Betty Friedan Influence On Women

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Betty Friedan, author and activist, is known for her substantial role in altering the stereotype perception of society that women are to be average housewives, performing conventional female tasks in the home, such as cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. Society believed that women should not be employed in the real world workforce, even if they did attain a high level of education. Friedan addressed these misconceptions through her books, including her most famous The Feminine Mystique. In addition to communicating her views through her writing, Betty Friedan played a major role in the establishment of multiple organizations, including the National Organization for Women, and was a well-known spokeswoman as well. There is no doubt that Friedan impacted history by helping expand the rights of women. To this day, Betty Friedan’s accomplishments …show more content…

Betty Friedan was born on February 4, 1921, in Peoria, Illinois to Miriam Horwitz Goldstein and Harry Goldstein, who were Russian Jewish immigrants (2). Friedan and her family lived a middle class lifestyle, with her father as the owner of an elegant jewelry store, while her mother took care of the home (1). In addition to being a housewife, Friedan’s mother worked at a local newspaper, which sparked Betty Friedan’s passion for journalism. Friedan was also influenced by Middletown, a book written by Robert and Helen Lynd. Through this book, Friedan was introduced to aspects of society she was blind to prior to reading the book, such as the separation of social classes in her own hometown of Peoria. In addition to realizing hardships those in her community were facing, Betty Friedan also experienced

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