Women's History Final

cultural imperialism

Domination of one culture over another by a deliberate policy that encourages cultural assimilation of neighboring foreign peoples or by economic or technological superiority.

2nd wave feminism

Second-wave feminism of the 1960s-1980s focused on issues of equality and discrimination. The second-wave slogan, "The Personal is Political," identified women's cultural and political inequalities as inextricably linked and encouraged women to understand how their personal lives reflected sexist power structures. Betty Friedan was a key player in second-wave feminism. In 1963, her book The Feminine Mystique criticized the idea that women could find fulfillment only through childrearing and homemaking. According to Friedan's New York Times obituary, her book "ignited the contemporary women's movement in 1963 and as a result permanently transformed the social fabric of the United States and countries around the world" and "is widely regarded as one of the most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century." Friedan hypothesizes that women are victims of false beliefs requiring them to find identity in their lives through husbands and children. This causes women to lose their own identities in that of their family. econd-wave feminism broadened the debate to include a wider range of issues: sexuality, family, the workplace, reproductive rights, de facto inequalities, and official legal inequalities. The second wave of feminism in America came as a delayed reaction against the renewed domesticity of women after World War II: the late 1940s post-war boom, which was an era characterized by an unprecedented economic growth, a baby boom, a move to family-oriented suburbs and the ideal of companionate marriages. During this time, women did not tend to seek employment due to their engagement with domestic and household duties, which was seen as their primary duty but often left them isolated within the home and estranged from politics, economics, and law making.In 1960 the Food and Drug Administration approved the combined oral contraceptive pill, which was made available in 1961.[7] This made it easier for women to have careers without having to leave due to unexpectedly becoming pregnan. The report from the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, along with Friedan's book, spoke to the discontent of many women (especially housewives) and led to the formation of local, state, and federal government women's groups along with many independent feminist organizations. Friedan was referencing a "movement" as early as 1964.[17] The movement grew with legal victories such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court ruling of 1965. In 1966 Friedan joined other women and men to found the National Organization for Women (NOW); Friedan would be named as the organization's first president.[18]Among the most significant legal victories of the movement after the formation of NOW were a 1967 Executive Order extending full affirmative action rights to women, a 1968 EEOC decision ruling illegal sex-segregated help wanted ads, Title IX and the Women's Educational Equity Act (1972 and 1974, respectively, educational equality), Title X (1970, health and family planning), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (1974), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, the outlawing of marital rape (although not outlawed in all states until 1993[23]), and the legalization of no-fault divorce (although not legalized in all states until 2010[24]), a 1975 law requiring the U.S. Military Academies to admit women, and many Supreme Court cases such as Reed v. Reed of 1971 and Roe v. Wade of 1973. The movement ended with The feminist sex wars, also known as the lesbian sex wars, or simply the sex wars or porn wars, are terms used to refer to collective debates amongst feminists regarding a number of issues broadly relating to sexuality and sexual activity. Differences of opinion on matters of sexuality deeply polarized the feminist movement, particularly leading feminist thinkers, in the late 1970s and early 1980s

Bechedel Test

The Bechdel Test, sometimes called the Mo Movie Measure or Bechdel Rule is a simple test which names the following three criteria: (1) it has to have at least two women in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man. is a measure of the representation of women in fiction. About half of all films meet these criteria, according to user-edited databases and the media industry press. Passing or failing the test is not necessarily indicative of how well women are represented in any specific work. Rather, the test is used as an indicator for the active presence of women in the entire field of film and other fiction, and to call attention to gender inequality in fiction. Media industry studies indicate that films that pass the test financially outperform those that do not.In film, a study of gender portrayals in 855 of the most financially successful U.S. films from 1950 to 2006 showed that there were, on average, two male characters for each female character, a ratio that remained stable over time. Female characters were portrayed as being involved in sex twice as often as male characters, and their proportion of scenes with explicit sexual content increased over time. Violence increased over time in male and female characters alike

