The Second Wave Of Feminism - 799 Words

This essay examines the question, â€Å"To what extent was the second wave of feminism (in the 1960’s and 1970’s) successful in achieving equality for women?† The essay is introduced by describing why the second wave of feminism developed and the aims of this second wave of feminist. The essay is broken into two parts. The first part of the essay discusses the impact of women s rights activist on legislation. It is argued that the second wave feminist were unsuccessful in gaining equality in terms of obtaining equal wages and opportunities for women in the workplace. They however were successful in obtaining equal rights laws and reproductive laws for women. The feminist of the 1960’s and 70’s were victorious in securing for many american women the right to have easy access to contraceptives and abortion. The second part of the essay focuses on the extent that the second wave feminist were successful in changing the mindset of Americans. These fem inist wanted the view of women to be one that portrayed women less as only a housewife and more as a women who can lead a life that could involve a career in any field. Success ranged in this area. On one side there was women becoming more independent and free as they embarked the sexual revolution while in other regards such as film and music women still held an inferior role to men. The second wave of feminism achieved great success in attaining equality for women however this success was not as far ranging as these mid 20th centuryShow MoreRelatedFeminism And The Second Wave Feminism1516 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica from 1960s into the 1980s which was later spread into Europe and parts of Asia. Compare to first-wave feminism in which advocates sought for women suffrage, this feminist movement, which had a broader and deeper influence, focused on dealing with issues which hindered legal sexual equality, rights to reproduce as well as family roles. This feminism movement is named the Second-wave feminism. It was politically powerful and influential that it obtained significant gains including the pass ofRead MoreFeminism : The Second Wave Of Feminism1222 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is feminism? Feminism is a definition to philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on a social political and economical which is an equality for women. It’s a revolution that includes women and men who who wish the world to be equal without boundaries. The evolution of the rights of women in Australia owes much to successive waves of feminism, or the women s movement. The first of these took place in the late 19th century and was concerned largely with gainingRead MoreFeminism And The Second Wave Of Feminism1351 Words   |  6 PagesAny given person can define feminism in a different way. Some view it as a women’s movement for women, by women and against men. It can also be hard to distinguish the different types of feminism when the m ore radical, outspoken people or organizations can overshadow the rest. In general, feminism is another way in which to view things, another lens in which to see the world. It is another platform for people to express themselves as whole individuals and become a voice for others that may otherwiseRead MoreFeminism And The Second Wave Of Feminism1561 Words   |  7 Pagescries out.(Williams 3.165-8) To Stella, this is attractive. Williams A Streetcar Named Desire, published 1947 between the first wave of feminism and the second wave of feminism, portrays two polar opposite ideologies regarding feminism and masculinity. Stanley represents what a man was supposed to be prior to the re-evaluation of masculinity by the first wave of feminism; men were supposed to be assertive, aggressive, and the kings of their homes. Stella, his wife, is meant to serve as an exampleRead MoreThe Second Wave Of Feminism1594 Words   |  7 PagesSeneca Falls Convention, one of the very first advocacies for women’s rights, the Second-wave feminism in the 1960s saw itself as a movement that achieved great success in terms of women’s social, economic, and political rights. The Women’s Rights Movement that began in the sixties, in comparison to the first-wave feminism in the 19th century—whereas many activists focused on only women’s suffrage—the second-wave feminism dealt with a broader range of issues. From education, the patriarchal system, sexualRead MoreFeminism And The Second Wave921 Words   |  4 PagesUnlike the First and the Second waves the Third wave does not have a starting point or a particular moment. The period from early 1990’s to present is often defined as the Third wave. This wave is considered as the â€Å"backlash† of the movements and achievements made in the second wave. Many issues like Webster decision in 1989, that made a way to create abortion laws and Planned Parenthood Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey made a law that women should get counseling before abortionRead MoreThe Second Wave Of Feminism2200 Words   |  9 PagesThe Second Wave of Feminism Betty Friedan, feminist author of The Feminine Mystique, wrote, The problem lay buried, unspoken for many years in the minds of†¦women. It was a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction, a yearning that women suffered in the middle of the twentieth century†¦ Each suburban housewife struggled with it alone†¦ she was afraid to even ask of herself the silent question – ‘Is this all?’† Authors such as Betty Friedan wrote about their struggles in novels and articles in theRead MoreFeminism And The Second Wave1448 Words   |  6 PagesSherlock). From women’s suffrage to abortion laws feminism has evolved with contemporary battles and a variety of approaches. The â€Å"First wave† of feminism in 1920 advocated women’s suffrage, whereas the â€Å"Second wave† targets the societal issues that women in the 21st century are facing. Betty Friedan wrote The Feminists Mystique after World War II exposing female repression and later founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) which ignited the second wave of the feminist movement. Consequently, itRead MoreSecond Wave Feminism Essay895 Words   |  4 PagesSecond Wave Feminism’s Relation to Art 1. Second Wave Feminism has a direct relation to art, as the movement and its creations were directly connected to the social problems of the times. As with most modern art, artists usually turn to creating works to express their problems with society, and this is what feminists did. As the suffragist movements with First Wave Feminism were a great success, and women did have the same legal rights as men, they still interpreted society has seeing them as theRead MoreSecond- Wave Feminism Essay830 Words   |  4 PagesHistory 2112 Second-Wave Feminism Towards the end of the twentieth century, feminist women in America faced an underlying conflict to find their purpose and true meaning in life. â€Å"Is this all?† was often a question whose answer was sought after by numerous women reaching deeper into their minds and souls to find what was missing from their life. The ideal second-wave feminist was defined as a women who puts all of her time into cleaning her home, loving her husband, and caring for her children