Betty Friedan The Importance Of Work Essay

662 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Changing role of women cause

In her essay “The Importance of Work,” from The Feminine Mystique published in 1963, Betty Friedan dives into the multivariate equation of self identification, and how women must involve themselves in more advanced work in society to fulfill their full human identity. Friedan wrote this essay to communicate with women about how they must have purpose and ambition if they want to live up to their potential. Friedan graduated with highest honors from the University of California Berkeley, co-founded the National Organization for Women, and has written many essays inspiring the feminist movement. “The Importance of Work,” is one of her most famous and renowned writings because of the way she uses rhetorical appeals and strategies to increase the persuasiveness of her argument. …show more content…

In paragraph five, she writes “The identity crisis of American Women began a century ago, as more and more of the work important to the world, more and more of the work that used their human abilities and through which they were able to find self-realization in, was taken away from them.” This direct cause and effect perception can be easily followed because of the sound display of logical reasoning presented by Friedan. Throughout the essay, Friedman makes a very coherent logical appeal by stating that the expectations of women have changed resulting in women to be more passive, childlike, and feminine which does not mix well with advanced work in society. Advanced work is full of opportunities and promotions, resulting in a very competitive work environment which is not very kind to people with passive and childlike temperaments. Friedan associates these temperaments with less success in a competitive workplace and makes another comprehensible logical

Show More
Related

  • The Challenges Of Feminism In The 1960's

    1606 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Feminism is both an intellectual commitment and a political movement that seeks justice for women and the end of sexism in all forms” (Baptiste). Just as in the past, feminism continues to act as a controversial issue among men and women. In the 1960’s, women finally addressed workplace inequity and created woman organizations to achieve equality. In the early 1960’s, the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act set a milestone for women’s progression towards work equality. Though women have made great leaps towards true equality, women still face many challenges and continue to be categorized as the subservient gender.

    Read More

  • Betty Friedan's Feminine Mystique

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan wrote about women's inequality from men to women's equality to men. She also wrote about women accepting the inequality to women fighting for equality. Friedan comes across to me as a woman with strong beliefs who puts a lot of effort and information in her book. I wasn't aware that this book would give such an extreme amount of information. Her writing style proves that she has been in a feminist movement. Her writing style shows she has a passion for every word she put into this book. She also writes in a way that makes a person interested in what her beliefs are. Friedan has a mass amount of information to prove every point she has. I believe that Feminine Mystique is probably her favorite work to write about. Her writing style proves each point she responds to.

    Read More

  • Fifties Society Summary

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was expected of women to get married, have children, buy a suburban home and do housework. The video, “A Word to the Wives” displays what Betty Friedan calls, “the feminine mystique”. The video presents the dilemma of a woman who is not happy because she does not have the newest house. Her friend has all the new “necessities” in order to successfully complete housework. Women were defined by what they had, not by who they were. Friedan’s research found that despite fulfilling the “feminine mystique”, when women were questioned they realized they were not truly satisfied with their life. The woman in the video would not of been fulfilled by buying a new house, or object. Women were deprived of the need to put their skills and talents to a purpose. The video, “Are You Popular” also shows the expectations of women.. It promotes that appearance, serving others, and rewarding men with “women” gifts such as baking is how to be popular. It condones girls for “parking in cars” but accepts men who do the same thing. Women must earn the approval of men, and men must earn women by doing thing women are “incapable” of. The repression of women in the 50’s is what eventually causes the “outbreak” of feminism in the 60’s. The idolism of the “female mystique” covered the sexism against women in the

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Work Analysis

    1055 Words  | 3 Pages

    One would have to be a fool to believe that men and women have always been or even are equal. Only in the past century have women been allowed to vote and 50 years since women of color could vote. Even today, women and men are held to different standards. Betty Friedan (1921-2006) was a feminist that was not only an author, but also, the first president of an organization known as the National Organization for Women. She is well-known for her work "The Feminine Manifesto", and she is the author of the article "The Importance of Work". Betty Friedan was a feminist during the height of the women's rights movement, so it is not surprising in the least that her article hit on women's rights. "The Importance

    Read More

  • Working Women Obstacles Of Women's Work By Sue Tuote

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    Judy Grahn wrote “The Common Woman,” which displays the difficulty of breaking free from traditional female work. Grahn wrote that she “… [hoped] that these combinations would help break current stereotypes about women and the work we do” (641). This quote shows she wants for women to be free from the pigeonhole of being a teacher, secretary, retail clerk, actress, waitress, or a hairdresser. Women want to be free of stereotypes and have the option to enter a male’s

    Read More

  • Why Men Still Can T Have It All By Mari Anne-Marie Slaughter

    1360 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is supported by her quote “I believe that we can “have it all at the same time.” But not today, not with the way America’s economy and society are currently structured” (680). From this quote we can conclude that Anne-Marie Slaughter believes that both our economy and our society are to blame for women and men struggling “to combine professional success and satisfaction with a real commitment to family” (684). These struggles in our society come from the gender roles that our society puts on us when we are born. It’s assumed that women need to make sure the family life is functioning correctly, while men need to make sure that their family is financially stable. In addition to gender role assumption, many high end positions require employees to work extremely long hours in the work

    Read More

  • American Women Leaving the Home and Going to Work

    2198 Words  | 5 Pages

    One of the most significant sociological changes in the nation's history began in the last decade of the nineteenth century and the ramifications are still being felt today. This change consisted of the large numbers of women who entered the work force. This dramatic change in American society was accompanied by a great deal of controversy and prejudice directed towards women. It was predicted that female employment would bring about the downfall of society and the change of the American family.

