20th Century Feminism

Contributed by Raeann Dalton, Grade 11

In the 1950s, suburban communities were booming. The GI Bill allowed many young couples to buys homes, and this post WWII era led to the baby boom. New forms of media such as television broadcasted shows like Leave it to Beaver, which portrayed specific gender roles. During this era, women were expected to be “good wives”. Good wives always had dinner ready, looked fresh and tidy for their husbands, and rid their houses of clutter. Ideally, most women wanted to have a beautiful house and husband and many children.

However, many women felt stifled and unsatisfied. They escaped this by participating in politics, and also by getting jobs. Slowly but surely the employment rate of women increased. Also, the use of contraception was growing so that by the end of the sixties, more than 80% of women were using birth control. Gradually, America came to accept some of the basic goals of Sixties feminists: equal pay for equal work, an end to domestic violence and sexual harassment, and the sharing of responsibility for housework and child rearing. Female leaders included Oprah Winfrey, Madeleine Albright, and Sandra Day O’Connor.

By the 70s, women’s lives were being impacted by the Vietnam War. Even though they weren’t being drafted, their husbands and boyfriends were, and some women became anti-war activists. Along with this came the hippy movement and passionate feelings for the environment. Women still struggled to find business careers equal to men, but their conditions were slowly improving. In the 80s, people were looking to leave turmoil behind. First Lady Nancy Reagan supported the “Just Say No” anti-drug program. Margaret Thatcher, the first female leader of Great Britain, earned the nickname “The Iron Lady.” Educational opportunities grew for women, and in 1984, 49% of all graduate degrees were being awarded to women. On TV, feminine roles were no longer cute sex symbols, but strong independent capable voices.

At first in the 1990s, feminism seemed to take a step backwards, particularly with the resignation of Margaret Thatcher, but it boldly stepped forward again, especially against sexual harassment. The introduction of the Internet allowed stay-at-home moms to run small businesses on their own. The music industry produced many big female artists like Mariah Carey and Britney Spears.

For more information on the changing roles of women see:

Bock, James. "Women Made Career Strides in 1980s Census Data Show Marked Md. Gains."

Baltimore Sun. N.p., 29 Jan. 1993. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

<http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-01-29/news/1993029154_1_maryland-women-bigley-working-women>.

Diane, Deborah. "American History of Women in the 1970s." InfoBarrel History. N.p., n.d.

Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.infobarrel.com/American_History_of_Women_in_the_1970s>.

Diane, Deborah. "American History of Women in the 1990s." InfoBarrel History. N.p., 11 Mar.

2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.infobarrel.com/American_History_of_Women_in_the_1990s>.

Walsh, Kenneth T. "The 1960s: A Decade of Change for Women." US News. U.S.News &

World Report, 12 Mar. 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/03/12/the-1960s-a-decade-of-change-for-

women>.

"Women in 1950s America." Women in 1950s America. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

<http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=42401>.

Oral History Narratives:

For my interview,  I spoke with Fran Rahoche, a close family friend.  Fran is currently 69 and happily married with 4 children and 4 grandchildren.  She spends her time babysitting and running Bible studies at her church, and was happy to be interviewed. 

The video contains the audio from the interview as well as some pictures from Fran.  Interview of Fran

or go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqPF9nLRs30&feature=youtu.be