Women's Third Quarter Exam
The "It Girl"
"It": 1929: starring Clara Bow; The "It" girl is someone whom everyone loves, is a magnet, has sex appeal, is confident, self-assertive, manipulative, strong, craft, and basically is loved by all The women are working in shops and there are a million blondes in the movie who are all obsessed with their appearance and the impression their money gives the man is serious and a hot shot boss, but the "It" girl knows how to manipulative him to get what she wants -she becomes desirable and then the man wants her
Anne-Marie Slaughter
"Women can't have it all"
America post World War I
-birth of modernism with writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and T.S. Eliot writing of a lost generation- reflecting on people's sense of self and place in the world -also a lot os prosperity as the rise of consumerism and consumer culture is fueled by technology which leads to increased luxury. -the 1920s brings: the car, household appliances (the modern kitchen)- the kitchen- makes woman's work "easier" but raises expectations and time demands -poverty: lots of urban hubs with low income/no income concentrations breeding poverty The first "Red Scare"- brings a fear of communism into the country in the wake of the Russian Revolution; but culture of pleasure and consumption distractions women were divided by race, class, and politics and people shy away from political activism (Zelda Fitzgerald as an example)
Pauli Murray
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The "personal is political"
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Rise of Modern America- beginning of the 20th century
1900-1920: characteristics- 1. Growth of industry and professions: well established industries from the industrial revolution led to established careers that were professionalized: specialized schooling, licensing, offices, etc. with instutionalized professions 2. ascendancy of science and technology (think Germ Theory)- Am changed from a world that was governed by superstitution and vague ideas to one that was analyzed through a systematic and scientific way of looking at things 3. Expansion of capitalistic economy 4. Growth of cities and suburbs: people concentrated in cities for job opportunities, while others built the suburbs [started to outnumber people in rural areas] 5. Growth of Mass Media: now have radio, beginnings of film, and newspapers 6. Growth of consumerism: people have more expendable income to purchase goods 7. Emergence of youth culture: corresponds to the growing trend to put kids in public schools all over the country-- putting kids all in one place 8. breakdown of Victorianism: protective umbrella closing, starting to see strict morals going away as well
Women's struggles in Progressive Era
1900-1920s in America: The Gilded Age: Corrupt industrial captialism in the U.S. was a result of the Industrial Rev where factories exploited underclass workers and child labor [also faced corrupt politicians] the progressive era was a mainstream effort to try and reform the gilded age america that was formed right before the 20th century (rise of modern america- ways of thinking and lifestyles that are much more similar to the way we live today)
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
1911: tragic fire in a women's factory that killed 146 women o Did not have a fire escape; locked in the factory without any fire escapes o The fire hoses in the building were fake • Shows the corruption of the industrial world o Power that it had in local politics in New York • Really brought attention to work place safety and for working conditions women were going through • People were woken up by it—horrific scene
The Great Depression
1929-1939: Stock Market crashes and in the wake of WWI, the global economy is internationally failing- results in a long period of economic crisis where jobless people have very little to no money to live off of 30% unemployment at the peak of the Great Depression and hundreds of thousands lost their homes/farms and there is widespread crisis and hunger -the Dust Bow: bad farming practices lead to farming practices that killed many and created unlivable and unfarmable conditions *drove people to california- migration of the Okies to California
It
1929: starring Clara Bow; The "It" girl is someone whom everyone loves, is a magnet, has sex appeal, is confident, self-assertive, manipulative, strong, craft, and basically is loved by all The women are working in shops and there are a million blondes in the movie who are all obsessed with their appearance and the impression their money gives the man is serious and a hot shot boss, but the "It" girl knows how to manipulative him to get what she wants -she becomes desirable and then the man wants her
World War II propaganda campaign urging women to work
1941- U.S. gets involved in WWII after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor; there is a labor shortage in the U.S. as men are being drafted into the military -women and minorities become the biggest untapped labor pools, which the gov. capitalizes on campaign begins: -82% of people at this point in the U.S. were apprehensive or even hostile about women joining the workforce, so the gov. had to change that perception: *to change peoples' minds, the gov. ads appealed to women's sense of duty and patriotism in association with the work their husbands and sons were doing in the army -expands on the tradition role of wife and mother and shows how their involvement can benefit their loved ones -in these campaigns: there is a lot of red, white, and blue, very beautiful/feminine women used, women getting jobs that don't make them any less feminine or independent *makes them an extension of the home and of the husband while working *women engage in the work force in all areas
Roe v. Wade
1972- gives women the right to choose for themselves about having an abortion *power for your own body
Clara Bow
She stared in "It" -America's sweetheart -brings the standard of beauty for women to the screen *blonde, fair-skinned, talented, smart, beautiful
