Second Wave Feminism In The 20th Century

During the modern era there has been a successful historical change in Australia, established from a range of progressive ideas and movements. To a significant extent, the progressive ideology of first wave feminism achieved social and political change in Australia, shown through the Australian suffragette movement. Immense development through key features, values, motives, attitudes and beliefs of the suffragette movement has shaped Australia; supported by momentous individuals.

The women’s liberation movement (or feminism as it is now known) of the 1960s and 1970s touched every home, business, and school (WA, 705). The movement even touched the sports and entertainment industries, in fact, “There are few areas of contemporary life untouched by feminism” (WA, 717). The word feminism in the early 1960’s wasn’t often used and when it was it was used with condescension or hatred. However, in the late sixties that changed thanks to a new group of women. This new diverse group of women included the: young, old, heterosexual, lesbians, working class, and even the privileged. This diverse group came together and collectively created the second wave of feminism.

Once upon a time in a world dominated by men, women had been forced to comply with society 's blinding notion that they were pieces of property meant to play the domesticated role of a dutiful housewife. This was true up until the late 1840s when women began to realize their worth was so much more than a floor-moping, dinner-making, stain-bleaching slave to six children and an ungrateful husband. That may sound rash and some situations may have been different, but before the civil war these women did not have the opportunities to be properly educated like men. Courageously strong women, over time, from the early 1800s up until the 1920s and counting, such as Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem have all become recognized for their dedication and persistence in bringing about changes in defending the rights of women and suppressing the bias against gender equality thus paving the road of feminism. However, even in today’s world anti-feministic backlashes are still occurring in the sense of politics, workplace, and society.

Women now were educated, voting, and even aiding their states during war times. In the U.S. many activists were fighting for similar issues addressed by the predecessors, however they were able to take things further, since there was a precedent. Instead of just gaining access to higher education, Second-Wavers were pushing for Women’s Studies classes and departments, and for prominent historical women to be included in academia. Women in the U.S. were also beginning the enduring battle of saving the environment. “Second-Wave feminists brought internal attention to the problems caused by violence against women and by poor environmental practices.”

Terms are often redefined and altered in society. Whether the outcome is positive or negative, society can also alter terms in order to create stereotypes. There are thousands of stereotypes related to women and them working. Some common stereotypes against women are: “women are supposed to make less money than men”, “the best women are stay-at-home moms”, “women are supposed to cook and do housework”, and “women are responsible for raising children.” Almost every woman has heard one of those stereotypes at least once throughout their lifetime. (Brewer) The second-wave women’s movement was an event in the 1960s that helped to shape the workforce for women. The second-wave “focused on dismantling workplace inequality, such as denial of access

Towards the end of the twentieth century, feminist women in America faced an underlying conflict to find their purpose and true meaning in life. “Is this all?” was often a question whose answer was sought after by numerous women reaching deeper into their minds and souls to find what was missing from their life. The ideal second-wave feminist was defined as a women who puts all of her time into cleaning her home, loving her husband, and caring for her children, but such a belief caused these women to not only lose their identity within her family but society as well. The emotions that feminist women were feeling at this time was the internal conflict that caused for social steps to be taken in hopes of

Through countless decades women have been struggling to be equal to men, both at home, politics and the work place. Starting back from the 1800s to mid-1900s, numerous women took time out of their day to step out and fight for what they believed in and that was women’s rights.  Women were gaining incredible ground amid the 1840s and 50s. They were currently permitted to make legal agreements, own property, control legitimate profit and have joint authority of kids. New laws supported widowed, forsook, and abused ladies. Women additionally framed numerous gatherings, which were the start of womens ' rights development. Women’s occupation by the mid-1950s, surpassed the peek accomplished in War World II.  Taking after this development of women’s ' work, a capable women 's activist development ascended in the 1960s and 1970s. The contemporary women 's activist development looked for and won more noteworthy lawful insurance for equivalent pay, more prominent assurance from abusive behavior at home, and a lawful acknowledgment of the privilege to a premature birth. Sexual standards casual as sexuality was all the more transparently communicated in film and famous entertainment. Linda K. Kerber (1988) quotes, “the ideology of republican womanhood recognized that women’s choices and women’s work did serve large social and political

She first presents a list of article descriptions from “McCall”, a prominent women’s magazine during the time. Friedan includes article descriptions that clearly objectify women by modern standards. One of these articles comically provides insight on ‘how to find a Second Husband’. This succinct presentation of facts proves impossible to ignore. Friedan simply does not allow her female readers to hide from the facts: they are being preyed upon by male magazine editors who aim to tighten their chains to the household. In contrast, Friedan brings to light the ‘New Woman’ that emerged during the 1930s. This “New Woman” (Friedan 66) is a complete foil for the the Feminine Mystique which is part of what makes Friedan’s argument so compelling. The ‘New Woman’ of the 1930s resented the household and yearned to educate herself as well as build a career. In stark contrast the Feminine Mystique is the propagation of the image of a woman who is ‘gaily content in a world of boredom and kitchen, sex, babies, and home’. By juxtaposing the woman’s suffrage movement post-civil war with the migration of woman from the workplace back to the home post-world war two, Friedan places a seed of indignation within the female reader. If they were capable the enough to campaign for equality then, why not

