Patriotic Oppression of Women

Ms. O’Connell’s lecture on women moving from the household to the workforce on their path for equality among the sexes was an educational experience that is not taught in history. By using the portrayal of women in Media throughout second wave feminism and individual’s fighting to have equal pay (and opportunity) as men in the workplace. It was a well-organized presentation that showed the evolution of women and their role in our society. This enlightened me on just how far women’s right’s have come in the past 50 years.

The difference in Women being portrayed in media in the 1960’s and 1970’s was a clear visual representation of second-wave feminism taking control of how women should be treated in America. The difference from women spending 50 hours a week doing household chores while the man of the house went to work was the structure of every American household. The thought of disrupting that was seen as communism because any social movement in the era of the cold war was seen as communism, causing everyone to conform to each other. The start of the movement for women living a better life was Betty Friedan the author of The Feminine Mystique. This created a true turning point in the history of the United States as women who had a great husband, house, and children felt unfulfilled in their own lives. Due to the patriotic oppression of women throughout society, that was a women’s pinnacle of success in her lifetime. However, the reality is that this isn’t enough for any human being in life. To do the same thing every day without change is unhealthy and unfulfilling. The patriotical propaganda to keep women from being a feminist and getting out of the kitchen and into the workforce, kept men empowered. The ads on feminists gave the appearance that they are ugly and unable to get a husband so that is why they want to be in the workforce and on equal footing as men. The societal norms around feminism kept women oppressed until Betty Friedan created her own vision of feminism.