The Flapper
A subculture that we think of as the dominant culture of the 20s- it was a trend that was especially present in New York and urban centers, but it wasn't necessarily in the early young women -short hair, shapeless dresses but short, wearing the fringe and fashionable styles, clothing that doesnt allow for a lot of curves- have to be stick thin they are: dancing, drinking, smoking, having premarital sex, petting in cars **important for autonomy flappers on screen: Clara Bow- births an admiration of female celebrities that impact teenage girls *fascination with celebrities making beauty unobtainable
Progressive Era
Basically- everything comes together to create: A new society that has so many opportunities, but that also has an exploited underclass and child labor force, which leads to widespread reform efforts and a network of women's organization and education Women: are already organized in social and community oriented clubs from the late 19th century: in suffrage organizations, temperance groups, churches, etc. so they are ready to be apart of the reform movements -have a growing class of women who are college educated and looking for a way to use their education to benefit others
National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
Built from Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell's American Woman Suffrage Association and Stanton and Anthony's National Woman Suffrage Association -bridging the divide that was in the suffrage movement for so long when Stone and Blackwell wanted to work on a more localized and less radial approach to suffrage, whereas Stanton and Anthony were not willing to compromise on reaching for a national amendment for woman suffrage throughout the entire country
Women in Politics in the Progressive Era
Children's Bureau 1912, Women's Bureau in 1920, Progressive Party in 1912, Women's voices are heard in the New Deal with relief suggested by women and carried out by Roosevelt
Public life of Modern America 1920s
Dancing halls, skating rinks, amusement parks -vaudeville and movie theaters, changing fashions, growing urban centers with concentrations of people and autonomy growing
The New Deal and women's role
Eleanor Roosevelt- wife of FDR: become instrumental in listening to the voices of women throughout the county who were trying to reform all parts of society-- corruption in politics, labor corruption and exploitation, lack of jobs, etc.-- and applied those ideas and efforts to the initiatives that FDR signed into legislation in the late 1930s *FDR establishes a safety net model that forms the idea of social welfare programs that benefit women, children, and men as well Major Acts: -National Economy Act of 1932: aimed at balancing a national budget- neg. for women because it cut funding for their programs and married women were laid off -Social Security Act, 1935: establishes old aid pensions and aid for families with children with disabilities, the unemployed, etc. *tended to favor working wage earning women but still comes in a time where women are preforming unpaid labor -Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938: Minimum wage and minimum age to work -WPA: Works Progress Admin. employed more than 8.5 million people- 13.5% of whom were women
struggle for workplace equality
Equal Rights Amendment is not passed Equal Pay Act is a bust not given the same amount of money for the value of work men are encouraged to move up in the company ladders while women are neglected o The airlines: • The smiling stewardess—between 21 and 28 • Between 5'1 and 5'6' • How to dress; wear makeup, clean uniform, etc. o 1953: fired after age 32 and said goodbye • You should be at home married with children • Old at age 32 o Walked in to the EEOC to file a complaint • Peculiar complaints- nobody had complained on discrimination on women • The EEOC did nothing- refused to act
Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
Established by JFK in 1961- Chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt *studied the status of women and found a lot of discrimination in the work force -validated already voiced concerns and activated a network of female activists
Women in the Depression
Home production was so important- if people's resources are scarce then it is the woman's job to stretch them as far as possible (using burlap sacks as children's clothing) -battle of the sexes returns: women in the workplace are seen as selfish and as a threat to men *the first to get fired *can't have more than one income for one family unit -men feel emasculated already and don't want women in their jobs-- leads to hostility towards women in the workplace *female reform efforts from the progressive era shape the New Deal reforms that FDR puts into place
Eleanor Roosevelt
Instrumental in the New Deal implications that FDR creates for the country *echoes the efforts of women in the progressive era *she becomes the chair of the commission
Ruby Bridges
Integrated Frantz Elementary in New Orleans-- In Norman Rockwell's "The Problem We All Live With" • Would be met by the "cheerleaders"- white women in New Orleans in 1961
Settlement Houses
Jane Adams was instrumental in settling up settlement houses throughout the country [example of Hull House in Chicago or Kingsley House in Nola]: focused on giving people job training, medical care, etc. and helped establish the field of social work as a profession: -were located in impoverished places in cities where college educated women were allowed to live- almost as a mission setting- to provide services for the poor neighborhoods [form of nobility and altruism] -from this work: women get statistics about these poor neighborhoods and codify statistics that advocate for policies dealing with poverty issues and conditions
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
Launched by Ella Baker in the South during the Civil Rights Movement- encouraged teens to get involved in the efforts, but nonviolently- more radical than the more traditional and mainstream NAACP, but still focuses on changing opinions about race in the U.S.
