Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem and Germaine Greer and Feminism Movement - Essay Example

April 29, History Introduction: Feminism Movement Background The Feminism movement includes several activities seeking reforms for the disadvantage female members of our American society. The Feminism movement focused on several female-related issues (LeGates 1). One of the issues is women’s reproductive_activity rights. Another issue is women’s rights against abusive domestic violence. One of the rights focuses on the maternity benefits of pregnant women. Another right centers on women’s right to vote for the next political leaders. A very popular right is protection from sexual harassment acts. The other rights center on violence on the female gender of our democratic American society. Feminism History & Development The feminism period grew as time progressed. The Western economic sphere saw the rise of feminism rallies during the later part of the 19th Century America. The first feminism movement focused on the middle class and upper class women members of our American society (Harman 64). The first movement included the right of women to vote for their next government leaders. The women raised the rallying issue that women have the same rights as men in decisions relation to elections and other political issues. Furthermore, the next feminism movement focused on other issues. One of the issues is the women’s rights to equal society-based preferences. This includes the right o equal economic opportunities as men. Another issue raised in the next feminism movement focuses on cultural equality. The women protesters insisted women should have equal stature as the men in culture-based issues (Harman 64). Moreover, the third feminism movement focused on other more complicated issues. One of the issues is the equal right of women to financial matters. Another issue is the right of women to run for political positions. One of the women’s rights espoused is the right to abort their babies (Stevens 25). Introduction: Ms. Germaine_Greer’s contributioin to the Feminism movement. Ms. Germaine_Greer is one of popular Australian-born feminist leaders. As an academician in United Kingdom and Australia, she rallied for the women to exercise their gender-equality rights (Bulbeck 144). Ms. Greer classifies herself as one of the women liberators, striving to free the women from their compulsory home-based responsibilities and enter the workforce or other home-absent activities. Ms. Greer insisted that Women have the right to plan for their future, including finding jobs in the men-dominated workplace. Introducing Ms. Betty_Friedan’s feminism contributions Ms. Betty_Frieman is another feminist leader (Coontz 191). She continued to join political rallies to make people accept women can be good workplace employees or college students. Ms. Friedan emphasized women should not prioritize working in order to send their husbands through college because the husbands may someday divorce the hardworking wife. Introducing Ms. Gloria_Steinem’s feminism Role Gloria_Steinem is one of our United States nation’s popular feminism leaders. She focuses her writings on the right of women to gender equality. Steinem organized several feminism–related organizations to reach more people. Reaching more people, she rallied the women to climb out of their home-based prisons and strive to enter the men-dominated world as gender equals. The organizations include the Women’s_Media_Center entity and Choice_USA entity (Smith 317). 2) Life of Ms. Betty_Friedan Betty_Friedan was a popular feminism author. The American author rallied for the elimination of gender discrimination. She is known to spark the second Feminism movement activities. The spark started with her first gender discrimination book published during 1963, The_Feminine_Mystique (Coontz 191). She was popularly elected as National_Organization for_Woman President. The organization prioritized eliminating gender discrimination in our American society. Ms. Friedan persuaded the American women to rally for gender equality. Gender equality includes giving women the same right as men in the hiring, promotion, family, and other social and political issues of the community. Consequently, Ms. Friedan founded the Women’s _Strike for_Equaility organization during 1970. The organization encouraged women to object to any gender discrimination acts of the male members of our American society. Ms. Friedan was instrumental in American society’s finally allowing women to vote for their next political leaders. Finally, the women were allowed to vote on certain political, social, cultural, and other issues that affect the community. Ms. Friedan was instrumental in the passage of the 19th Amendment section of our United States Constitution. The amendment mandates women have the right to vote for their political leaders and vote on certain community-based issues. Ms Friedan was instrumental in the 50,000 New York area gender equality rally during that fateful 1970 year. Ms. Friedan was instrumental in prodding women in other states to set up their own feminism rallies to force the government to succumb to the gender equality demands of the rally participants. Ms. Friedan continued to rally for the continuing implementation of gender equality in our American society (Bowden 15). 