    Read More

  • The Critique Of Pauli Murray's 'Feminine Mystique'

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    The “Feminine Mystique” is a highly influential book in the early second wave feminism movement. It is said that it helped shaped the demands of the second wave by insisting for the right to work outside the home, and to be paid equally; the right for reproductive freedom; the demand that women should not be expected to have children and be mothers if they do not want to. Betty Friedan addresses “the problem that has no name” which is the women who are highly educated, suburban housewives that are bored and want something “more” in their life. This is the point where women knew we needed a second wave. Women’s role had gone backwards and they were beginning to realize that they were all experiencing the same “problem that has no name”. “The

    Read More

  • What Was The Difference Between Gloria Steinem And Betty Friedan

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights based on the equality of the sexes. However, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan did not agree that this definition was concrete, and it is essential to know who these women are because they were the start of the women's movement. They created feminism and equality, but each approached this idea differently. Steinem defined feminism to be an advocacy for women to become better than men. While Friedan viewed feminism to have never existed because it should have been a general human rights movement . Their ideas of feminism were split because of how they were raised and the predicaments they faced while growing up. This lead to Friedan’s belief that the National Organization for Women (NOW) had to focus

    Read More

  • Betty Friedan Feminist Model Summary

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    To get the answer to her question, she began to survey women of Smith College. Her findings lead to the writing of her first book, The Feminine Mystique. The book uses other women’s personal experiences along with her own experiences to describes the idea behind being a feminist. “At every step of the way, the feminists had to fight the conception that they were violating the God-given nature of woman… The image of the feminists as inhuman, fiery man-eater, whether expressed as an offense against God or in the modern terms of sexual perversion, is not unlike the stereotype of the Negro as a primitive animal or the union member as an anarchist” (86-87). That image of women that has been created by society and the same idea applies to race and how it is something that is so prone to society about things no one can change. Feminists were the ones who were able to fight for their rights even though some may believe that isn't what women are made to be but Betty Friedan did, which motivated her to fight for women’s rights in the second wave feminist movement. She was able to accomplish helping more women fight for their rights and set the ground for the women fighting

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Power In The Film Hidden Figures

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    Culture teaches women they don’t belong in an environment that is completely dominated by men, in a mathematics and engineers field. The workplace gives these women a sense of power because they are earning money and they don’t have to depend on men. In the book-----, it mentions that usually the person in the household that brings money to the house is usually the one in power in t because they are finically providing money in the house. In the workplace, they also faced unfairly treatment because of the obstacles for example with the bathroom when Katherine Goble didn’t have easy access and she had to spend half an hour walking across each time she needed to use the bathroom. There is lack of easy access to necessities in the workplace. Another example is when Katherine was given the dirty coffee mug and no one would share it with her because of her race this shows how

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In A Streetcar Named Desire By Tennessee Williams

    981 Words  | 2 Pages

    might be considered as a critique of a position of women in the post­war America, and

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Feminist Theory: From Margin To Center By Bell Hooks

    1987 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hooks begins by stating that Feminism in the United States did not emerge as a result of victimized, underprivileged women who faced sexist oppression so much so they have internalized it , but in fact by bourgeois upper-class white women whose idea's of equality were far different. She begins this criticism with Betty Friedan, a leading figure in the women's movement and the author of the classic The Feminine Mystique claiming that the book ignored the difficulty and even the existence of non-white, poor women with the assumption that her concerns were harmonious wi...

    Read More

  • Gender Role In Vietnam Essay

    1333 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the nineteenth century, women has been a growing factor to the US economy and the workforces but it was just the beginning of the Victorian era and industrial revolution. The American economy continue to have a drastic improvement; yet twenty-first century women in Vietnam are only used for low-paying jobs or any jobs that men would not do. In the business, or economic world, women has unlocked the full potential and continue to be recruited, while in Vietnam, women are beginning to start recruiting in business but still remain lacking potential. Both countries have a hard time balancing out personal and family life while trying to balance out professional life but it just takes time. On the other hand, it takes hard-work and dedication for women to “work on sharing responsibilities to balance their professional work and personal life”. In “The Plight of Young Males”, by Saul Kaplan, he talks about supporting the advancement for women and how they should be equal with men, furthermore, he “focus on supporting equal opportunities for women…” Another similarity women from both countries have is how “society should encourage and create favorable conditions for women to advance in their

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Women's Rights

    1913 Words  | 4 Pages

    History has taught us that human nature is about judgement and ignorance. Betty Friedan is one influential person that has left a lasting legacy due to the second-wave feminism she introduced. Thanks to her, women had the courage to say “Yes, I can” and choose to follow their dreams without the pressure. Society had forced women to be limited in their options, but Betty Friedan took the challenge and broke society for a time being to make a path for women and their journey’s. She was very legendary and had many influences on how modern day women live. She is a hero and deserves a holiday for all her hard work and dedication to make the world a better place for women’s

    Read More

More about Betty Friedan The Importance Of Work Essay

Open Document