Stop ERA! campaign/Eagle Forum
Lead by good ole Phyllis: •Very successful campaign- taps into people's big fears about things like: • Military draft (very much on people's minds from Vietnam War), petty fears—having to use the same bathroom, changing cultural expectations • Launches a conversation about whether or not the feminist arguments were valid or should be supported and if the world view voiced by feminist was desired by everyone o Schlafly's Eagle Forum- still talking about family values, etc.
"Lora Meredith"
Lora Meredith is a fictional character featured in "The Imitation of Life" that is the depiction of a 1950s widowed mother who strives to achieve fame and status in the world of theatre and picture. Despite neglecting her own motherly duties, Lora Meredith ascends to the fame and fortune she always desired. She is persuasive and beautiful and has the "It" girl factor that many girls would admire. However, her fame is compromised by the happiness of her daughter, Susie, who basically recognizes her mother as a stranger. Lora Meredith is a ambitious careerist who is a bad mother and a bad wife, she is preoccupied although beautiful/charming, she is the femme fatale- beautiful sexy and charming but dangerous (not fully, but dangerous to other's happiness) she is clueless, self-absorbed, but she's doing everything for Susie and she is punished for wanting a job and a career
The Dream
Mary Pickford in The Dream- 1911: gives expression to cultural tensions over women's changing role in society; with america's sweetheart as the lead -the man is social white the girl wants attention; he is drunk and throwing money around while the wife is trying to be helpful; the man isn't appreciative and he is cruel- she is upset and disappointed in the man's dream: the woman is demanding and parties/gets drunk, is loud and crazy and rowdy, smokes, is independent, and he misses her/runs after her while she is with a different man *his awakening: becomes appreciative of his wife, laughs it off- the result of his dream: he wakes up -women who are rowdy and independent disrupt society- shows the wife's power though and how much the husband cares; supporting role for women in the kitchen and expresses a discomfort in changing women's roles in society
Imitation of Life
Maternal Melodrama; • Films concerned with women's work, women's place, and mother-daughter relationships o Pinnacle of this genre: The Imitation of Life • The title: the hollowness of her dream, not living, self-serving life • The Imitation of Life o Subversive while being conservative • "Unhappy happy ending" • Give closure and reassert the primary concern of the patriarchal society • All of these competing ideas about privilege, work, who can chose her fate and who can't? • 1959: the Feminine Mystique with Lora's sexiness but Lora isn't fitting into the domestic sphere which creates a lot of tension; and that was a very strong message at this time period • All this racial tension: already had Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Setbacks and Triumphs for Progressive Era
Muller v. Oregon 1908: maximum hours for working; regulate the women's hours constitutionally -Maternal pensions in 1911: granted welfare for unmarried mothers and gave money to women who weren't supported by men -child labors (failed campaign)- working women need protection and still needs reform
NAWSA
National American Women's Suffrage Association- formed from the AWSA and the NWSA in 1890 with a new wave of suffragists- Anna Howard Shaw and Carrie Chapman Catt- the group supported both radical national change for women's suffrage, as well as more conservative state by state approaches to achieve suffrage. The two needed each other for financial support and attention throughout the country. The NAWSA grows more conservative as it expands to appeal to Southern white women and others- and eventually, new/younger approaches to suffrage split to form the National Women's Party (1915) lead by Alice Paul *need both the conservative and the radical approach to the issue in order to be successful with "votes for women" -World War I gives platform for NWP's continued efforts
resurgence of domesticity in 1950's America
New Media Campaign: it is the "responsibility" of women to leave the work force once the war ends and go back to the home- "give back the jobs!" *Real Women will be anxious to return to the home and reinstate their role as homemaker and wife to keep the family unit intact -what has been going on has been exceptional and necessary for the effort, but it's time for girls to go back when peace returns *women stay in jobs, but they were laid off after the war as well - demoted to lower paying jobs, etc.
