OCR textbook - campaign for political rights 1960-92 Flashcards
1966
formation of national organisation for women (NOW)
aim of NOW
‘full participation in mainstream american society’ & ‘truly equal relationship with men’
what had these new aims (eg. NOW) emerged from
- new feminism
- study published in 1963 & commissioned by president kennedy =
‘report on american women’ - by 1960s, there was movement for change eg. kennedys ‘new frontier’
what was new feminism
- challenged basis of women’s role in society
- influenced by writers eg. betty freidan
- demands for political/social change were underpinned by ideology that hadn’t been apparent in previous women’s movements
what was the ‘report on american women’ 1963
- survey worked on by several highly educated women
- ready by elite
- found statistics of unequal pay, opportunities, political participation & status disturbing
when was the feminine mystique by betty freidan published
1963
what was the feminine mystique about
expressed (mainly middle-class) women’s discontent with post-war period
kennedys assassination
1963
who succeeded kennedy
lyndon b. johnson
what did johnson introduce
johnson’s ‘great society’
what problems did johnson’s new impetus for reform face
- not united in aims
- face considerable conservative opposition
- neither of political parties took up causes directly
- radical supporters often alienated mainstream support
what was expressed in the NOW conference 1967
women’s demand for abortion & ‘the right of women to control their own reproductive lives’
give an example of a breakaway women’s group, their disagreement with NOW & what they fought for/results
eg. women’s equality league action
- rejected NOW’s support for abortion-law reform
- pressed hard for equality in education
- brought action against 300 schools/colleges who were discriminating on women
who did NOW bring legal action against
- employers who broke the 1967 executive order against sex discrimination by companies with federal contracts
what was a major focus of womens organisations from 1970
passing of the ERA