Comstock Laws

The Comstock Laws were a set of federal acts passed by the United States Congress under the Grant administration along with related state laws.This Act criminalized usage of the U.S. Postal Service to send any of the following items:[2] obscenity contraceptives abortifacients sex toys personal letters with any sexual content or information or any information regarding the above items.Comstock act (Sect. 312) also made it illegal (punishable by up to 5 years at hard labor), to sell, lend, or give away any "obscene" publication, or article used for contraception or abortion.[4] Section 305 of the Tariff Act of 1922 forbade the importation of any contraceptive information or means. The act would not be overturned untilIn 1936, a federal appeals court ruled in United States v. One Package of Japanese Pessaries that the federal government could not interfere with doctors providing contraception to their patients.[29] Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) struck down one of the remaining contraception Comstock laws in Connecticut and Massachusetts. However, Griswold only applied to marital relationships.[31] Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972) extended its holding to unmarried persons as well.

Hillary Clinton

first female Presidential candidate (2016) nominated by the Democratic Party

Natural abortion

same as miscarriage or natural birth of fetus before full term

pink collar jobs

working class jobs traditionallly held by women (clerical, secretary, maid, waitress, cook, beautician)Its origins, however, go back to the early 1970s, to when the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was placed before the states for ratification. At that time, the term was used to denote secretarial staff as well as non-professional office staff, all of which were largely held by women. These positions were not white-collar jobs, but neither were they blue-collar, manual labor. Hence, the creation of the term "pink-collar," which indicated it was not white-collar, was nonetheless an office job and one that was overwhelmingly filled by women.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

"Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service by gays, bisexuals, and lesbians, instituted by the Clinton Administration on February 28, 1994, when Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 issued on December 21, 1993, took effect,[1] lasting until September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. This relaxation of legal restrictions on service by gays and lesbians in the armed forces was mandated by United States federal law Pub.L. 103-160 (10 U.S.C. § 654), which was signed November 30, 1993.[2] The policy prohibited people who "demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because their presence "would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability".[3]

Cold War lesbianism

(Cold war womanhood: old War womanhood is viewed as traditional, but it was actually the anomaly period that reversed previous trends; not simply an extension of separate spheres- Women married young and had lots of children, led to the baby boom (this was a reversal of traditional lower fertility and marriage rates)- Women were expected to be feminine and pretty- "The Feminine Mystique" by Firedan was written to describe the invisible problem of feeling fulfilled by domesticity- Cold war paranoia and anxiety caused everyone to be scared of nonconformity-Emphasis on conformity and conservatism greatly shaped gender ideology and family values- Bomb shelters and consumer goods were metaphors for women protecting themselves through their marriage and homes- Women were expected to do housework all on their own using new conveniences and appliances- it was old-fashioned and communist for women to have careers - it was better to be a housewife- Child rearing emphasized that women were responsible for creating perfect children (Momism was bad - overly involved mothers who turned their boys feminine and homosexual)- women were considered apolitical - could vote but were not politically active. Politically involved women were seen as deviant, nonconforming, and communist)There has been a long history of women's intimate relationships in the Progressive Era, but this diminished in the 1920's and was began to be seen as pathological- In the 1950's lesbians were labeled as 'deviant'- an underground by thriving lesbian subculture developed- The fear of communism and paranoia included persecuting anyone non-conforming, and gay people fit the bill- Army tolerated lesbian relationships up until WWII- Lesbians who were mannish were less likely to be hired for jobs, and those who had jobs were at risk of losing them- Non conforming women established communities in bars and clubs.- Working class women were more present in subculture because they didn't have as much to lose- Study in Toronto about lesbians in bars - the Bar Culture established butch, fem, downtowners, and uptowners- Bars were subject to raids- Sports also gave women an outlet for their sexuality