3) Introducing Ms. Betty Friedan’s feminism role, work and belief Ms. Betty_Friedan was a 1942 psychology graduate. One such idea is that people should be treated equality regardless of one’s gender. Ms. Friedan graduated from Smith_College during 1938. She also attended psychology classes at the University_of California_Berkeley for 12 long busy academic months. She was busy attending as well as leading political activities. During her high school days, she formed a new school paper. The paper focuses on home –related issues. She was a politically active school editor_in_chief of Smith_College during 1938 (Coontz 191). Further, Ms. Friedan’s masterpiece, the_Feminine_Mystique, brought to the surface of American society the women’s clamor for gender equality (Coontz 101). For example, American society forced the women prioritize paying for their husband’s college studies. However, the husbands filed for divorce several years later. The women who paid for the husband’s college education felt they were unfairly forced by our society prioritize male seeking juice jobs and education opportunities and women are forced to take care of home responsibilities. The book described the complaints of many housewives who were forced to implement society’s requiring women to give up their work and education priorities to take care of the family and home chores. Ms. Friedan reiterated that women had the capacities as men. Ms. Friedman insisted women can do the work of the male employees. Likewise, Ms. Friedan reiterated women can similarly tackle all college or other academic responsibilities or assignments as the men. Further, Ms. Friedan submitted other writings. One of her books is The_Fountain of_Age (Shukla 34). The book focuses on the issue of old age. The age issue includes granting the terminally ill patient the right to euthanasia or mercy killing. The age issue includes the right of the elderly people to beneficially continue contributing to the betterment of the community, family, political, work, cultural, and other related venues. Ms. Friedan explains that less than 8 percent of elderly people are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. Consequently, the elderly people should be given the right to continue working in a company, studying in university, run for any government position, or even just play basketball. The book firmly espouses that old age should never be equated uselessness, brainlessness, or failure to comply with one’s prescribed tasks or responsibilities. Furthermore, another Friedan popular feminism book is the The_Second_Stage (Msimmans2000). The book poignantly described the need to vigorously pursue the goals of the first feminism movement. The first feminism movement successfully focused on free women from their compulsory roles. The compulsory roles of women included the women’s required taking care of the husband. Another compulsory role is taking care of the children’s food, clothing, medicine, and other basic needs. Another compulsory role is to implement one’s mother role to the growing children. The book explained the Equal_Rights Amendments grant the women the right to find jobs and enroll in their dreamed college courses. Ms. Friedan’s book placed importance on the women’s equal rights to social, cultural, economic, and political issues. Lastly, Ms. Friedan’s book reiterated the important contributions of women within the family, school, community, work, and other related environments. 4 & 8) The people’s critical evaluation of Ms. Betty_Friedan’s Works Several individuals commented on Ms. B. Friedan’s books (Slater 2033). One reader, msimmans2000, states the book explains how the elderly person feels as he goes through the elderly phase of one’s life. The book reiterated the old age syndrome depicting the person is no longer a very useful member of society starts at 60 years of age. The customer emphasizes book classifies old age as the deterioration of the youthful prowess of the elderly person. The author shows society’s injustices to the elderly individuals, especially how Ms. Friedan felt when she reached her 60th birthday (Msimmans2000 1). Further, another customer, R._Davidson, offers another comment on the same book. The customer admits people who are elderly normally deny that they are old. People will use all lots of excuses to affirm that they can still work and do other activities that non-elderly individuals normally do. The customer is deeply impressed with the intelligent author’s vigor-laden writing style (Davidson 1). 5) Introducing Ms. Gloria_Steinem Ms. Gloria_Steinem is one of the popular feminism leaders. During the earlier 1960s and the later 1970s, Ms. Steinem rallied the people to accept gender equality. Ms. Steinem’s Women’s_Media_Center focused on helping women prosper in the Journalism field, a field dominated by the male gender. Ms. Steinem rallied for the women’s right to reproduction choice. Ms. Steinem’s priority is requiring society’s allowing the pregnant woman the right to abort an unborn child. 