Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American WomenFaludi lays out a two-fold thesis in this aggressive work: First, despite the opinions of pop-psychologists and the mainstream media, career-minded women are generally not husband-starved loners on the verge of nervous breakdowns. Secondly, such beliefs are nothing more than anti-feminist propaganda pumped out by conservative research organizations with clear-cut ulterior motives. This backlash against the women's movement, she writes, "stands the truth boldly on its head and proclaims that the very steps that have elevated women's positions have actually led to their downfall." When it was first published, Backlash made headlines for puncturing such favorite media myths as the "infertility epidemic" and the "man shortage," myths that defied statistical realities. These willfully fictitious media campaigns added up to an antifeminist backlash. Whatever progress feminism has recently made, Faludi's words today seem prophetic. The media still love stories about stay-at-home moms and the "dangers" of women's career ambitions; the glass ceiling is still low; women are still punished for wanting to succeed; basic reproductive rights are still hanging by a thread. The backlash clearly exists. |
Contents
Backlashes Then and Now | 46 |
The Media | 75 |
The Backlash in | 112 |
Copyright | |
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abortion American Cyanamid American Woman antiabortion antifeminist asked baby backlash Betty Friedan Beverly LaHaye campaign career women Center child court decade divorce doctors dress EEOC Eleanor Smeal equal fact fashion Fatal Attraction federal female femi feminine feminism feminist Fetal Rights fetus film Friedan gender George Gilder Gilder girls husband Ibid infertility issued Lacroix LaHaye late 80s later look Love magazine male March marriage married Marshner men's ment mother movie National Newsweek numbers percent Personal interview political poll pregnant president Reagan recalls Reproductive role San Francisco San Francisco Examiner says Sears Sept sexual single women social Statistics story surgery survey Susan thirtysomething tion told Toni Grant trend turned wife women's liberation women's movement women's rights writes York
References to this book
Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America Tricia Rose No preview available - 1994 |