Betty Freidan Flashcards
liberalism
when was she alive?
1921-2006
what type of liberal was she?
feminist
what was her best work?
The Feminine Mystique- 1963
what was a big concern for her?
a concern for individualism
what should all individuals seek to have?
-control over their own lives
-full realisation of their potential
what was her stance on gender?
it was a hindrance to women
what lead to the most underachievement?
illiberal attitudes, not human nature
how were the attitudes transferred?
nurtured + transmitted via societies ‘cultural channels’
-e.g. schools/religion/media/mainstream literature/theatre/cinema
what were these channels?
‘cultural conditioning’- many women were convinced their lives were determined by human nature, not their own rationality + enterprise
this was ‘irrational’
what did she disdain?
-violence + illegality as a means of pursuing change- significant progress possible through legal equality (via liberal state)
what did she say about the US constitution?
she endorsed its capacity to allow continuous improvement of ppls lives
what did she reject?
that the state was ‘patriarchal’ + under the control of the dominant gender
what constitutional theory did she support?
liberal constitutionalism- democracy shows sovereignty of the ppl
what did some laws do (harm principle)?
laws criminalising sexual discrimination prevented women from having their freedoms ‘harmed’ by others
what was the liberal state’s original aim?
the protection + advancement of civil rights