National Organization for Women (NOW)
President- Betty Friedan formed in the 60s and uses the court pathway of action to bring about legal change and culture change in the lives of women • NOW chose a legal strategy with test cases they could use • 1967- Lorena Weaks case; sued Southern Bell because they barred her from moving up in the company • She applied for a switch-board position but her application was turned down • Told that the job was reserved for men o Southern Bell argued that they were protecting Week's physical state o Fed. Appeals court ruled in her favor- rejects the romantic paternalism that Southern Bell was using Section VII to justify
Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter, 1943- becomes a female icon for the GI Joe of the home front in the U.S. during WWII. She is created by J. Howard Miller- and has been popularized with Norman Rockwell's depiction of her. She is making history and working for victory as she remains feminine. This woman is strong and independent, while also having kept her nails cleaned, her hair done, and she is doing a job that is vital to the success the men are aiming for in their efforts on the warfront -used to encourage women to get a job during the war or to do anything that they could to help: grow victory gardens, buy bonds, etc.
Triumph of the Suffrage Movement
See everything else that I know about the suffrage movement *19th amendment passed in 1920
Sexual Revolution
Sexual Revolution: o 1960 FDA approves oral contraceptives o Finally mainstream and available to ordinary people o Changes everything- women are able to take charge of their own sexuality • And experiment in a way that was much more difficult before o 1962 "Sex and the Single Girl"- the life of a single woman living in New York City o Makes that glamorous and socially acceptable o Written by the bestseller by future editor of Cosmo- Helen Gurley Brown o Changes the magazine to what it is today • Was aimed at men and women before she came in and changed it to focused on women and their sexual experiences o 1969 Woodstock Music Festival o "Make Love Not War" o Counter culture of youth movement that is organized around music and drugs- sex, drugs, and rock n' roll- what is coming into being and popularized • People are expressing their sexual freedom sometimes with nudity or just "sex acts"- nudity, etc.
Betty Friedan
She writes the Feminine Mystique in 1963: Betty Friedan becomes a huge voice in the movement o Helps establish NOW: National Organization for Women • Established to advocate for the enforcement of the Civil Rights Act on behalf of women • One of the lawyers working for NOW is Ruth Bader Ginsburg o Considered the more mainstream branch of the women's rights movement • The liberal branch vs. the radical branch o Focusing on working within the system and using the court pathway and legal battles to provoke change and call for the enactment of laws already on the books
Women's Fashion and its implications (esp. 1920s and 1950s)
Slender style of the flapper dress does not lend room for fat on girls- the style of syvtle- and leads to the more internal corset that we have in extreme today *focus on slender figure in a short dress -androgynous hair with short hair and more freedom that way *comes from the impact of the french with Coco Chanel's slender silhouette in french fashion which can be stream-lined in the U.S. and manufactured in industries *puts pressure on girls to fit the size of clothing rather than traditionally having dresses made to fit their own sizes; impact of the internal corset pulling tighter 1950s- Christian Dior's "New Look"- focuses on accenting the bust of a woman which promotes her fertility, and then is tea length and modest *the American housewife is conservative, but still a version of the 40s pin-up with perfect hair and a flawless hair and body 1947- his "new look": defined waist, longer skirts, accentuated bust, narrow shoulders, feminine silhouette *also have the baby doll look and the bobby sox- basically reflects the magazine culture of girls; a reader of Seventeen Magazine would need these must-have fashion statements
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment was ratified in 1920, as a collective effort of 100 years of fighting for women's suffrage throughout the country. Both the masses of support lead by Carrie Chapman Catt, and the young vision of Alice Paul were needed to get the amendment both supported by Woodrow Wilson, and then officially passed by both the house and the Senate.