6) Feminism and life of Ms. Gloria_Steinem M.s Gloria_Steinem is a recognized United States feminism activist (Smith 317). She rallied for gender equality during the 1960s decade as well as the 1970s decade. She was a former New_York magazine journalist. She established the Ms Magazine outfit during the 1969 times period. Her article After_Black Power,_Women’s Liberation catapulted her to be one of our nation’s well loved feminism activists. Together with actress Jane_Fonda, Ms Steinem established the Women’s _Media_Center. The center helped women prosper in the journalism field, keeping up with the journalism expertise of the male journalists. The center persuades the women to rise up and revolt against any gender-discrimination acts or non-acts imposed by the company, community, family, or aspects of our American society. Society’s ill gender discrimination acts on Steinem’s mother led to her failure to hold on to jobs. Such dilemma sparked Steinem’s gender equality rallies. Ms. Steinem successfully rallied for the passage of our United States_Constitutions’ Equal_Rights_Amendment. Ms. Steinem helped establish the National_Women’s Political_Caucus feminism group. M.s B. Friedan was a valuable member of the feminism group. Ms. Steinem set up the Choice_USA group. The group rallied for the right of women to pick one’s preferred reproductivealternative. Ms. Steinem espoused the pregnant woman’s pro-choice priority. She prioritizes society must give the pregnant woman the right to abort an unborn child. 7) Accomplishments of Ms. Gloria_Steinem, her books’ impacts Ms. Gloria_Steinem had several high impact books on feminism (Smith 317). One of the popular books is A_Book of_Self-Esteem. The book focuses on the lies imposed on the role of women in typical United States society. The book described Ms. Steinem own self_esteem directed journey. Ms. Steinem described society’s gender-discrimination concepts of the role of women in society. Consequently, Ms. Steinem strove to rally against our American society’s gender-discrimination priorities. Consequently, Ms. Steinem espoused that activism will ensure the elimination of gender biased society priorities. By rallying the women to fight against women as stereotyped home only individuals, Ms. Steinem encouraged the women to fight for their gender equality rights. Further, another Ms. Steinem book is Moving_Beyong_Words. The book contains several essays of Ms. Steinem. The book delivers entertaining articles on women’s rights. The stories contain realistic women-related topics. One of the reads of Steinem’s Moving_Beyong_Word, Lisa G., states the book is a compulsory beneficial reading material. The customer affirms Steinem’s essay articles will surely entertain as well as educate the readers. Lisa G. feels the book brings both enlightening as well as brings out thought-generating issues for the readers to analyze, comprehend, and accept (Lisa, 1). Further, another customer named Joe reiterated the book gives examples of women who prefer the company of men. The customer affirms this is the essence of feminism. John complains that not all men are gender biased. However, the customer admitted he learned a lot about women’s rights and the abuses of society, especially the male gender, on the women (Joe 1). 9) Introducing Ms. Germaine_Greer Ms. Germaine_Greer was a staunch Australian women’s rights advocate. She studied and worked as faculty member in United Kingdom. Ms. Greer espoused women have the right to pick their own fates, destinies, and plans. Ms. Greer prioritized the liberation of women from their society-imposed home-based bondage (Bradley 137). 10) Ms. Germaine_Greer: Life and her feminism priorities Germaine_Greer is an Australian journalist and academician. Ms. Greer graduated from Melbourne University, in Australia (Bradley 137). She served as faculty member of Sydney_University. Winning a United Kingdom educational scholarship, Ms. Greer entered United Kingdom’s Cambridge_University. She decided to transfer to London. She contributed many feminism_related articles to selectedjournals, including Private_Eye. She currently resides in the United Kingdom. She joined the Feminism movement during the middle of the 20th Century. Ms. Greer classifies herself as one of the liberators of women. This classification differs from the people possibly classifying the feminism outcries of Ms. Greer as seeking to be on equal social, economic, cultural, and political levels as the male gender. Ms. Greer espouses women have different priorities in life (Bradley 137). First, Ms. Greer espoused positively_accepting the sexual differences of men and women. Ms. Greer insisted that women have the right to set and implement their own femininity-based values and priorities. Mrs. Greer espoused women have the right to set their own priorities. Consequently, Ms. Greer emphasized women have the right to chart and accomplish their own feminism-based goals, fates and destinies. 11) Influence triggered by Ms. Germaine_Greer’s books One of the controversial books of Germaine_Greer is The_Female_Eunuch (Sage 291). The 1970 feminism book became an international feminism movement best selling item. The book became popular in the United Kingdom, United States, and other European nations. The book focused on society’s unfairly relegating the woman as compulsory part of the traditional, consumer-based, suburban-preferring, nuclear_family setup. Ms. Greer felt that such compulsory women’s role discriminated against the women’s rights to chart their own destinies, values, priorities, goals, and fates. Consequently, book classifies such compulsory society –prescribed roles of woman as eliminating the women’s vitality, enthusiasm, and eagerness. Basically, the book classifies the compulsory roles of women as forcing them to live the life of a eunuch. Ms. Greer rallies the women readers of her book to revolt against such discriminating society-espoused roles. Further, another popular feminism book of Ms. G. Greer is Sex_&_Destiny. In the