The Feminine Mystique 50th Anniversary Edition

Beautifully written and insightful, The Feminine Mystique is also surprisingly relevant 60 years after it was published. Betty Friedan’s exasperation with women being treated as if “biology were destiny” will feel very contemporary when, for example, a debate about abolishing no-fault divorce is brought up in the news.Each chapter can be read mostly on its own. Some of the discussion will feel dated (such as her critique of Freudian psychoanalysis). But most of it will feel alive and kicking today. She is writing at the peak of the baby boom and sees it as a mixed blessing.Man this is a great book.

I am reading this now, more than 50 years later, and it is as relevant and as true as it has ever been. The basic premise can be put simply as, "Every human being, across all nationalities, races, ethnicities, religions, sex and genders ought to be able to pursue a life plan that aspires to and actually fulfills the full genetic potential of each individual. If there are systemic obstacles to this they must be called out and changed by legal and political action. This is so simple and so compelling. On with research, study, education, economic advancement, and self-fulfillment! Who could argue with such things? But when you look at our history and the power of such opposing campaigns as that led by Phyllis Schafly, you need to engage. Let YOUR voice be heard.

When I first heard about this book I was immediately intrigued. I couldn't wait to read it and see how far women have come. Imagine my surprise when the author seemed to be describing the present day instead of a distant past. I couldn't believe how relevant a book from the 1960's is today.Betty Friedan describes a generation of women who were manipulated into thinking that motherhood and housewifery is the be all and end all for women. She explained that in the 50's and 60's women defined themselves solely through their children and husbands instead of developing an identity of their own. Women were seen as childlike with limited capabilities and, thus, education for females was dismissed as unnecessary. However, many women were unsatisfied with their only career choice as wife and mother. They were desperate for a sense of meaning and true identity. Some attempted to fill this void by using sexual promiscuity, focusing on their appearance, and/ or buying an endless amount of material things for their homes. This is still true for a lot of women today.Friedan thinks that women tried to elevate the status of housework and child rearing by obsessing over natural child birth, breast feeding, and homemade bread and clothes. Mothers became so over involved in the lives of their offspring that the kids could hardly develop into independent human beings. Researchers later found that children are actually happier, and develop better, when the mother has a career, or other purpose besides her children. Unfortunately, women seem to be falling into the same trap again. The media seems to be telling them, once again, that unless they give up everything and turn into helicopter-parents, their children are doomed for failure. It almost seems as if there is a second wave of this back- to-the- home trend. I see many women that are so preoccupied with their children that it appears as if they are trying to live their lives through them. Just think about shows like Toddlers& Tiaras- is it really the dream of those little girls to be presented like a show pony for the adults?I have to admit, there have been times when I, too, have thought about how idyllic it would be to have a big family, prepare all their organic food at home, and even (gasp!) home school the children. But after reading this book, there is no way that I will ever give up my education and career. Defining yourself through your children and husband is simply not the way to live a fulfilling life. This book may have been a bit dated and repetitive at times, but obviously our generation hasn't gotten the message yet, and it can't hurt to hear it more than once. In my opinion, they should really make this work required reading in high school. It's very powerful.

I wanted to love The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. I picked it up with expectations of being inspired, of being enraged, of being enlightened... I was convinced this book would turn me into a militant feminist; okay not really, but I thought it would somehow change my relationship with feminism, answer questions I'd never thought to ask, radically change my life... In that, I think perhaps my expectations were too high. It is an important book. It is well written, and Friedan makes her points quite convincingly. As a way to understand the foundation of modern feminism, I highly recommend it. That said, I found myself reminding myself that some of the research she cites is outdated, has been proven incomplete and, at times, inaccurate while grimacing that we are facing some of the same battles yet again - or perhaps still. As I read The Feminine Mystique it became very clear to me that equality, at least for women, seems to wax and wane. Progress is made, then fear, misconceptions, deception, and even greed drive back the progress. Friedan delves into industry, marketing, psychology, family values, education, and expectations to explore the role of women in society and what fosters inequality. I, at times, felt The Feminine Mystique was incomplete because of its focus on the experiences of white middle class, perhaps even upper middle class, women. Reading The Feminine Mystique often felt like reading about people whose lives were so far removed from my upbringing in a small farming community as to be glimpsing into another world and yet much of it makes sense to my current life. Seeing my own life through both sets of eyes made the dichotomy in the fight for equality for all women that much more visible. There's much to learn from The Feminine Mystique as we study the history of feminism and the current fight for equality, but it is not the complete story of women, feminism, or the need for equality.