Women's role in the Cold War
The Cold War: 1945 U.S. drops atomic bomb on Nagaskai-- lasts until the Berlin Wall comes down in 1989 basically Red Scare: Joseph McCarthy: leads the charge to find soviets/commies in America with his HUAC: House Un-American affairs committee which basically condemns anything outside of "white middle class culture" as a danger to U.S. society "The girls' schools and women's colleges contain some of the most loyal disciples of Russia." Women's Role: of civil defense- it is the woman's job to safe guard the home and prepare in the event of a communist attack "duck and cover" videos, bomb shelters, "serving you in the time of emergency"-- women can help and are seen as necessary to prepare properly basically media tells women to go back to the home (from Rosie to Lucie) and explains why femininity is so crucial to the stability of the family unit
Second Wave of the Women's Movement
The Feminine Mystique: the traditional view of woman as exclusively wife and mother, but add in freudian sexuality and the idea that women are being isolated and blamed in their homes this movement: 1953: Kinsey Report: studies sexual habits of Americans and codifies the fact that women were sexually unsatisfied in their marriages 1960: FDR approves the Pill for birth control= premarital sex becomes that much more accessible without the intention of having a baby *changes power dynamic
Labor Activism in Progressive Era
The exploitation of workers was a real concern, the AFL: American Confed. of Workers- as an example of men's labor unions that were hostile towards women because women were seen as a threat to a man's wages and his job security Women's response: WTUL: Women's Trade Union League established as a partnership working with upper class and working class women to help reform women's role in industrial america The National Consumers League: examples of the white-label campaigns led by Florence Kelley; would sew labels to clothing that was made in factories with exploited work hours for women and children *kind of like reverse boycotting- buy the products you support the cause of ILGWU: International Ladies Garment Workers Union: important in mobilizing women in NYC- fighting for higher wages and less working hours
Alice Paul
Third wave of suffragist who takes charge of the national campaign for a federal amendment in the early 1900s and as a college educated woman, uses her power in order to push for the national amendment. she breaks off from the more traditional and conservative leadership and goals of the NAWSA and forms the National Women's Party in 1915. Fights for the amendment despite of WWI wartime and puts a lot of pressure on Woodrow Wilson to pass the amendment. She and her colleagues are arrested and Paul goes on a hunger strike in jail. Her treatment and message is spread throughout the country and world. The 19th amendment is passed in 1920 with the vote of Senator Henry Burn. Alice Paul continued to fight for women's rights and drafted the Equal Rights Amendment that was first proposed to Congress in 1923. The amendment was proposed every session of Congress until it was passed in 1972, but it was never ratified.
Equal Pay Act of 1963
Women "should" be paid equally for their equal work *not enforced; no oversight from the gov. and doesn't solve anything
Women's roles in the Civil Rights Movement
Women in the Civil Rights movement: Are the glue to the entire operation- are the ones in the churches and in the organizations that are spreading to the masses although they are not the visible faces or the leaders we remember *women like Rosa Parks and Jo Ann Robinson active in the South, women live Ella Baker who helped launch SNCC have Daisy Bates who helped integrate Central High, Ruby Bridges who did integrate a Nola school, Fannie Lou Hammer who was the spiritual voice of the movement, etc. Civil Rights and the Second Wave of feminism: o What happens in our personal lives has political dimension • Not just about the right to vote or pay but also sexual politics • Who has power over the purse strings, etc. o Becomes a credo of the second wave of feminism that happens in the later half of the 20th century • The times are changing: o Counter-culture: • Teenage rebellion • Youth culture that questions authority and the status quo o Vietnam War o Black power o Civil Rights Movement: association with "black power" o JFK o Women's Movement o Rock n' roll o Sexual revolution *birth control1960 o The pill o Mini skirts
Women's participation in WWII military and home front
Women's jobs in the war effort: Nurses: served all over the world on the battle front *WACs: Women's Army Corp: performed non-combative functions *WAVEs: Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service in the Navy *WASPs: Women Air Force Service Pilots: ferried planes from factory to point of embarkation- taught flight and flight testing, flew radio-controlled planes and anti-aircraft tows so they helped the air force volunteer civilian jobs: related to war but they were volunteer efforts on the home front like: preparing homes with ration books and spreading caution and procedures, kept victory gardens, worked as air-raid wardens, ambulance drives, sold war bonds, volunteered with the Red Cross, YWCA, Salvation Army, conducted blood drives and salvage projects, etc. Women are "Pin-Ups" and "Nose Art" on planes: Betty Grable-- pictures of women on the front of planes and sexy images of women on post-cards kept morale boosted for solders
Florence Kelly
Worked in the Progressive Era in an attempt to correct corruption occurring in the work place with the exploitation of women and children- she wanted to emphasize the women were different from men and thus needed special protection under the law; in favor of protective legislation that would establish women as inferior/vulnerable and in need of protection
Feminine Mystique (the book)
Written by Betty Friedan, published in 1963 in the beginnings of the second wave of feminism in the U.S. that came from the silenced role of the American housewife in the 1950s. After World War II, many women were pressured into returning to their homes in order to stabilize the nuclear family in the U.S. In a life defined by white picket fences, kitchen appliances, and recipes, the 1950s housewife created the "problem with no name" and lead to a generation of women who were unfulfilled with their lives of servitude, but who were left blaming themselves for their unhappiness. Friedan empowered many women to vocalize their unhappiness experience for so long in her book, the feminine mystique, and her accusations about the implementations of housewifery struck controversy around America. She was challenging a very traditional and maternal role that american women were expected to play, and she brought new fire to the movement as she brought women together in their dismay.
