1. The changing role of women in modern American society from the 1950s to today

Question 1

What was the primary ideology regarding women in American society during the 1950s?

Answer 1

The ideology of the housewife

This ideology was shaped by media and magazines targeted to women.

Question 2

What was the main goal for girls in the 1950s after World War II?

Answer 2

Marriage

Family was seen as the major inspiration for a perfect existence.

Question 3

What dissatisfaction did women begin to feel by the end of the 1950s?

Answer 3

A feeling that ‘there is something missing’

This dissatisfaction became a national issue.

Question 4

What were the daily responsibilities of most American women in the 1950s?

Answer 4

Maintain the house, prepare meals, take care of children

They were expected to be the ideal wives while remaining elegant.

Question 5

How did the future of women in the 1950s differ from modern women?

Answer 5

Women in the 1950s had no choice regarding their future

Their paths were defined by societal expectations.

Question 6

What significant change occurred in women’s roles during and after World War II?

Answer 6

Women returned to work in industrial factories

They discovered they could perform men’s work and earn higher salaries.

Question 7

What campaign did the government launch in response to women working during WWII?

Answer 7

A campaign encouraging women to return to their roles as housewives

This included media messages promoting traditional gender roles.

Question 8

What societal stereotype about women persisted despite their contributions during WWII?

Answer 8

The myth that women were unreliable and would quit jobs for motherhood

Most women who worked during the war were young and single.

Question 9

What book by Betty Friedan addressed the crisis of the ideal woman in the 1960s?

Answer 9

The Feminine Mystique

It was published in 1963 and called for change.

Question 10

In what year was the Equal Pay Act signed by President Kennedy?

Answer 10

1963

It aimed to abolish wage disparity based on sex.

Question 11

What was the primary focus of the feminist movement since the 1960s?

Answer 11

Changing the role of women in society

It also called for female representation in decision-making bodies.

Question 12

What significant increase occurred in women’s employment between 1950 and 1960?

Answer 12

The proportion of working wives grew from 15% to 30%

The number of working mothers increased by 400%.

Question 13

What percentage of the labor force did women comprise in 2008?

Answer 13

59.5%

This was a significant increase from only 29.6% in 1950.

Question 14

What are the three main themes underlying the feminist movement?

Answer 14

Individualism, independence, equality

These themes reflect broader American societal values.

Question 15

What are the four waves of feminism?

Answer 15

1. First wave: late 19th century - early 20th century
   * 2. Second wave: 1960s - 1990s
   * 3. Third wave: 1990s - 2008
   * 4. Fourth wave: 2008 - present

Each wave has specific goals and advocates.

Question 16

Fill in the blank: The ideal family in the 1950s included a successful husband, children playing, and the wife _______.

Answer 16

cooking in her kitchen

The image was characterized by traditional gender roles.

Question 17

True or False: The feminist movement has faced no opposition in American society.

Answer 17

False

Not all women support the feminist movement, and it has shaken traditional social orders.

Question 18

When were women allowed to have a bank account in the United States?

Answer 18

Women in the United States gained the right to open a bank account independently with the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act in 1974. Before this act, many banks required a husband’s signature or refused service to unmarried women. This legislation marked a significant step towards financial independence for women.

Question 19

First Wave of feminism

Answer 19

Started with the Seneca Falls Convention.
Seneca Falls Convention, assembly held on July 19–20, 1848, in the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, that launched the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.
Goals: The primary focus was on legal issues, particularly women’s suffrage (the right to vote). Other goals included property rights, educational opportunities, and better working conditions. Achievements: The most significant achievement was the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote in the United States. However, many women of color continued to face barriers to voting until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Question 20

Second Wave

Answer 20

(1960s - 1980s)
Goals: This wave expanded the fight to a broader range of issues, including workplace equality, reproductive rights, and the end of legal sex discrimination. It also addressed issues like domestic violence and marital rape. Achievements: Key achievements included the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, which legalized abortion nationwide.