Griswold v. Connecticut

1965 decision that the Constitution implicitily guarantees citizens' right to privacy. Previous legislation, the bill of rights did not specically grant individuals the right to privacy. The case involved a Connecticut "Comstock law" that prohibited any person from using "any drug, medicinal article or instrument for the purpose of preventing conception." The court held that the statute was unconstitutional, and that "the clear effect of [the Connecticut law ...] is to deny disadvantaged citizens ... access to medical assistance and up-to-date information in respect to proper methods of birth control." By a vote of 7-2, the Supreme Court invalidated the law on the grounds that it violated the "right to marital privacy", establishing the basis for the right to privacy with respect to intimate practices.he first Planned Parenthood clinic in Connecticut opened in 1935 in Hartford. It provided services to women who had no access to a gynecologist, including information about artificial contraception and other methods to plan the growth of their families. Many places like this sturggled to provide birth control while the comstock laws were witheld. Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972) extended its holding to unmarried couples, whereas the "right of privacy" in Griswold was said to only apply to marital relationships.Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973).[14] The decision in Roe struck down a Texas law that criminalized aiding a woman in getting an abortion.[15] The Court ruled that this law was a violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Abortion became legalized for any woman for any reason, up through the first trimester, with possible restrictions for maternal health in the second trimester (the midpoint of which is the approximate time of fetal viability). In the third trimester of pregnancy, abortion is potentially illegal with exception for the mother's health, which the court defined broadly in Doe v. Bolton.

Phyllis Schlafly

1970s; a new right activist that protested the women's rights acts and movements as defying tradition and natural gender division of labor; demonstrated conservative backlash against the 60s. She held staunchly conservative social and political views, supported antifeminism, opposed abortion, and successfully campaigned against ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.She argued that the ERA would take away gender-specific privileges currently enjoyed by women, including "dependent wife" benefits under Social Security, separate restrooms for males and females, and exemption from Selective Service (the military draft).[22][23] She was opposed by groups such as the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the ERAmerica coalition. The Homemakers' Equal Rights Association was formed to counter Schlafly's campaign. Schlafly began compaigning against the ratification of ERA."By getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don't think you can call it rape."

Rostker v. Goldberg

1981 A ruling that held that Congress may draft men but not women. The Military Selective Service Act (Act) (1948) (revised 1967) authorizes the President to require the registration for possible military service of males, but not females, the purpose of registration being to facilitate any eventual conscription under the Act. However, registration for the draft was discontinued by Presidential Proclamation in 1974 (the Act was amended in 1973 to preclude conscription). In early 1980, President Jimmy Carter re-established the Military Selective Service System primarily because the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan

DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)

A U.S. law, passed in 1996, that limits the federal government's definition of marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman.It defined marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman, and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states. The act's provisions were ruled unconstitutional or left effectively unenforceable by Supreme Court decisions in the cases of United States v. Windsor (2013) and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).codified non-recognition of same-sex marriages for all federal purposes, including insurance benefits for government employees, social security survivors' benefits, immigration, bankruptcy, and the filing of joint tax returns. It also excluded same-sex spouses from the scope of laws protecting families of federal officers laws evaluating financial aid eligibility, and federal ethics laws applicable to opposite-sex spouses

Title IX

A United States law enacted on June 23, 1972 that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."Some key issue areas in which recipients have Title IX obligations are: recruitment, admissions, and counseling; financial assistance; athletics; sex-based harassment; treatment of pregnant and parenting students; discipline; single-sex education; and employment.

Hijab

A hijab in common English usage is a veil worn by some Muslim women in the presence of any male outside of their immediate family, which usually covers the head and chest. The term can refer to any head, face, or body covering worn by Muslim women that conforms to Islamic standards of modesty.

National Women's Party

A militant feminist group led by Alice Paul that argued the Nineteenth Amendment was not adequate enough to protect women's rights. They believed they needed a more constitutional amendment that would clearly provide legal protection of their rights and prohibit sex-based discrimination.The reorganized and radicalized National Woman's Party opted for confrontation and direct action instead of questionnaires and lobbying. Consequently, the NWP became the first group to picket the White House and frequently conducted marches and acts of civil disobedience. Hundreds of women were arrested and jailed for their protests, and, following the example of their British counterparts, many went on hunger strikes. Against the war and all democrats. In 1921 the NWP was reformed and soon after began publishing a journal, Equal Rights. Viewing protective legislation for women as discriminatory, the group lobbied for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment

Rosie the Riveter

A propaganda character designed to increase production of female workers in the factories. It became a rallying symbol for women to do their part during WW2

Margaret Sanger

American leader of the movement to legalize birth control during the early 1900's. As a nurse in the poor sections of New York City, she had seen the suffering caused by unwanted pregnancy. Founded the first birth control clinic in the U.S. and the American Birth Control League, which later became Planned Parenthood.

