...Aviva Hurvitz 24 November 2015 Feminism and the Media Representation of Women in the 1970’s Major social change happens when enough people strongly believe in it. The media influences public opinion and thus has the ability to support or destroy these social change movements. In the 1970’s, the second wave feminist movement was attempting to create wide spread social change. Its leading organization, the National Organization for Women (NOW), was focused on dismantling workplace inequality, such as denial of access to better jobs and salary inequity, and protecting women’s rights, such as stopping domestic violence. They attempted to do this through creating legislation and changing public opinion. The media’s representation of women overall at this time counteracted these goals. By creating a derogatory picture of the “feminist”, the media made her unsympathetic to the public. Rather than creating support for the core goals of the feminist movement, the media focused on more controversial topics, specifically gay rights. This negative media coverage of the women’s movement hurt its ability to implement meaningful legislation, such as the Equal Rights Amendment. The way in which print media degraded women, demonized feminists, and connected feminism to controversial topics damaged the progress of second wave feminism in the 1970’s. The definition of a feminist is a person who believes in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes (Miriam Webster...
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...the civil rights movement of the 1960’s when speaking of social movements, however, another major social movement was taking place during this time period. The fight for women’s rights. The women’s movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s sparked the second-wave of the “feminist movement.” Feminism can be defined as “a theory and/or movement concerned with advancing the position of women through such means as achievement of political, legal, or economic rights equal to those granted men (Offen, Pg. 123).” There are still no clear origins for the word feminism...
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...constructionists believe that gender isn’t a dichotomy and that there can be more than two categories, and different ways for explaining them. Essentialists typically reside outside of sociology, usually in medicine, theology, and biology. Constructionists are typically mainstream sociologists. Gender Inequality • Explain the possible origins of gender inequality according to the text. ==> Back in the day when men had to go out and procure food, they needed to be bigger and stronger. They were needed for this vital role. Women were built to be nurturing so they could stay back with their offspring and keep them safe while the men hunted. The two rules were crucial for survival. • Compare and contrast functionalist theory and conflict theory in their approaches to explaining gender inequality. ==> Functionalists theory says that sex determines which roles men and women are best suited to; it’s more appropriate for men to play the instrumental role and for women to play the expressive role. ==> Conflict theory says because of the traditional division of labor in families, males have had more access to resources and privileges and have sought to maintain their dominance. • Explain the interactionist approach to understanding the concept of gender. ==>...
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...Breaking Gender Roles in Bobbie Mason’s ‘Shiloh’ General criticism on Bobbie Ann Mason’s “Shiloh” shows that gender roles are not followed in the mid 1970’s in America. When Mason was presented with these critics over this issue, she defended the idea of breaking gender stereotypes. An example, the couple Norma Jean and Leroy have switched roles within their marriage. Due to an accident as a truck driver, he is left to stay at home and live as though a wife would live and Norma Jean is left to live as though she was a man. When others are reading “Shiloh”, they may find this odd or unpleasing, but it was necessary due to the circumstances they were presented with. Mason rejects the traditional ideas that married couples should be followed by their...
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...* Essays » * History World War Ii Through the 1970's By micahneisha33, March 2013 | 9 Pages (2,045 Words) | 402 Views | Report | ------------------------------------------------- This is a Premium essay Sign Up to access full essay * * * * * * March 3, 2013 In this paper I will go into details explains two major historical turning points that occurred during the period of World War II through the 1970’s, and the effect it had on today’s society, economy, politics and culture. In this paper I will also give two reasons why in the late 30’s Americans wanted to remain out of the European conflict. In this paper I will talk about the role women played to helped win World War II, will describes two civil rights breakthroughs, explain two ways the Vietnam War brought political awareness to a new generation of young Americans and I will talk about two programs that president Lyndon Johnson Great Society Agenda had put into effect and that are still into effect today. A turning point was in 1962, the world experienced a threat so real, so dangerous, and so deadly; that any believed Armageddon was approaching. The Cuban Missile Crisis was undoubtedly the closest the world has come to nuclear war in its entire existence. The presence of Soviet nuclear warheads on Cuban soil, less than 100 miles from the coast of Florida shocked the world. The discovery of the missiles was completely unexpected; the public's reaction was not. Thousands...
