresentPresentGoalsGoals

• Genuine Genuine gender equality and the gender equality and the promotion of general interests of promotion of general interests of womenwomen

• In addition to equal wages and the In addition to equal wages and the like, women also sought like, women also sought psychological satisfaction from their psychological satisfaction from their workwork

Significant Women and Significant Women and their Workstheir Works

• Simone de Beavoir (1908-1986) Simone de Beavoir (1908-1986) • French writer and philosopherFrench writer and philosopher• The Second Sex The Second Sex (1949)(1949)

• Theorized that women, while in essence free, were and Theorized that women, while in essence free, were and always had been trapped within inflexible and limiting always had been trapped within inflexible and limiting conditionsconditions

• Only through creative assertiveness could women truly Only through creative assertiveness could women truly escape the role of the “inferior other”escape the role of the “inferior other”

• Betty Friedan (1924-2006)Betty Friedan (1924-2006)• American writer, activist, and feministAmerican writer, activist, and feminist• The Feminine MystiqueThe Feminine Mystique

• Women were living in a sexist world, where they as a Women were living in a sexist world, where they as a people had not been allowed to become mature, fully people had not been allowed to become mature, fully functioning adults and genuine human beingsfunctioning adults and genuine human beings

• Believed that they were instead expected to conform to Believed that they were instead expected to conform to male standards and live only for their husbands and male standards and live only for their husbands and childrenchildren

• Founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) Founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) • Founded to press even harder for women’s rights Founded to press even harder for women’s rights

Significant Women and Significant Women and their Works cont.their Works cont.

• NOW quickly gained recognition, NOW quickly gained recognition, from 700 members in 1967 to over from 700 members in 1967 to over 40,000 in 197440,000 in 1974

• With the success of NOW, many other With the success of NOW, many other organizations rose all throughout organizations rose all throughout Europe and the USEurope and the US

StrategyStrategy

• Throughout the feminist movement there Throughout the feminist movement there was one common strategy:was one common strategy:• Enter the “arena” of politics and slowly Enter the “arena” of politics and slowly

begin to change the policies and laws begin to change the policies and laws regarding womenregarding women

• The de-criminalization of abortion served The de-criminalization of abortion served as a rallying point in building and as a rallying point in building and mobilizing an effective and self-conscious mobilizing an effective and self-conscious movement in Europe.movement in Europe.

AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

• New workplace statutes throughout Europe New workplace statutes throughout Europe include: include: • Laws against discriminationLaws against discrimination• ““Equal pay for equal work” (Sweden 1947)Equal pay for equal work” (Sweden 1947)• Maternal leave Sweden (19478)Maternal leave Sweden (19478)• Affordable child care, designed to help women Affordable child care, designed to help women

combine careers and family responsibilitiescombine careers and family responsibilities• Abortion is legalizedAbortion is legalized• Women are formally accepted into the military Women are formally accepted into the military

(Russia-1942)(Russia-1942)