Lesbian Athletes

DWomen athletes were judged for being mannish and masculine; people worried that exercise would damage female reproductive capacity and turn them into men- Popular thought: athletic mannishness = lesbianism- Put pressure on female athletes to demonstrate their femininity- Sports provided a space for a lesbian subculture and facilitated the coming-out process; allowed women to combine masculine tendencies with feminine qualities

Glamour Girls of 1943

Encourages women to take war work, particularly in industry. Contains many scenes of women doing various jobs in war industries (operating machines in factories, sewing parachutes, inspecting parts, etc.). Explains how the U.S. Employment Service helps find war jobs and arranges training programs. Shows women in essential, nonindustrial jobs: airplane and railroad maintenance, bus driving, farming, etc. Includes scenes of women's activities during World War I: farming, railroad maintenance, military service

New Deal and Women

Even as the New Deal increased women's visibility in national political's, organized feminism, already disarray during the 1920's, disappeared as a political force. The Depression inspired widespread demands for women to remove themselves from the labor market to make room for unemployed men. Because the Depression hit industrial employment harder than low-wage clerical and service jobs where women rose.

1st Wave Feminism

First-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity and thought that occurred during the 19th and early 20th century throughout the Western world. It focused on legal issues, primarily on gaining the right to vote.Prominent leaders of the feminist movement in the United States include Lucretia Coffin Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Susan B. Anthony; Anthony aFirst-wave feminism involved a wide range of women, some belonging to conservative Christian groups (and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union), others of the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) resembling the radicalism of much of second-wave feminism. The majority of first-wave feminists were more moderate and conservative than radical or revolutionary—like the members of the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) they were willing to work within the political system and they understood the clout of joining with sympathetic men in power to promote the cause of suffrage. The limited membership of the NWSA was narrowly focused on gaining a federal amendment for women's suffrage, whereas the AWSA, with ten times as many members, worked to gain suffrage on a state-by-state level as a necessary precursor to federal suffrage. The NWSA had broad goals, hoping to achieve a more equal social role for women, but the AWSA was aware of the divisive nature of many of those goals and instead chose to focus solely on suffrage. The NWSA was known for having more publicly aggressive tactics (such as picketing and hunger strikes) whereas the AWSA used more traditional strategies like lobbying, delivering speeches, applying political pressure and gathering signatures for petitions.The end of the first wave is often linked with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1920), granting women the right to vote. This was the major victory of the movement, which also included reforms in higher education, in the workplace and professions, and in health care. Women started serving on school boards and local bodies, and numbers kept increasing. This period also saw more women gaining access to higher education

Varnum v. Brien

Iowa court case in which six couples filed a law suit against Polk County for refusing to grant their marriage licenses...went to the Iowa's supreme court which led to the legalization of gay marriage in Iowa in 2009

