Equal Rights

In our discussion with Ms. O’Connell, the main focus was on the way in which women were represented in media and in the workplace. This representation made women perceive a certain way about how they should think and act. A women’s role was not in the workplace but was rather at home, being a good housewife and mother. We were taught the term, “Republican Motherhood” which was used to put American women on a pedestal. It describes the belief that mothers were responsible for raising their children to follow the traditions of republicanism, making them perfect citizens of America. When the first wave of feminists stepped up and demanded the right to vote, other women were opposed to this, typically in the upper class, because they did not want change and were happy being housewives and mothers. In addition, many women felt that their vote was not needed because they would vote whichever way their husband did. Harry T. Burn’s was the deciding vote for the 19th Amendment. His mother had written him a letter which convinced him to allow all women in the United States to have the right to vote. After gaining the right to vote, women did not stop - they pushed for equal rights and equal pay. This is when the second wave of feminism began. These women fought for equality under the law. After Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique, was published, women started to realize they did not feel fulfilled just being a housewife. Friedan discusses how she wanted to feel more accomplished and be seen as equal. The second wave of feminism was also when Title VII was passed, which stated that a person can not discriminate against anyone, including women. In the reading and recording we were assigned, we see two opposing views on gaining equal rights. Gloria Steinem was in favor of equal pay, and a reason she gave was, “If laws permit women equal work and pay opportunities, men will then be relieved of their role as sole breadwinner.” Phyllis Schlafly was opposed to equal rights. Phyllis thinks that the most satisfying career is being a wife and mother and does not want to sacrifice what women already have. To end the presentation, Ms. O’Connell showed the theme songs of sitcoms in the 1960’s which portrayed the ideal American woman, being a housewife and mother. The sitcoms reflected the politics of the time and each had a different portrayal of how people should view women. One of the theme songs we watched was from a show called “One Day at a Time”. They recently made a reboot of the show but is now much more progressive. The new show stars a hispanic family with a single mother and a lesbian daughter. This reboot’s progression helps me to feel that as a country, we are moving forward and have gained more rights for women to be equal to men.