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...The 1970’s were a time period full of freedom, equal opportunity, change, and war. In the 70’s, family roles were adjusting and divorce rates were rising (Walker). With the divorce rates rising, the traditional family values were seen as less important, values such as spending time as a family or everyone eating dinner all together. However, most shows during this era still portrayed the idea of a traditional family, which is having the mother stay home to cook, clean, and take care of the children, while the father is off at work supporting the family (Frum). T.V’s popularity in the 70’s was expanding, symbolizing a movement towards equality between races and genders (Frum). With the turn of the century, shows such as “Maude,” “The Jefferson’s,” “All In The Family,” and more began airing on national television (Frum). The social movements of the time period such as equal rights for women and the civil rights movement were becoming apparent in shows like these (Dow). Other than popular shows in the 1970’s, commercial television also had a profound and wide-ranging impact on American society and culture, therefore sparking a new consumer culture. Advertisements have been mentioned as major factors contributing to increased American materialism. With more and more people watching TV, this form of entertainment seemed at an all time high. But, since some shows like “All In The Family” started airing episodes that broke down the traditional family, people at home were starting to...
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...B. & Mastin, T. 2005). During the Blaxploitation film craze of the 1970’s women seemed to gain more control over their sexuality, lives and destinies, at least in the movies. The ‘strong Black woman’ representation was noticeable throughout Blaxploitation films and featured heroines taking control over their lives, as well as the things and people that mattered to them. Black women in Blaxploitation films have specifically been attacked for being seemingly objectified and overt sexuality and nudity. In these films, Black women are in control of their sexuality as well as not in control simultaneously. When the protagonist is male, the women in the films are usually shown as prostitutes, drug abusers and/or innocent bystanders with no tangible control over what is happening to them in general, especially sexually. In films like Foxy Brown and Coffy, the protagonist is “an agent of change rather than a passive recipient of action” (Demers, J....
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...Fontana argues that girls had lower self-esteem as it was constantly reinforced in the home and wider society that boys were superior to boys thus causing them to underachieve in the education system. Feminists argue due to early socialisation this idea that they had hardly no control over their own lives were fabricated form the roots. Therefore they were more likely to view their success down to luck and fate whereas boys saw their success was down to their ability. Feminists argue that female s are likely to suffer from material deprivation then males from a very early age which yet again reinforces this inequality within the home and later in the school. However this is not the case anymore as evidence has shown that girls are doing beret then boys. One main reason in which this change has occurred is due to impact of feminism. Feminism is a social movement which strives for equal rights for women in all areas of life. Since the 1960’s, the feminist movement has challenged traditional roles which is associated with...
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...Significant events World War II through the 1970’s Assignment 3 “World War II through the 1970’s” Tim Truster Professor Michael Curran 26 August, 2012 Abstract My history assignment 3 “World War II through the 1970’s” will identify two major historical turning points during this period and what impact they had on current society, economy, politics, and culture. It will also explain two reasons Americans in the late 1930’s wanted to stay out of the European conflict that became World War II. I will explain the role women played to help win World War II. I will describe two civil rights breakthroughs after World War II that moved the cause of African-Americans forward. An explanation to why the Vietnam War brought political awareness to a new generation of young Americans. Finally two programs under President Johnson’s “Great Society” agenda that are still with us today will be discussed. Two historical turning points during the period of World War II through the 1970’s I will discuss in my paper will be the ending of World War II by defeating Japan and the Civil Rights movement. World War II itself was a major turning point in history. In 1945, Japan was lightly defended against the American attack; huge firebombing of Japanese cities went unanswered. America estimated that an invasion of the Japanese home islands would cost 50,000 American casualties in the first phase of the attack. The battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa demonstrated the extent to which Japanese...
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...new things. Herbie Hancock's theories allow for the movement of jazz music from the traditional to a more progressive new form. He believes what makes history is what music reflects on. Music has made an impact on all levels in history. The early days of jazz provided many styles, which highlighted the talent and innovation of African American music including Ragtime and Dixieland. Ragtime also contributed to the movement of African Americans to march against racism. Dixieland was a form that made a mockery of how Caucasian people danced. Soul is the movement of power to African Americans, all of which reflected what was going on in history during that time. For traditional jazz to be played in the present time would have no meaning to the people playing it. For instance, a young jazz musician playing Charles Mingus' song "Fables of Faubus" (which was about the wrong doings of governor Faubus) would have no meaning to the musician because he/she never lived that era. As for new, recent music, the artist plays what he/she feels in respect to the present. For instance, Herbie Hancock's new album came out about a month ago called "Possibilities". This album was called his "all-star project" (Downbeat; Pg 38) because it featured new artists like John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, and Paul Simon. The album depicts a movement of music in how a new form of jazz, soul, and pop our recent era has developed. The decade of the 1960’s, also known as "The Sixties", are known for it’s popular...