riot grrrls

Riot Grrrl, a group mainly comprised of white females that identified as "punk-feminists," emerged in the early 1990s in Washington, D.C.and Olympia, Washington (Downes 2012).The term Riot Grrrl stems from Allison Wolfe and Molly Neuman, members of the feminist punk band Bratmobile, who coined the phrase "girl riot." Jen Smith then created the term "grrrl" and later "Riot Grrrl" through the expression "angry grrrl zines" devised by Tobi Vail (Downes 2012). Early participants deliberately used "grrrl" instead of "girl" to remove the passive association with the word "girl" as well as to display the anger behind the movement, reminiscent of a growl (Rosenburg 1998 and Schilt 2003). Due to the founding women's punk roots and use of shock protest, the public viewed Riot Grrrl in a more radical light than other feminist groups (Schilt 2003). The Riot Grrrl movement encouraged females to become more involved in the male-dominated punk scene. In the 1970's, women were generally only considered "punk" through the association of being a girlfriend of one of the male members of the group. While punk is primarily male-dominated, many women took part in the early punk scene. However, with the advent of "hardcore punk" in the early 1980s, hypermasculinity became the norm and women's influences declined (Rosenburg 1998). Women began creating their own magazines, fanzines or "zines", to share ideas that eventually led to spreading the movement nationwide. The increasing awareness led to the creation of local Riot Grrrl weekly meeting that eventually turned into national conventions.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Roosevelt became First Lady of the United States when Franklin was inaugurated on March 4, 1933.. a social reformer who combined her deep humanitarian impulses with great political skills.WORKED WITH THE RED CROSS DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR in 1917. during the 20's was part of the Women's Trade Union League (WTUL). She raised funds to support the goals of WTUL, which were: a 48-hour work week, minimum wage, and the abolition of child labor. She was also a member of the Legislative Affairs Committee of the League of Women Voters (LWV), a civic organization founded to support the new women suffrage rights and help women take a larger role in public affairs. the role of the First Lady was traditionally restricted to domesticity and acting as a hostess. Eleanor transformed the role and was more active than any First Lady before her. She used her position as a platform for her social activism and continued with her business and speaking agenda. From 1935 to 1962, she wrote, a six days a week newspaper column, titled My Day. In her column, she discussed issues such as race, women, and key events like Pearl Harbor, Prohibition etc. During the depression She worked with the American Youth Congress (AYC) and was instrumental in the formation of National Youth Administration (NYA), an agency which focused on providing work and education for Americans between the ages of 16 and 25. NYA, which operated from 1935 to 1943, helped over 4.5 million American youths find jobs, receive vocational training and afford higher standards of education.Eleanor Roosevelt was vocal in her support of the African-American civil rights movement.insisted that benefits be equally extended to Americans of all races.After the advent of the Second World War in 1941, Eleanor co-chaired the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) till February 1942. OCD was responsible for coordinating measures for protection of civilians like special fire protection and carrying out war service functions such as child care and health.

"Mannishness" and sports

Same as lesbian athletes. Babe didrickson, wasnt seen as feminine until marrying a even more athletic man.

Roe v. Wade

The 1973 Supreme Court decision holding that a state ban on all abortions was unconstitutional. The decision forbade state control over abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy, permitted states to limit abortions to protect the mother's health in the second trimester, and permitted states to protect the fetus during the third trimester.

Equal Rights Amendment

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters.[1] The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, and was first introduced in Congress in December 1923In the early history of the Equal Rights Amendment, middle-class women were largely supportive, while those speaking for the working class were often opposed, pointing out that employed women needed special protections regarding working conditions and employment hours. With the rise of the women's movement in the United States during the 1960s, the ERA garnered increasing support, and, after being reintroduced by Representative Martha Griffiths in 1971, it was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on October 12, 1971 and by the U.S. Senate on March 22, 1972, thus submitting the ERA to the state legislatures for ratification, as provided for in Article V of the U.S. Constitution. Passed in 1978 by congress but has still not been ratified by all 50 states iscussion among feminists about the meaning of women's equality.[20] Alice Paul and her National Woman's Party asserted that women should be on equal terms with men in all regards, even if that means sacrificing benefits given to women through protective legislation, such as shorter work hours and no night work or heavy lifting.[21] Opponents of the amendment, such as the Women's Joint Congressional Committee, believed that the loss of these benefits to women would not be worth the supposed gain to them in equality.The ERA is sometimes called the Women's Equality Amendment to emphasize that women have historically been guaranteed fewer rights than men, and that equality can be achieved by raising women's legal rights to the same level of constitutional protection as men's. As its sex-neutral language makes clear, however, the ERA's guarantee of equal rights would protect both women as a class and men as a class against sex discrimination under the law.

NAWSA

The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate in favor of women's suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA).It played a pivotal role in the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which in 1920 guaranteed women's right to vote. Susan B. Anthony, a long-time leader in the suffrage movement, was the dominant figure in the newly formed NAWSA

Barbie Syndrome

The drive, often of adolescent girls, to attain impossible standards of beauty, projected by toys—e.g., Mattel's Barbie Doll—and the media, resulting in failure and frustration, issues related to body image, eating disorders, and self-image

Republican Motherhood

The idea that American women had a special responsibility to cultivate "civic virtue" in their children. "Republican Motherhood" is an 18th-century term for an attitude toward women's roles present in the emerging United States before, during, and after the American Revolution. It centered on the belief that the patriots' daughters should be raised to uphold the ideals of republicanism, in order to pass on republican values to the next generation. In this way, the "Republican Mother" was considered a custodian of civic virtue responsible for upholding the morality of her husband and children. Although it is an anachronism, the period of Republican Motherhood is hard to categorize in the history of Feminism. On the one hand, it reinforced the idea of a domestic women's sphere separate from the public world of men. On the other hand, it encouraged the education of women and invested their "traditional" sphere with a dignity and importance that had been missing from previous conceptions of Women's work. still present during the feminist movement but apposed to ERA and most feminist ideas.

