RESPONSES
Betty Friedan
"THE SUBURBAN HOUSEWIFE -- SHE WAS THE DREAM IMAGE OF THE YOUNG AMERICAN WOMEN AND THE ENVY, IT WAS SAID, OF WOMEN ALL OVER THE WORLD." -The Feminine Mystique: Chapter 1 (1)
Author and activist Betty Friedan is credited with igniting the beginning of a second-wave of feminism in the late 1950's and early 1960's with her book The Feminine Mystique. After reading Frieden's book, millions of American women felt that they stood victim to "the feminine mystique," a philosophy that states that women's only purpose in life is the fulfillment of a femininity found in "sexual passivity, male domination, and maternal love." (2) This accusation is the focus of Friedan's highly precise and provocative book. The core of her thesis explains that a woman's problem today is not sexual but a problem of identity. She says, "Our culture does not permit women to accept or gratify their basic need to grow and fulfill their potentialities as human beings, a need which is not solely defined by their sexual role." (3) IThough Friedan's book contributed to a slight change in the way women were perceived in society, some people believed that the "feminine mystique" only affected the wealthy, suburban housewives and failed to include many other parts of the female population. Nonetheless, the book was revolutionary for its time, and Friedan went on to become one of the most influential woman's rights activists in history. |
Bella Abzug
"WE ARE BRINGING WOMEN INTO POLITICS TO CHANGE THE NATURE OF POLITICS, TO CHANGE THE VISION, TO CHANGE THE INSTITUTIONS. WOMEN ARE NOT WEDDED TO POLITICS OF THE PAST. WE DID NOT CRAFT THEM. THEY DID NOT LET US" -Bella Abzug
Bella Abzug was a prominent woman's rights activist and politician in the 1960's and 1970's. Abzug is well known for serving in the the House of Representatives from 1971-1977. As a member of the House of Representatives, Abzug was not afraid to share her opinions. In fact, her brash and flamboyant personality earned her nicknames such as, "Battling Bella," "Hurricane Bella," and "Mother Courage." (4) Additionally, Abzug acted on her opinions. She wrote legislation to prevent unfair treatment of women and she presented the first bill proposing equal rights for homosexuals. In nineteen seventy-nine, President Jimmy Carter appointed her the head of a National Advisory Committee on Women. Later, President Carter dismissed her when she criticized his decision to cut money for women's programs. Abzug is also credited with helping to create the National Women’s Political Caucus with Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. In her lifetime, Abzug wrote two books: Bella! Ms. Abzug Goes to Washington about her time in the House of Representatives and Gender Gap: Bella Abzug's Guide to Political Power for American Women about the importance of women's vote in the upcoming 1984 election. |
Gloria Steinem
"A GENDER-EQUAL SOCIETY WOULD BE ONE WHERE THE WORD 'GENDER' DOES NOT EXIST: WHERE EVERYONE CAN BE THEMSELVES." -Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem is a groundbreaking writer, lecturer, editor, and activist. Steinem has been looked to as the popular face of the women's rights movement for over four decades. Her passion for politics compelled her to join the growing feminist movement during the 1960's and helped her to become one of the movement's most visible and effective leaders. She is well known for co-founding Ms. Magazine in 1972. The magazine began as an insert in New York magazine in December of 1971, and its first independent issue was published in January of 1972. Under Steinem's direction, the magazine tackled important topics, such as domestic violence. Ms. Magazine became the first national publication to feature issues pertaining to women. In addition to creating Ms. Magazine, Steinem joined other prominent feminists, such as Bella Abzug and Betty Friedan, in forming the National Women’s Political Caucus. |
David Riesman
"THE CHILDREN THEMSELVES, BEFORE THEY GET ACCESS TO A CAR, A CAPTIVE OF THEIR SUBURB...THE HOUSEWIVES SURRENDER CONTINUITY IN THEIR OWN LIVES TO CHAUFFEUR THEIR CHILDREN TO LESSONS, DOCTORS, AND OTHER SERVICES" -David Riesman
David Riesman is the author of the 1950 book The Lonely Crowd. The book states that periods with a relatively stable economy, a balanced social order and little technological change, such as the 1950's, are dominated by tradition. These people, he said, based their lives on rules ''dictated to a very large degree by power relations among the various age and sex groups, the clans, castes, professions -- relations which have endured for centuries and are modified but slightly, if at all, by successive generations.'' (5) He also said that in periods of technological progress and population growth, such as the Renaissance, people develop individualistic ideas and set lifelong goals for themselves based on values like wealth, fame, and scientific progress. Riesman's critique of 1950's society was the first of a series of books that examined the perceived issues of the time period. One of these books was The Organization Man by William H. Whyte. |
