Structure and Functioning of Families
Conservative voices often raise objections to feminism, perceiving it as a movement that disregards what they consider a woman's innate desire to craft a nurturing home for her children and spouse. To them, the feminist belief in a woman's right to balance a career while managing a household threatens to disrupt the traditional familial hierarchy, where the man stands as the head. This rebellion, in their view, poses a risk not just to family dynamics but to the very fabric of the nation's societal and economic structures. Those with this perspective argue that the women's movement not only promotes working motherhood but also inspires women to delay or even forgo having children. Faludi, in particular, highlights her concern over the backlash against women postponing motherhood, noting how media reports sensationalize this as an "epidemic" of infertility among career-driven women.
Certain conservative pundits, asserting that feminism has led women to choose childlessness, warn that such choices could place the country at a disadvantage on the global stage. In scrutinizing this claim, Faludi suggests that the argument for American women to procreate is tinged with racism and xenophobia. She contends that the true fear lies not only in economic concerns but in the anxiety over a demographic shift, where whites might become a minority amidst people of color and immigrants.
Faludi takes pleasure in unveiling the personal escapades of many conservative figures who stand against feminism, often finding that their private lives contradict their public declarations. She chronicles various women within the New Right movement who, despite their claims that career and motherhood are incompatible, are actively engaged in both. Furthermore, she highlights the paradox of these prominent couples, where the men assume household responsibilities like childcare and cooking, thus enabling their wives to pursue professional ambitions.
Popular Culture in the 1980s
Susan Faludi masterfully employs the lens of 1980s popular culture to underpin her assertion that this era marked a significant backlash against women and feminism. She presents a compelling array of evidence, drawing from the realms of cinema, television, the beauty industry, fashion, and broader societal movements to illustrate this cultural regression.
Faludi observes that while the preceding decade was enlivened by TV series like All in the Family, which fearlessly delved into challenging political topics, including women's rights, the mid-to-late 1980s television landscape starkly lacked programs addressing such issues. Shows that dared to feature strong female protagonists were a rarity, often teetering on the brink of cancellation. On the silver screen, narratives frequently depicted women as victims of violence, rivals to one another, or penalized for their single status. Hollywood's contribution to the backlash painted a grim picture of American women, portraying them as "unhappy because they were too free," with liberation allegedly stripping them of the joys of marriage and motherhood, as Faludi notes. Meanwhile, the fashion industry played its part by unveiling designs that were either infantilizing or oppressively confining, echoing the regressive sentiments of the time.
The Struggle for Equal Rights
Faludi's book delves into a pivotal chapter of history—the 1980s—where the pursuit of gender equality encountered formidable challenges. She observes that such periods of regression often follow significant strides in the fight for women's rights. As Faludi reveals, the mid-nineteenth century, the dawn of the 20th century, the early 1940s, and the inception of the 1970s were transformative times when American women made substantial progress in their social and economic spheres. "In each case, the struggle yielded to backlash," Faludi declares.
Faludi highlights the cyclical nature of resistance against women's advancement. She draws parallels between the films of the 1980s and those of the 1970s, offering a lens into cultural shifts. Additionally, when analyzing the...
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fashion trends of the 1980s, she reflects on the styles of the 1950s—a decade marked by retrenchment following the progressive momentum of the 1940s.
Myths and Their Role in Society
Faludi unveils how numerous members of society, including some well-intentioned authors and intellectuals, have mistakenly embraced myths regarding women's status in the 1980s as undeniable truths. She deftly dismantles these pervasive myths and supposed trends, which have been reiterated in the media so frequently that they have become ingrained as common knowledge among Americans. For instance, Faludi reveals the flawed methodology underlying the Harvard-Yale marriage study, which erroneously suggested that women remaining unmarried past thirty face slim prospects of ever tying the knot. Moreover, she questions narratives that allege an epidemic of depression afflicting single career women.