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...In order to understanding the roles of Latin American Women in the revolution, we must first understand what were some of the causes for the revolution. In this paper I will focus on the Cuban Gurilla revolution involing Che' and the undercover work done by Hayde'e Tamara Bunke Bider a.k.a Tania; the conscious movement in Brazil sparked by Child of the Dark along with involment of the Brazilian Women's Federation (BWF); Domintila Barrios de Chungara oral history and influence in Bolivia against mining conditons, and the March of the Empty Pot and Pan in Chile. During the 1960's and 1970's a conscious revolutionary spark seem to egnite world wide for women. Women were no longer taking the backseat approach to problems. But instead grabbing the...
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...Making the Grade There is an old adage, “You can please some of the people all of the time but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” (John Lydgate) All of us have a desire to please others, especially those closest to us. Some have that desire so ingrained in us that we lose our identity as a human being Linda Pastan was a woman very much of the women’s movement. The late 1970’s saw the role of women finally starting to change so that women could now work outside the home. Women were given what they wanted for a very long time except for the respect that they deserved. The mid-nineteenth century saw the women’s movement begin with the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, which after two days...
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...members of our society. The equality movement was rife with ongoing struggles women faced to find equality in the public’s eye. After the Great Depression and 2 world wars, people looked for fulfillment in their private lives; an expression of their commitment to both home and family with distinctive roles divided between men and women. Career choices for women were limited leaving many women with the feeling of dissatisfaction outside social defined gender roles, a feeling of Isolation; a wanting for more. (Mary B. Norton, Jane Kamensky, Carol Sheriff, David W. Blight, Howard F. Chudacoff, Fredrick Logevall, Beth Bailey, and Debra Michales, 2015). In both “The Problem has no name” and “Giving Women the Business” women of late twentieth century (60’s, 70’s, and 80’s) had to deal with trying to balance the choices between being Independent , achieving self-satisfaction, and the reality of the two. Betty Friedan was an inspiring writer, known for her role as one of the founders of the National Organization for Women (NOW), a social activist, housewife, and freelance writer who launched the second wave of the feminist movement with the publication of her book “The Feminine Mystique” (Parry Manon, 2010). With the writing of “The Problem that has no name”, Betty Friedan became the voice of millions of women across America with the words “Is this all”. With these words she describes the deep emotions of thousands of educated, middle-class women who felt unhappy, unrewarded, and...
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...the Women’s Liberation Movement Emerge in the late 1960’s? Discuss with reference to Britain and the United States of America. In a decade where the whole world was experiencing revolutions due to social discontent, this increased the desire, of women, in the late 1960’s to ‘confront existing structures of oppression,’ giving the impetus for the emergence of the Women’s Liberation Movement. Caine argues the emergence of the movement bought a ‘new tone,’ when discussing women’s oppression. Rather than focusing directly on women’s suffrage, this was a political movement demanding ‘rapid and radical change,’ in an ever increasing ambience of liberalisation. Upon inception, it is vital to highlight one can account different reasons for the emergence of the movement in Britain and America, as different domestic situations led to different reasons for the emergence of a more radical form of feminism. This essay, together with a multiplicity of historians, will consider the importance of World War II and the Civil Rights Movement, and the impact they had on the emergence of the Women’s Liberation Movement. Linked to this is the ever apparent discrimination women faced and increasing desires to change this, coupled with developments of new opportunities, demonstrated by the aforementioned world events. Additionally, the impact of literature such as Betty Friedan’s, The Feminine Mystique, needs to be considered. Whilst all the factors play an important role in contributing to the...
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...Commission on the Status for Women in 1946, it had been proposing a U. N. Women’s Conference with little success. Gradually with pressure from the American Women‟s Movement, the U.N. General Assembly declared 1975 as the International Women’s Year and 1975-1985 as the International Decade for Women. This declaration led to a growing awareness of women‟s issues and an acceptance of their demands as legitimate issues for policy making, both at the national and international level. The major themes of the International Women’s Year and Conference were-- Equality, Development and Peace. Equality, however, had been a dominant issue for the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and it came primarily from the feminist movement of the Western industrialized nations. Peace was increasingly considered to be a women issue by the countries of the Eastern block. Development, on the other hand, was a recent issue put forward mainly by the newly independent “Third World” nations as a key to improving women’s lives. During the Decade, the important but previously invisible role of women in the social and economic development of the poorer countries was highlighted. The declaration of the International Decade for Women (1975-85) signified the new visibility of Women in Development (WID) in international forums. During the past few years, the term "women in development" has become common currency both inside and outside academic settings. But while "women in development" or "WID", is...
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