3rd wave feminism

Third-wave feminism is an iteration of the feminist movement that began in the early 1990s United States[2] and continued until the rise of the fourth wave in the 2010s.[3][4] Born in the 1960s and 1970s as members of Generation X and grounded in the civil-rights advances of the second wave, third-wave feminists embraced individualism and diversity and sought to redefine what it meant to be a feminist. The term intersectionality—to describe the idea that women experience "layers of oppression" caused, for example, by gender, race and class—had been introduced by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in 1989, and it was during the third wave that the concept flourished. Arguably the biggest challenge to third-wave feminism was that the gains of second-wave feminism were taken for granted, and the importance of feminism not understood. Baumgardner and Richards (2000) wrote: "[F]or anyone born after the early 1960's, the presence of feminism in our lives is taken for granted. For our generation, feminism is like fluoride. We scarcely notice that we have it—it's simply in the water."[6] Essentially the claim was that gender equality had already been achieved, via the first two waves, and further attempts to push for women's rights were irrelevant and unnecessary, or perhaps even pushed the pendulum too far in women's favor.These women and others like them grew up with the expectation of achievement and examples of female success as well as an awareness of the barriers presented by sexism, racism, and classism. The Vagina Monologues, an exploration of women's feelings about sexuality that included vagina-centred topics as diverse as orgasm, birth, and rape; the righteous anger of punk rock's riot grrrls movement; and the playfulness, seriousness, and subversion of the Guerrilla Girls, a group of women artists who donned gorilla masks in an effort to expose female stereotypes and fight discrimination against female artists.In reaction and opposition to stereotypical images of women as passive, weak, virginal, and faithful, or alternatively as domineering, demanding, slutty, and emasculating, the third wave redefined women and girls as assertive, powerful, and in control of their own sexuality. In popular culture this redefinition gave rise to icons of powerful women that included the singers Madonna, Queen Latifah, and Mary J. Blige, among others, and the women depicted in television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Sex and the City (1998-2004), and Girlfriends (2000-08). Media programming for children increasingly depicted smart, independent girls and women in lead roles, including Disney heroines such as Mulan

Body Image

Up until the 20th century, curvy, voluptuous women were considered ideally beautiful in the U.S. and Europe. Thus, the term "rubenesque" was used to describe a woman of ideal beauty — certainly more on the plump side than what we might expect to be revered today. During this time, another female body image archetype was the "Gibson girl" — a soft, supple, dainty female with a frame defined by a swan bill corset. The Gibson girl initially appeared in the illustrations of Charles Dana Gibson, who defined the "ideal female form" of American women as a woman with a thin waist, large bosom, rounded shoulders, and smooth neck. Gibson girls were "fragile" ladies who were voluptuous, but not lewd; progressive, but not too political; and they glamorized female independence but also didn't stray too far from feminine ideals.Flappers took over during the 1920s; they were trendy women with bob haircuts and slender, lean builds. Showing their disdain for what was considered polite and acceptable feminine behavior, flappers smoked, drank, danced, drove cars, listened to jazz, and reveled in casual sex. During this time, men weren't immune to the pressures of body image, either. Because women were beginning to behave more like men, living life vivaciously and sometimes recklessly, gender roles were already changing. By now, women could vote, drive cars, choose who they married, and even hold jobs that were previously allotted only to men. Pin up girls:The ideal female body may have been heavier back then, but it was just as scrutinized, criticized, and retouched as it is now. Advertisements from the 1940s and 50s depicted skinny women as being hopeless in romantic pursuits, noting that gaining weight was their only hope to attract a suitor.In the 1960's Famous women, meanwhile, adopted a slender, almost emaciated look.The argument that a woman's worth was reflected in her husband's judgement, was repeated time and again. The magazine described how men would become naturally disgruntled if their wives "let themselves go" after a few years of marriage and motherhood.The end of food rationing marked the beginning of a modern slimming culture, which has since permeated all aspects of women's lives.The location of a slim beauty ideal within the context of a woman's traditional post-war role and reproductive life cycle typified slimming advice in Woman's Own during the 1950s and 1960s. A slender female body was meant to please, although not necessarily women themselves. And external recognition, granted merely on the merit of physical beauty, was supposed to lead to women's self-fulfilment in their traditional roles as wives and mothers.