William H. Whyte
“...THE SPECTACLE OF PEOPLE FOLLOWING CURRENT CUSTOM FOR LACK OF WILL OR IMAGINATION TO DO ANYTHING ELSE IS HARDLY A NEW FAILING.” -William H. Whyte
William H. Whyte was an American urbanist, organizational analyst, journalist, and self proclaimed people-watcher. Whyte is well known for his 1956 book, The Organization Man. The book was a critique of society as well as business culture in the 1950's. In his book, Whyte analyzes conformity in the suburbs and the boardroom. In the words of David Brooks, senior editor at the Weekly Standard and contributing editor at Newsweek, "The Organization Man is one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. It established the categories Americans now use when thinking about the workplace, the suburbs, and their lives." (6) Whyte wrote The Organization Man as a response to his observation that the corporate world was taking over the lives of individuals and promoting a sense of conformity in society. Whyte believed that the bold visions of individualists had been replaced by ''the modest aspirations of organization men who lower their sights to achieve a good job with adequate pay and proper pension and a nice house in a pleasant community populated with people as nearly like themselves as possible.'' (7) Whyte warned against this behavior and stressed the need for reform in the corporate world. |
Malvina Reynolds
"AND THERE'S DOCTORS AND LAWYERS AND BUSINESS EXECUTIVES. AND THEY'RE ALL MADOE OUT OF TICKY TACKY AND THEY ALL LOOK JUST THE SAME"
-Malvina Reynolds "Little Boxes"
Malvina Reynolds was a social activist and singer. She is well known for writing the song "Little Boxes," in 1962 as a political statement about how all of the houses in suburban areas were similar and uniform along with the people who lived inside them. (8) The song mocks suburban tract housing referring to them as "little boxes" of different colors "all made out of ticky-tacky", " "Ticky-tacky" is a reference to the shoddy material used in the construction of the majority of suburban homes. The song gained an enormous amount of recognition and popularity. In the 1960's, the term "ticky-tacky" became a widely used term to describe the suburbs. The song has even been covered by other famous artists and groups such as Pete Seeger, Devendra Banhart, Linkin Park, Elvis Costello, and Death Cab for Cutie.
-Malvina Reynolds "Little Boxes"
Malvina Reynolds was a social activist and singer. She is well known for writing the song "Little Boxes," in 1962 as a political statement about how all of the houses in suburban areas were similar and uniform along with the people who lived inside them. (8) The song mocks suburban tract housing referring to them as "little boxes" of different colors "all made out of ticky-tacky", " "Ticky-tacky" is a reference to the shoddy material used in the construction of the majority of suburban homes. The song gained an enormous amount of recognition and popularity. In the 1960's, the term "ticky-tacky" became a widely used term to describe the suburbs. The song has even been covered by other famous artists and groups such as Pete Seeger, Devendra Banhart, Linkin Park, Elvis Costello, and Death Cab for Cutie.
Footnotes
1.) Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. (New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 1963), 15.
2.) Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique, 17.
3.) Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique, 78.
4.) "Bella Abzug," Britannica, (accessed May 19, 2016).
5.) David Riesman, The Lonely Crowd (New Haven, CN: Yale University Press, 1950.
6.) "The Organization Man," University of Pennsylvania Press, last modified 2016, (accessed May 19, 2016),
7.) William H. Whyte, The Organization Man (Garden City, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1956),
8.) Reynolds, Malvina. Malvina Reynolds Sings the Truth. (Columbia Records. 1962.)
2.) Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique, 17.
3.) Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique, 78.
4.) "Bella Abzug," Britannica, (accessed May 19, 2016).
5.) David Riesman, The Lonely Crowd (New Haven, CN: Yale University Press, 1950.
6.) "The Organization Man," University of Pennsylvania Press, last modified 2016, (accessed May 19, 2016),
7.) William H. Whyte, The Organization Man (Garden City, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1956),
8.) Reynolds, Malvina. Malvina Reynolds Sings the Truth. (Columbia Records. 1962.)