Second wave feminism first emerged in the wake of World War II in the late 1940’s. It originated as a response to the post war boom. After World War II, the United States’ economy flourished, the population soared, capitalism emerged more triumphant than ever, and suburbia expanded like never before. The socio-economic state of the U.S. at this time lent itself spectacularly to middle-class familial expansion. During this time there was also a marked and, many would argue, a conscious effort to return to the patriarchal gender roles in place prior to World War II. That is to say, the nuclear family was in its glory days with the man being the undeniable head of house, and the woman his subservient housewife. The social movement toward female domesticity was heavily advocated through media propaganda which depicted the woman as a wife and mother exclusively, in the closed sphere of the home. We have previously seen with the emergence of first wave feminism the rise of feminist agenda that comes out of woman’s subordination at the hand of her husband, and misogynistic government policy and paradigm. It is this same sentiment that triggered the need for another wave of feminism, that is to say, the second wave. (Brownmiller, 36-38.)

“First wave” of feminism in 1920 advocated women’s suffrage, whereas the “Second wave” targets the societal issues that women in the 21st century are facing. Betty Friedan wrote The Feminists Mystique after World War II exposing female repression and later founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) which ignited the second wave of the feminist movement. Consequently, it became noticeable that women were in multiple wars, as a result branches of feminists were formed (i.e. Liberalist, Marxist, and Socialist). Misogyny’s evolution has its own significant role in the feminist movement, stirring conversations today that affect feminist ideologies. However, in order to fully comprehend what affects second wave feminism along with the tactics utilized by feminists, one must first become acquainted with the many forms.

The Second Wave of the feminist movement did not start until the 1960’s, this wave was unfolded in the context of anti-war and civil rights movements, as well as equal rights in the workplace. As the at the time new trend of feminism magazines began to pick-up on societal changes, showcasing women working instead of being in their home along with portraying women being successful, and having a purpose that went beyond being the perfect All-American housewife like like Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy. Betty Friedan the author to the book The Feminine Mystique spoke about how women had been told that they lived the ideal lives with nice houses, lovely children, and responsible husbands but were burdened by domesticity, they were too socially conditioned to recognize their own desperation. As Friedman states, “Each suburban wife struggles with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material, ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, chauffeured Cub Scouts and Brownies, lay beside her husband at night- she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question-- 'Is this all?” (p. 57) The question of “Is this all?” is not only asked by suburban housewives, but by the whole world. The idea of a daily routine and not a lot of “me” time for a housewife could lead to her not thinking for herself. In this modern day most families own a car which means housewifes are not really constrained at the same effect that housewives were constrained to back then. These women are now able to get groceries drive around, and with the new birth of social media they are able to keep up with friends and become more social through the web. The technological boom that we have experienced this past decade has been able to shift the way women feel in their homes. As for the

While there is not one authoritative definition of third wave feminism, it is typically understood to be a movement that emphasizes an intersectional approach while challenging previously accepted definitions of beauty and femininity, and continues the efforts of second-wave feminism to create conditions of freedom, equality, justice, and self-actualization for all

The origin of this philosophy is from France in the 19th century known as the first-wave feminism that focused on the rights of women to gain political power including the right to vote. The second-wave of feminism was largely concerned about workplace, education, sexuality and reproductively rights. As a response to perceived failures of the second-wave, the third-wave of feminism arose in the early 1990s and continuing to present. It seeks to challenge the second-wave’s paradigm which over-emphasises the upper-class white women and ignoring the lower-class women and minorities. Thus, the third-wave focuses on to expand feminism to include women with a diverse set of identities: colours, ethnicities, nationalities, religions and cultural

Feminism by definition means the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men. But many a time’s people restrict the boundary of these forgetting the very important element of diversity of women living in different places and in varied situations.

As a young female in the 21st century I am exposed to various events, actions, words, etc. One of which directly affects me as a girl. Feminism. Lately feminism has been a topic that stirs many arguments, especially since the Women’s March in January. From what I see and hear people think feminists are all radical. I think those people are not educated enough on the topic. Feminism is barely taught in classes unless it’s about women’s suffrage and the right to vote. What about Roe v. Wade or Doe v. Bolton on the topic of abortion or Corning Glass Works v. Brennan on the wage gap that caused the Supreme Court to consider an Equal Pay Act? What is the second wave of feminism? What is feminism? There