Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique Case Study

QUESTION: 

 What was the significance of Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique? 

Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique, had a huge impact for women and their rights. In the 1930’s women were going to college and receiving degrees, but after the regression in the 1950’s less and less women decided to seek an education (Napikoski, 2019). This was causing a lack of happiness in women. During the mid-20th  century, women were becoming depressed on account of being seen as inferior to men mentally, physically, and financially (Napikoski, 2019). Therefore, Friedan wanted to encourage women to seek their self-fulfillment and decided to write a book. The women’s movement took off in the 1960’s and 1970’s because of this inspiring novel (“Betty Friedan,” 2006). Friedan helped change the way women were seen and the roles they played in their life. They no longer had to be just a housewife and mother. Women could now discover their own potential beyond what was commonly believed to be their responsibilities.

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This book influenced many women to stand up for themselves and their rights. Laws started to get changed, such as unequal pay, providing women with maternity leave instead of firing them, and help-wanted ads and hiring practices only singling out men (“Betty Friedan,” 2006). Women equality was slowly becoming more popular. Friedan’s book changed the culture in the United States; women were no longer being seen as lesser than men. In fact, it became an inspiration to women around the globe. It sold over a million copies and started the second-wave feminist movement (Napikoski, 2019). The world may be very different today if this book didn’t have the effect on people that it did. Women are being more than just wives and mothers now; they run big companies and are obtaining degrees in career fields that interest them. We still have a ways to go to achieve total equality, but we have made a lot of progress, thanks to Friedan’s book. Women now have a choice on their future.

References:

Betty Friedan. (2006). National Women’s History Museum. Retrieved from https://content.umuc.edu/file/650dd7f1-b3a2-4494-aaaa-461023c5b5e1/1/BettyFriedan.pdf.

Napikoski, L. (2019, January 14). ‘The Feminine Mystique’: Betty Friedan’s book ‘started it all’. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/friedans-the-feminine-mystique-3528957.

Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique Case Study