Flapper Ideal

a generation of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (just at the knee was short for that time period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Flappers were seen as brash for wearing excessive makeup, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes in public, driving automobiles, treating sex in a casual manner, and otherwise flouting social and sexual norms.[1] Flappers are icons of the Roaring Twenties, the social, political turbulence and increased transatlantic cultural exchange that followed the end of World War I, as well as the export of American jazz culture to Europe.

Planned parenthood

a nonprofit organization that does research into and gives advice on contraception, family planning, and reproductive problems.has its roots in Brooklyn, New York, where Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the U.S. in 1916. Sanger founded the American Birth Control League in 1921,[5] which changed its name to Planned Parenthood in 1942. Largest provider of reproductive services.

the 1st sexual revolution

a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the United States.

Oral History

a spoken record of past events

Labiaplasty

a surgical alteration in the size and/or appearance of the labia. read article.

Anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder in which an irrational fear of weight gain leads people to starve themselves. Although the medical facts of anorexia nervosa have been documented since the 1870s, public awareness of the condition was limited until the second half of the 20th century. The concept of obsession with body image as a motivating factor for excessive fasting did not emerge until the mid-1960s, and it was not until 1980 that body image disturbance was formally included as a diagnostic criterion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. The ideal woman and represents the importance of appearance in females.

the pill

gave women greater freedom to be sexually active without the risk of pregnancy. Birth control pill, very difficult to get legalized and on the market- Main part of midcentury women's movement- The push from women makes the pill available on the market and changes attitudes in the late 1950's- Allowed women to be able to completely control their reproduction for the first time- Doctors didn't warn women about harmful side affects of the pill, women pushed for more patient rights. See also comstock laws and Griswold vs. conneticut.

Chaperones

in its original social usage was a person who for propriety's sake accompanied an unmarried girl in public: usually she was an older married woman, and most commonly the girl's own mother.sed in the eighteenth century to denote a particular social institution, namely, a woman who would accompany a young unmarried woman in public, and especially where she might be expected to meet a man. In circumstances where, for whatever reason, the mother was unavailable to perform this function, another woman, usually well-known to the family, was chosen. A chaperon was usually expected to be a married woman, although a respected, older unmarried or widowed woman (typically someone beyond child-bearing age) was often acceptable. Chaperones were usually not required in situations where an unmarried woman's father was able to accompany his daughter(s). Chaperones for young men were not commonly employed in Western society until the latter half of the 20th century,the word duenna has come to mean a young woman's female companion from any culture, particularly one who is exceedingly strict

IUD

intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD or ICD) or coil,[3] is a small, often T-shaped birth control device that is inserted into a woman's uterus to prevent pregnancy.Jack Lippes helped begin the increase of IUD use in the United States in the late 1950s. In this time, thermoplastics, which can bend for insertion and retain their original shape, became the material used for first-generation IUDs. Lippes also devised the addition of the monofilament nylon string, which facilitates IUD removal.The hormonal IUD was also invented in the 1960s and 1970s; initially the goal was to mitigate the increased menstrual bleeding associated with copper and inert IUDs.Beginning in 1960 the IUD became more appealing. Controlling the world's population growth with this long-acting method was one driving force. The Pill had brought birth control under physicians' purview. Women going off the Pill due to its side effects wanted simple, effective contraception. Dr. Lazar Margulies of New York created a plastic coil and tested it—in his wife—in 1960

Double burden

is when women are expected to go out to do paid work and be in charge of the home and children. Increased during the Post WW2 era.