Question 21

Third Wave

Answer 21

(1990s - 2000s)
Goals: The third wave focused on embracing individualism and diversity. It sought to challenge and expand the definitions of femininity and gender roles, addressing issues of sexuality, body image, and intersectionality. Achievements: This wave brought greater visibility to issues of race, class, and LGBTQ+ rights within the feminist movement. It also saw the rise of the internet as a platform for feminist discourse and activism.

Question 22

Fourth Wave

Answer 22

(2010s - Present)
Goals: The fourth wave is characterized by a focus on combating sexual harassment, assault, and misogyny, largely through digital activism. It emphasizes intersectionality and the inclusion of diverse voices and experiences. Achievements: The #MeToo movement, which began in 2017, is a significant milestone of the fourth wave, bringing widespread attention to issues of sexual harassment and assault. This wave continues to push for systemic change and greater accountability.

Question 23

19th amendment

Answer 23

Achievements: The most significant achievement was the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote in the United States. Thank you, 1st wave of feminism and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Even if it was for white middle-class women mostly, thank you for broadening the spectrum a bit.

Question 24

President Kennedy’s Report and following legislations

Answer 24

• New official organizations changed with studying the status of women in the US.
• As 1961, President Kennedy had created a report called American women. This was the beginning of a new awareness of women’s problems. After the American women report, 1963, Equality Pay Act was approved: regardless of sex, who perform substantially equal work must be paid at the same level. It has great affect in the feminist struggle. Also, 1964, Civil Rights Act had the law requiring equal salary for equal work regardless of sex.

Question 25

Feminine Mystique

Answer 25

• The feminist movement started to be established. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan in 1963 was a call for change, for hope.
  The “Feminine Mystique”: Betty Friedan’s work, The Feminine Mystique, is crucial in identifying the dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment felt by many suburban housewives in the 1950s. This “problem that has no name” stemmed from a societal pressure on women to find their identity solely through domestic duties and marriage.
  Quote: “I begin to feel I have no personality. I’m a server of food and a putter-on of pants and a bedmaker, somebody who can be called on when you want something. But who am I?”

Question 26

world war roles and unfortunate changes back to patriarchal “normalcy”

Answer 26

Women received the right to vote in 1920 and they were mobilized for material and psychological support in WWI. It also allowed women to enter into industries such as chemical, automobile, and iron and steel manufacturing. However, after the end of WWII, women workers were laid off at a rate 75% higher than men - a sort of return to the prewar patterns. By 1947, women’s employment rates climbed back to the wartime levels but their wages generally dropped and unequal pay prevailed. In 1950, women on average received only 53% of men’s wages. Discrimination against women continued in a number of professions (medical schools imposing 5% quota on female admissions).

Question 27

after the end of WWII, women workers were laid off at a rate … higher than men

Answer 27

75%

Question 28

In 1950, women on average received only …% of men’s wages.

Answer 28

53

Question 29

Discrimination against women continued in a number of professions

Answer 29

(medical schools imposing 5% quota on female admissions)

Question 30

Equal Pay Act

Answer 30

In 1963, President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act which aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex.

Question 31

female slays around the late 2000s

Answer 31

By 2009, more women than men were earning doctorates. Women are now found in many lines of work formerly considered male domains, including law enforcement, construction, and truck driving.

Female political figures prominent in the early 21st century include Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Sarah Palin, and Michelle Obama.

Several major American universities now have female presidents; some major corporations have female CEOs.

In 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics women comprised 59.5% of the labor force ( only 29.6% of women worked in 1950!).

Question 32

“equal pay for equal work”

Answer 32

Traditional female responsibilities in the areas of child care and household maintenance are being reallocated. Although the idea of “equal pay for equal work” has yet to be realized - women still earn only about 80 cents on each $ earned by men - the feminist movement definitely changed the American society.