Phyllis Schlafly
crazzzayyyyy
how women got involved in suffrage movement- Fanny Wright women
beginning in the 19th century- women were starting to operate under the ideals of True Womanhood and were considered the moral reformers who could "clean up" society. When they branch into issues like temperature and morality- they then begin to reform women's rights as well. *women like Mary Wollstonecraft in England argued for women's rights, as well as Fanny Wright (scottish)
Daisy Bates
black woman who organized the 9 students who were chosen to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas woman who organized the integration of Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas o The Little Rock 9 were 9 black students who were chosen by the Civil Rights leadership to integrate Central High in Arkansas 1957 • Met with angry white mobs (Elizabeth Eckford- ended up going by herself on the first day) o The students would met everyday at Daisy Bates' house and then would be escorted in by the National Guard
Maternalism
broken into two different parts: 1. mothers should be protected • Working class women were mothers Those who have been laboring for hours and hours are mothers so connected to mothers are children and child welfare- Brings attention to the home-life and families who need special care and attention 2. mothers have special perspectives on politics and society: Mothers have special perspective on politics and society- Upper class women: • Have a special incite on the politics going on in the society • The role of motherhood had a particular perspective on society that was important and useful o In part why you have organizations such as the WTLU—Maternalism coursing through a lot of the discourse about women's role
Women in Professions in the Progressive Era
college educated, middle/upper class, nursing/teaching/social work-- doing pink collard jobs: women who are still below the professional status of the elite jobs of men: harvard law school did not allow women until the 50s -women were still seen as the caretakers and the health of the family; so it may have been a little easier to become a doctor [but very few]
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
language written by Alice Paul in 1923- proposed to Congress every year until it was passed by both the house and the senate in 1972, however the bill was never fully ratified and it died without becoming an official amendment -Becomes the focus of NOW and other liberal feminists in the second wave of feminism in the late 60s and early 70s- it is passed by Congress in 1972 but dies in 1982 after strong campaigns against its passage from Phyllis Schlafly and her Stop ERA! Campaign
Gloria Steinem
o "Ms." Magazine: o Personal, beautiful, powerful, the perfect storm, articulate, radical o The perfect voice to the movement o Women of the year- effective to have someone who was clearly not feeling the rejection of men or anything like that o Dissipated those arguments o She contradicted the stereotypes of radical feminists o Making speeches and helped found Ms. Magazine- important in the early days o Helped express things that women found trouble finding expressed in other plays and ways
Women's Lib (liberation)
o "Personal is political" o Consciousness raising group o The less mainstream approach to the movement o Much more radical and younger culture of women o Focusing on lesbians, women of color, not all about legal gains and loses but it's about how people live their lives daily o The consciousness raising groups become very popular: o Women gathering and sharing their stories—feeling affirmed by the conversation; a way of saying- I feel frustrated by that as well • A moment when women are telling each other- no I'm not happy either
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
passes in the wake of JFK assassination- establishes the EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Title VII: Outlaws employment discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, and SEX o Establishes the EEOC which was designed to field complaints about violations of the Civil Rights Act to enforce the law • Originally this act was focused on racial discrimination o But through the efforts of women's activists- women call on the sexual aspect of the Civil Rights Act
early women's rights reforms
reforms trying to overturn traditional "coverture" under the law, working on economic rights to allow for more female independence
The National Women's Party
see NAWSA card
the "New Woman" of the Progressive Era
think alice paul and lucy burns: college educated- asserting her own independence, unmarried, appeared un-chaperoned in public, self-supporting, professional, corset less/shows her ankles *autonomy and generational gap Reaction) The "Gibson Girl": not worrying about her rights, no time for politics, differentiating women from the reformers and romanticizing her
The Working Girl of the Progressive Era
young, unmarried, foreign born/non-white, domestic worker, working in manufacturing/clerical service occupations -working long hours, have low pay, and doing dangerous jobs under dangerous conditions -this person was much more visible in society because of the numbers of "working girls"- working in jumpsuits, walking around town in packs *leads to an awareness of women in the workforce, and in big cities- have groups of women going to factories which are in the public eye