Backlash

This article regarding women’s rights, equality, and the wrath of all the cycles in between was a fascinating eye opener. The idea, and mention that all woman are trapped in this endless spiral of a winning and losing system of equality is exhausting. Until the 1970s, women’s liberties were stagnant, which is when there was noticeable incline in progress towards their rights, but the progression still seems unattainable (Faludi 47).
In the mid-19th century, educated women suffered a man shortage. About 28 percent of college educated women were married, and because they postponed marriage and children for education and careers, they were criticized for creating “race suicide” (49).   Starting in 1910, women activists started the feminist movement. Many parties and unions were founded to battle with better pay and working conditions. The national birth control movement was also making waves. Revolts against feminism were raging, with feminism being the cause of everything from divorce and infertility.
Women were stuck in this tradition role where it is their obligation to be the passive, subordinate women and the wife that stays home with the children, where she is blissfully happy with domestic life. However, with all the men gone to war for World War II, a need for these domestic housewives to get out there and work to provide for their families caused women to be recognized as something more than just housewives. A small victory was won for women, but soon the husbands returned home, and the women were told to basically go back to their real jobs, homemaking. Some did not retreat, but they did settle for jobs geared toward their gender (54).
The article says, the backlash in the past has been caused by feminists that have pushed forward way too fast and is the cause of too much change too rapidly. It has worn women out (58). Presently, it’s stagnation that is wearing out women because they feel helplessly to any real, new change.
A good population of men...