Conservative Feminism

promotes a return to traditional gender and family rolesnew conservative feminism rejects the politicization of sexuality, supports families, gender differentiation, femininity, and mothering, and deprioritizes opposition to male domination. old conservative feminism or domestic feminism, from the 19th century. postfeminism..

Disney's Princess Industrial Complex

read the article from class

politics of responsibility

refers to attempts by marginalized groups to police their own members and show their social values as being continuous and compatible with mainstream values rather than challenging the mainstream for its failure to accept difference

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

she represented California in 1896 at both the National American Woman Suffrage Association convention in Washington, D.C., and the International Socialist and Labor Congress in London.[21] In 1890, she was introduced to Nationalist Clubs movement which worked to "end capitalism's greed and distinctions between classes while promoting a peaceful, ethical, and truly progressive human race."A feminist who published "Women + economics." ; proposing that women are oppressed in their home and that the environment in which they live needs to be modified in order to be healthy for their mental states ; wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" written in 1890, Gilman wrote this story to change people's minds about the role of women in society, illustrating how women's lack of autonomy is detrimental to their mental, emotional, and even physical wellbeing. This story was inspired by her treatment from her first husband.[26] The narrator in the story must do as her husband, who is also her doctor, demands, although the treatment he prescribes contrasts directly with what she truly needs — mental stimulation and the freedom to escape the monotony of the room to which she is confined.Her main argument was that sex and domestic economics went hand in hand; for a woman to survive, she was reliant on her sexual assets to please her husband so that he would financially support his family. From childhood, young girls are forced into a social constraint that prepares them for motherhood by the toys that are marketed to them and the clothes designed for them. She argued that there should be no difference in the clothes that little girls and boys wear, the toys they play with, or the activities they do, and described tomboys as perfect humans who ran around and used their bodies freely and healthilyGilman argued that women's contributions to civilization, throughout history, have been halted because of an androcentric culture. She believed that womankind was the underdeveloped half of humanity, and improvement was necessary to prevent the deterioration of the human race.[42] Gilman believed economic independence is the only thing that could really bring freedom for women and make them equal to men. Motherhood should not t preclude a woman from working outside the home. The ideal woman," Gilman wrote, "was not only assigned a social role that locked her into her home, but she was also expected to like it, to be cheerful and gay, smiling and good-humored."

consciousness raising

the activity of seeking to make people more aware of personal, social, or political issues. is a form of activism, popularized by United States feminists in the late 1960s. It often takes the form of a group of people attempting to focus the attention of a wider group on some cause or condition. Common issues include diseases (e.g. breast cancer, AIDS), conflicts (e.g. the Darfur genocide, global warming), movements (e.g. Greenpeace, PETA, Earth Hour), and political parties or politicians. Since informing the populace of a public concern is often regarded as the first step to changing how the institutions handle it, raising awareness is often the first activity in which any advocacy group engages.Consciousness raising groups were formed by New York Radical Women, an early Women's Liberation group in New York City, and quickly spread throughout the United States.Early mid-century feminists argued that women were isolated from each other, and as a result many problems in women's lives were misunderstood as "personal," or as the results of conflicts between the personalities of individual men and women, rather than systematic forms of oppression. Raising consciousness meant helping oneself and helping others to become politically conscious. Consciousness raising groups aimed to get a better understanding of women's oppression by bringing women together to discuss and analyze their lives, without interference from the presence of men.

sexual double standard

the practice of applying stricter moral or legal controls to women's sexual behavior than to men's. likeability not capability

right to privacy

the right to be left alone, which has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to entail individual access to birth control and abortions. See also constock laws.

sexual objectification

the tendency to think about women in a narrow way as objects rather than full humans, as if their physical appearance is all that matters

The Feminine Mystique

written by Betty Friedan, journalist and mother of three children; described the problems of middle-class American women and the fact that women were being denied equality with men; said that women were kept from reaching their full human capacitie. desescribes suburban women trapped by domesticity- Presents this as a universal problem among housewives- She presents herself as a typical suburban woman who realized that she and her friends were unhappy; she downplays her own political and ethnic background in order to relate to all women- Shows how the dissatisfaction with being just a housewife was widespread among women