book, Ms. Greer insisted the developed society’ compulsory women’s roles contributed to the decline in women’s fertility (Bradley 137). Mr. Greer emphasized women’s fertility is the result of the drop in the community’s living standards. Our industrialized nation’s society prods women to avoid prioritizing the raising of children or keeping the family as the center of the woman’s life. Mr. Greer reiterated that the best family_planning process is to allow the women to freely choose their own family_planning itineraries. The book persuades society, especially the women members, to prioritize implementing the women’s rights to chart their own family-based values, priorities, goals, or destinies. Furthermore, a third popular feminism book of Ms. G. Greer is The_Whole_Woman (Null 1213). Ms. Greer emphasizes society’s discrimination of women. For example, Ms. Greer stated that women must be beautiful in order to survive in society, get noticed or given priorities in the job selection and other activities. This means that ugly women are forever doomed to be left out of juicy jobs, and other benefits of society. Ms. Greer brings to light gender discrimination in the family, at work, grocery outlets, at school and other community gatherings. 12) Ms. Germaine_Greer’s feminism accomplishments, how people evaluated Ms. Greer’s feminism books Some people gave their evaluations of Ms. Greer’s books. Tricia_love admits Ms. Greer is a clever satire writer. The customer affirms the book focuses on society’s inflicted abuses on women. She feels that people should not take Ms Greer’s personal comments in a very serious manner. She feels the issue of Ms. Greer’s being a possible lesbian should not affect the realistic feminism concepts of Ms. Greer (Love 1). Further, another person gave a comment on Ms. Greer’s book, Jennifer. Jennifer affirmed Ms. Greer had outstanding writing style. The Book brings out energy and youth to the readers of the book ponder deeply on how to help remove gender bias in our United States society (Jennifer 1). 13) Comparison among the three feminism leaders: Ms Friedan, Ms Steinem & Ms. Greer There are similarities among the three feminism leaders. First, they are all women. Next, they did not accept society’s imposing home only responsibilities of the women. Third, the women rallied other women from their communities to protest against society’s prevailing male only workplace environment. Finally, all three women successfully contributed to the realization of the gender equality rights of women (E. Smith 100). There are some differences among the three women feminist leaders (Stevens 25). First, Both Ms Friedan and Ms. Steinem are both from our United States. However, Ms. Greer is from Australia and works in the United Kingdom academic community. Ms. Friedan sparked the second Feminism movement with her book, The_Feminine_Mystique. Ms. Friedan was instrumental in the passage of the gender equality Constitutional provision, 19th_Amendment. Ms. Steinem is a journalist. Ms. Steinem successfully rallied for the approval of the United States Equal_Rights_Amendment to our United States Constitution. Ms. Greer feels she continues to liberate the women from the bondage of gender discrimination. Ms. Greer feels women can choose to plan and implement their own destinies and fates. 14) Conclusion The Feminism movement focused on the issue of gender equality. The three feminism leaders rallied for the implementation of gender-equality law provisions. The three women leaders successfully led the community to persuade government leaders to implement gender equality. The Feminism movement focused on impressing on the women that they can pursue careers outside the home. Evidently, the three feminism leaders successfully led the people to ensure gender equality exists in our United States society. Works Cited Bowden, Peta. Understanding Feminism. New York: Routledge Press, 2014. Print. Bradley, Patrcia. Mass Media and the Shaping of American Feminism. Mississippi: University of Mississippi, 2004. Print. Bulbeck, Chilla. Living Feminism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Print. Coontz, Stephanie. A Strange Stirring: The Feminism Mystique and American Women. New York: Basic Books Press, 2011. Print. Harman, Barbara. The New 19th Century: Feminism Readings. New York: Routledge Press, 2012. Print. Jennifer. Amazon. 12 May 2002. web. 29 April 2015 . Joe. Amazon. 11 December 2012. web. 29 April 2015 . LeGates, Marlene. In Their Time: A History of Feminism in Western Society. New York: Routledge Press, 2012. Print. Lisa_G. amazon. 8 October 2000. Web. 29 April 2015 . Love, Tricia. Amazon. 8 September 2006. web. 29 April 2015 . Msimmans2000. Amazon. 22 December 2001. web. 29 April 2015 . Null, Gary. For Women Only! New York: 7 Stories Press, 1999. Print. R_Davidson. Amazon. 31 July 2000. web. 29 April 2015 . Sage, Lorna. The Cambridge Guide to Womens Writing . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print. Shukla, Bhaskar. Feminism: From Mary Wollstonecraft to Betty Friedan. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons Press, 2007. Print. Slater, Theresa. Betty Friedan 103 Success Facts. Queensland: Emereo Press, 2014. Print. Smith, Earl. Sociology of Sport and Social Theory. New York: Human Kinetics Press, 2010. Print. Smith, Emily. The Jane Fonda Handbook. Queensland: Emereo Press, 2013. Print. Stevens, Lorna. Marketing and Femiinism. New York: Routledge Press, 2013. Print. Read More