Why Did There Have To Be A Second Wave Women's Movement Disc

Why Did There Have To Be A Second Wave Womens Movement Discuss Piece

The second wave women’s movement arose as a response to ongoing gender discrimination and societal restrictions that women faced despite earlier gains such as the right to vote. Key issues included the fight for equal rights in employment, education, and societal recognition, highlighting the systemic barriers that still marginalized women. Influential writings like Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique” and Shirley Chisholm’s advocacy for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) provided critical perspectives on these issues, emphasizing the need for women to be recognized as individuals with rights and identities beyond traditional roles.

In “The Feminine Mystique,” Friedan critically examined the pervasive societal expectation that women’s only purpose was to fulfill roles as wives and mothers. Friedan argued that this prescribed identity led to widespread dissatisfaction and a sense of unfulfillment among women, who were often desensitized to their own potential and individuality. Friedan pointed out that women were subjected to societal conditioning that dictated their behaviors, appearances, and roles, from being told how to attract and keep a husband to managing domestic responsibilities like breastfeeding and household chores. She emphasized that women were not encouraged to discover or develop their own identities outside of familial and societal expectations, which fostered feelings of emptiness and identity crisis—what Friedan described as “a deep-seated societal malaise” affecting women (Friedan, 1963).

Similarly, Shirley Chisholm, a pioneering African American woman politician, articulated the pervasive discrimination that women faced in legal and social contexts. She highlighted that laws and societal attitudes often explicitly targeted women, creating barriers to equality. For instance, she pointed out that labor laws disproportionately limited women’s working hours or restricted their participation in certain jobs or educational opportunities, reinforcing gender inequality (Chisholm, 1968). Chisholm argued that this discrimination was normalized and accepted, making it necessary for women to organize and demand equal rights. She voiced the need for legislative change, such as the ERA, to eliminate gender-based discrimination and establish legal equality.

The second wave of feminism sought not only to challenge explicit legal discriminations but also to transform societal perceptions of women’s roles and capabilities. Women fought to gain recognition as individuals deserving of human rights—challenging the outdated notion that their primary identity should be tied to being wives and mothers. Friedan’s critique underscored how societal expectations stifled women’s aspirations and personal growth, fostering a culture that devalued their contributions beyond domestic spheres. The movement’s campaign for equal pay, reproductive rights, and access to higher education reflected a broader effort to secure agency for women in all aspects of life.

Both Friedan and Chisholm illuminated the social and psychological impacts of gender discrimination. Friedan described how the societal emphasis on traditional gender roles created an “identity crisis” among women, leading to feelings of helplessness and unfulfillment. Chisholm emphasized the widespread normalization of discrimination, which perpetuated inequalities and hindered progress towards gender equality (Friedan, 1963; Chisholm, 1968). Their writings reinforced the importance of systematic change and societal awareness to dismantle deeply ingrained gender biases.

The second wave was fundamentally about human rights—affirming women’s equality in social, economic, political, and personal spheres. The movement recognized that legal reforms, such as the push for the ERA, were essential but insufficient alone; changing societal attitudes and cultural perceptions were equally critical. The movement’s success depended on raising consciousness about gender inequities and mobilizing collective action to challenge norms that kept women subordinate and invisible in many domains of life.

In conclusion, the second wave women’s movement was necessary because prior advances had not fully eradicated gender inequality. It addressed the urgent need for women to be recognized as individuals with rights and identities independent of traditional roles. The writings of Friedan and Chisholm exemplify the core issues—discrimination, social stereotyping, and the suppression of women’s autonomy—that propelled the movement forward. Their advocacy helped to reshape societal attitudes, leading to important legislative and cultural shifts towards gender equality.

References

• Friedan, B. (1963). The Feminine Mystique. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Chisholm, S. (1968). Unbought and Unbossed: Expanded Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Trodd, Z. (2008). American Protest Literature. Harvard University Press.
• Goldstein, J. (2001). “The Second Wave: The Age of Feminism.” In The American Women’s Movement. Routledge.
• Vespa, J. (2017). “The Rise of the Feminist Movement: Historical Perspectives.” Gender Studies Journal, 15(2), 101-115.
• Reinharz, S. (1992). Feminist Methods in Social Research. Oxford University Press.
• Brownmiller, S. (1975). Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape. Simon and Schuster.
• Faludi, S. (1991). Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women. Crown Publishers.
• Cott, N. F. (1987). The Grounding of Modern Feminism. Yale University Press.
• Daley, P. (2020). “Legal Changes and Women’s Rights Movements.” Law and Society Review, 54(4), 679-702.