Discussion Board 6 and responses

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Why did there have to be a second wave women’s movement? Discuss pieces of Friedman’s “The Feminine Mystique” and Chisholm’s “For the Equal Rights Amendment” and come up with some defining issues or rights that women were seeking to acquire. Use examples from the readings.


peer 1:

In both "The Feminine Mystique" and "For the Equal Rights Amendment" he women wan to be identified as themselves an have their own thoughts rather than be discriminated against because of their sex. In "The Feminine Mystique" the argument said was the women were expected to fulfill their role as wives and mothers and nothing more ( Trodd, Zoe, 2008). In he story it also argues hat women were basically told what to do, how to do it and when to. The women were taught and desensitized to self thought and independence and taught the image they were to uphold. "Experts told them how to catch a man and keep him, how to breastfeed children and handle their toilet training...how to buy a dishwasher, bake bread..." ( Trodd, Zoe, 2008). "Women are not expected to grow up to find out who the are, o choose their human identity" ( Trodd, Zoe, 2008). Freidan describe his as a identity crisis. "For the Equal Rights Amendment" argues the discrimination women faced. "State labor laws applying only to women, such as those limiting hours of work and weighs to be lifted.." ( Trodd, Zoe, 2008). "Working conditions and hours that are harmful to women are harmful to me; wages hat are unfair for women are unfair for men" ( Trodd, Zoe, 2008). "What does sex have to do with it" ( Trodd, Zoe, 2008). The second wave was still fighting for freedom and equality for women because the were not able to move and do freely because of their sex. They wanted to be recognized as part of humanity and hold the same rights a man would. In so many ways both stories also pointed out how his discrimination affected women and men socially and psychologically and inhibited g rowthin the community individually and as a total population. 

Trodd, Zoe. American Protest Literature. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2008.


Peer 2:

The second wave of feminism was sought out to finish what was started by feminists like Alice Paul. Women fought for equal rights, the right to vote, and the right to join the workforce. Even as women had these rights, there were still discrimination against women, and therefore lacked equal rights as men. Their salary was never equal to that of a men, even if they worked as hard and worked the same amount of hours. In some states women were not allowed to go to certain universities, and if they were admitted into universities they were taught how to gain a husband. 

In the Feminine Mystique, Friedan states “They learned that truly feminine women do not want careers, higher education, political rights- independence and the opportunities that the old-fashioned feminists fought for”(394). Women in this time frame were meant to believe that traits like those were unfeminine and would therefore lack the ability to have a husband and bear children. She also states in another excerpt “All they had to do was devote their lives from earliest girlhood to finding a husband and bearing children.”(394). Unfortunately women lacked identity, their only role in society was to be a mother, wife, and a daughter. Shirley Chisholm talks about discrimination in the Equal Rights Amendment. She states “Discrimination against women, solely on the basis of their sex, is so widespread that is seems to many persons normal, natural and right.”(412). Her indication of discrimination clearly states that discrimination against women is known to be a norm in society, and bears little to no meaning because of how ordinary it was in that day and age. Women needed to voice their frustrations and the lack of equal rights.As prior influencers worked their way to gain those rights, the movement needed to rise again to give light to what looked to be lightly buried from activists before.  

Zoe Trodd.  American Protest Literature. Belknap Press Of Harvard University Press, 2008

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