Betty Friedan The Feminine Mystique “She’s a real girl.”

The Feminine Mystique This is an essentialist definition of femininity “To be a woman is to act like so” To be otherwise is to be unfeminine, not-woman To look to compete with men on equal terms thus means that one wants to be a man Careers and goals for higher education in this way serve to ‘masculinize’ women, making them less feminine (less women) and rendering them unhappy in their lives. The claim made by the mystique is that a real woman would be happy in (and only in) a purely domestic role “I’ll cancel your lunch orders. You’re a mother. That’s your job. You don’t have to earn money too.” It was all so beautifully simple! “Yes, boss.” I murmured obediently, frankly relieved. (95)

The lives of women revolve entirely around men: “They though they did not have to choose, to look into the future and plan what they wanted to do with their lives. They had only to wait to be chosen…” (133) Sex and the City “There is no problem in the logic of the feminine mystique, for the woman who has no wishes of her own, who defines herself only as wife and mother.” (116) “But forbidden to join man in the world, can women be people?” (100)

The struggle is “simply to become fully human.” (136) The goal of feminism is, for Friedan, the freedom to make “the decision as to what one is going to be,” which has traditionally been reserved for men. (134) The struggle is “simply to become fully human.” (136) Positive liberty

Roots of the mystique “A mystique does not compel its own acceptance.” (268) “Brainwashing” Recall Malcolm X Must fill real needs Cultural/Social: Insecurity caused by the War Scientific: Freudian & functionalist Economic: Replacing wartime consumption Marcuse

Cultural Needs “I live through my husband and children. It’s easier this way. In this world now, it’s easier to be a woman, if you take advantage of it.” (273) Uniformity Uncritical worldview Marriage as ready-made identity Privatism No value in larger social engagement

The role of “woman” (i.e. wife, mother) is defined by the presence of a man Young women “‘seek my security in him’ instead of finding themselves, and each act of self-betrayal tips the scale further away from identity to passive self-contempt.” (257) The dynamic of systematic sexism here in many ways resembles that of institutionalized racism.

Lost Dimensions Research: “Marriage today is not only the culmination of a romantic attachment; more consciously and clear-headedly than in the past, it is also a decision to create a partnership in establishing a comfortable home, equipped with a great number of desirable products.” (315) A market-oriented concept of love

Functionalism Describes a thing in terms of its function within society Ex: Sexual segregation preserves society in its current structure On functionalist sociologists: “There can be no doubt that they were describing things ‘as they were,’ but in so doing, they were relieved of the responsibility of building theory from facts, of probing for deeper truths.” (206) Marcuse Blurs line between “is” and “ought to be” Assumes endless present, denies that future can be different from past Identifies the woman with her role “Woman is what society says she is” (207) Gender essentialism

Functionalism If the eternal present is assumed, the task for sociologists, educators, and parents is to “adjust” the individual to “social realities” Uncritical “At the present historical moment, the best adjusted girl is probably the one who is intelligent enough to do well in school, but not so brilliant as to get all A’s” (205) Skilled in her role, but less likely to feel unfulfilled by it Defining happiness

The social role of women is as a type, not as individual humans “the mysterious miracle of femininity” is realized simply by being female Identifies the individual solely with her biology Men go to school to be educated and find careers, women go to find husbands.

It is functional “knowledge” that “only the exceptional woman can make a go of a commitment to a career.” (253) Either housewife & marriage or career & celibacy Defining “normal” “What 51% of the population does today, 100% should do tomorrow.” To be exceptional is to be not-normal “Somehow, the student gets the point that she does not want to be the ‘exceptional woman.’” Exceptional women can’t land a man

“We have to stop being so teacher-centered and become student-centered “We have to stop being so teacher-centered and become student-centered. It’s not what you think they need, but what they think they need. That’s the functional approach.” (251) Social “realities” Career training Lack of critical dimension

Freedom of Choice Then-current goal of totalized motherhood counterproductive Produced weak, dependent adults Women are not forced to choose the life of a housewife, but how free is their choice to do so? Freudian theory & functionalist approach to gender make homemaker mother central figure in child’s life Examples: Autism, neuroses Thwarted in efforts at education & career Manipulated by marketing, mass media

Demographics Research Conclusions: “Since the Balanced Homemaker represents the market with the greatest future potential, it would be to the advantage of the appliance manufacturer to make more and more women aware of the desirability of belonging to this group.” “Educate them through advertising that it is possible to have outside interests … (without becoming a Career Woman). The art of good homemaking should be the goal of every normal woman.”

“She’ll want them. She’s a real girl.” Marketing should target very young teenage girls “The young ones will want what the others want, even if their mothers don’t.” Older, more independent women should be made to feel guilt The product will enable you to give your husband and children the things you should, but aren’t. “Suggest that it becomes truly a part of you, reflecting you.” (317) Housework should be not a chore, but a joy. A chance for self-expression (by women. Men have better things to do.)

“You can be the woman you yearn to be with a Plymouth all your own” “With increasing skill, the ads glorify [a woman’s] ‘role’ as an American housewife—knowing that her very lack of identity in that role will make her fall for whatever they are selling.” (327) Abstracted, restrictive image of femininity and pressure to achieve it Impossibility of this results in unhappiness, desperation

False Consciousness These qualities create a demand in the market for products that will help to achieve the feminine ideal Ad for Ultima: “Dedicated to the woman who spends a lifetime living up to her potential!” “The only totally integrated program of nutrient make-up and skin care—designed to lift a woman’s good looks to their absolute peak. The woman who uses Ultima feels a deep sense of fulfillment. A new kind of pride. For this luxurious Cosmetic Collection is the ultimate... Beyond it there is nothing.” (quoted on 328) As in Marcuse, sincere desires may be tools of your own oppression