Second Wave Feminism

In the United States, the second wave of the women’s movement refers to the feminist activity that has continued in late 1970s starting from 1960s. The legal obstacles to equality has been the main focus of the first wave feminism where as the second-wave feminism addressed several important issues like sexuality, the unofficial inequalities,  the official legal inequalities, the reproductive rights, the family and the workplace. The attempt of the second wave feminism to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the constitution of the United States has ended up in failure.

The second wave of feminism is an emergence as a response to the experiences that women had during the time of World War II. The unprecedented economic growth, flourishing of capitalism, expansion of the suburban and the baby boom which encouraged the patriarchal life of the family were the characterisation of the post war boom in the late 1940s. The media of the time helped in illustrating the life of the people clearly. There were some shows in the television like Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best which kept the woman in a closed sphere and to take of the family fulfilling the role of mothers and housewife’s.

Women’s in patriarchal society

The notion of woman in the patriarchal society which is observed as “other” was examined by Simone de Beavoir in her work The Second Sex.  She concluded saying that the male-centered ideology has been accepted by many as the norm and has been enforced. On the other hand, the ability of women in menstruating, lactating, and even in getting pregnant were not appreciated because women were always considered as the second sex and all these capabilities are not valid.

The Feminine Mystique which appeared in the later 1963 objected the image of women in the mainstream media explicitly. It attacked the notion about women stating that placing women at home is limiting their capabilities and their possibilities and even waste of potential and talents. According to her, there was no happiness in the projected perfect nuclear which was marketed strongly during that time. This nuclear family was a degrading to women and this book gained popularity during this time.

Growth of second Wave Feminism

There were many things that boost the second wave feminism. The rise of the second wave feminism occurred in 1953. From then on, there were different things that surfaced the growth of the second wave feminism. One can’t ignore the professional and the educational equality, the post feminism, and the contribution of the educational institutions like seven sisters colleges, Mississippi University for women in boosting up feminism.

Questions:

• What are several important issues that second wave feminism addressed?
• When does the second wave feminism established?