Feminism And Gender Equality In The 1990s :: essays papers

Feminism And Gender par In The 1990sOver both, the rights and status of women have improved considerably in the die hard century however, gender equality has recently been threatened within the run short decade. Blatantly sexist laws and practices are slowly being eliminated while hearty perceptions of womens roles continue to stagnate and even degrade back to traditional ideals. It is these kind perceptions that challenge the evolution of women as equal on all levels. In this study, I will argue that subtle and blatant sexism continues to exist passim educational, economic, professional and legal arenas. Women who carefully follow their expected roles may neer recognize sexism as an oppressive force in their aliveness. I bring forth many parallels between womens experiences in the nineties with Betty Friedans, in her essay The panache We Were - 1949. She dealt with a society that expected women to fulfill certain roles. Those roles completely do by the needs of educ ated and motivated business women and scientific women. Actually, the subtle put across that society gave was that the educated woman was actually selfish and evil.I regain in particular the searing effect on me, who once intended to be a psychologist, of a story in McCalls in December 1949 calledA Weekend with Daddy. A little girl who lives a lonely life withher mother, divorced, an intellectual know-it-all psychologist, goesto the country to spend a weekend with her founder and his new wife,who is wholesome, happy, and a good cook and gardener. And there islove and laughter and growing flowers and hot clams and a gourmetcheese omelet and square dancing, and she doesnt want to go home.But, pitying her poor mother type away all by herself in thelonesome apartment, she keeps her guilty mystical that from now on shewill be living for the moments when she can flee to that dreamhome in the country where they know what life is all about. (SeeEndnote 1)I have often consulted my gr andparents about their experiences, and I find their historic perspective enlightening. My grandmother was pregnant with her third child in 1949. Her work up experience included interior design and modeling womens clothes for the Sears catalog. I asked her to read the Friedan essay and let me know if she felt as travel as I was, and to share with me her experiences of sexism. Her immediate reaction