Feminism Vs Second Wave Feminism

Second wave feminism took a very different focus than first wave feminism. In the 1960s, at the beginning of the second wave of feminism, two distinct groups sprouted within the movement causing a major split and forming the groups known as the "politicos" and the "feminists" (Freeman, The Feminism Memoir Project, 1998, p???). Jo Freeman, an American feminist, political scientist, and attorney, states, "[The] Politicos emphasized that capitalism was the enemy. Feminists said that women were oppressed by men, or at least by male-dominated institutions" (Freeman, The Feminism Memoir Project, 1998,p???). This is where a visible split between first wave feminism and second wave feminism can be seen. Although there was still political focus during

Household technology eased the burdens of homemaking, life expectancies increased dramatically, and the growth of the service sector opened up thousands of jobs not dependent on physical strength. Despite these socioeconomic transformations, cultural attitudes (especially concerning women's work) and legal precedents still reinforced sexual inequalities. . . . The first public indication that change was imminent came with women's reaction to the 1963 publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. Friendan spoke of the problem that "lay buried, unspoken" in the minds of the suburban housewife: utter boredom and lack of fulfillment. Women who had been told that they had it all - nice houses, lovely children, responsible husbands - were deadened by domesticity, she said, and they were too socially conditioned to recognize their own desperation. The Feminine Mystique was an immediate best seller. Friedan had struck a chord."

This dissatisfaction soon turned into a more aggressive mindset. In her article "The Rising of Women," Canadian journalist Myrna Kostash discusses her involvement in the Women's Rights Movement of the 1960s focussing on social and cultural

In the early 20th century, many women went to college and worked professionally, but the mid-20th century myth of the middle-class suburban housewife downplayed the importance of women's education. Feminists knew that girls and women must be encouraged to seek an education, and not just "something to fall back on," if they were to become, and be seen as, fully equal. In her article, "The Long Way Home," Myrna Kostash discusses her experiences as a feminist in university. "It was 1963 and there was none of us who did not believe we would be different from the brigades of women in the suburbs. We were students. We would be clever, and we would travel, and we would have adventures." (Kostash, The Long Way Home, 167.) University provided the perfect place for like-minded women to meet, extend their influence and advocate for change. "Although university women continued to be the support base of the women's liberation groups, it was not unusual when their meetings included young working women, high school students, middle-aged housewives, single mothers, women from old left groups" (Kostash, The Long Way Home, 170.) Yet, although women were more educated then they had been in the past, the only socially acceptable role for them was to get married and have children. The second wave of feminism sought to change this perception and fought to give women opportunities on par with men including wage equality, maternity benefits, and the right