Socio-Economic Developments
Focus on Women General trends
Legal equality slowly vanishing social,
economic and political inequality
Growing participation in the paid labor market (27% in 1940; 32% in 1950; 54% in 1960)
Cultural Assumptions after WW II
Women are forced out of labor market
Increase in employment rate. But: low-paid jobs
Low medium marriage age (1956: 20.1 years)
Baby boom
Polarization of Sex Roles
Fathers: public sphere and work
Mothers: domestic sphere, children, coffee klatch, neighborhood activities
Perfect couples: Organization man and suburban housewife
The other side
AlcoholismDivorceTranquilizers („mothers little helper“)Marginalization of women in higher
education, management and professions
Women’s Movement National Organization of American Women (founded 1966 by
Betty Friedan): promoted “equal partnership with men” Successes
slow but continuous change in perception of roles. Establishment of women’s studies programs at universities Increase in the overall female student population
Women’s Liberation Movement: more radical and less mainstream. Prevention of “Miss America” elections Call for overthrow of patriarchal system and society Introduced “gender” as category
Betty Friedan (1921-2006): The Feminine Mystique (1963)
The problem that has no name
Conflicting Trends
Feminization of povertyGains in politics, society, economyLegal action
Affirmative action Griswold v. Connecticut (1965): contraceptives Roe v. Wade (1973): abortion
Focus: Environmentalism Late 19th century: emergence of conservationism
resource management wild-life preserve
By 1960: total membership of conservation organizations: ~300.000 Audobon Society: 1905 Wilderness Society: 1935 National Wildlife Federation (NWF): 1936
Rachel Carson: Silent Spring (1962)
Motivating Factors Affluent society synthetic revolution (plastics, fibers, chemicals,
pesticides, nuclear power, detergents, etc.) Increase of "modern" diseases (alcoholism, drugs,
suicide, insanity, violence, alienation, etc.) Urban crowding, suburban sprawl, pollution and
smog, clear cuts and dammed rivers, cancer and nuclear fallout
Growth of college-educated class: not just concerned with "standard of living", but with "quality of life"
Conflicting Trends Increase in media coverage since the 1970s Growth of environmental movement (by mid-1980s: 20-25
million activists) Ineffective green party ‚Washingtonization‘ of environmental organizations Effective legal action (between 1971 and 1988 more than
4.000 federal court decisions) Effective state legislation in some states (mostly Western
states) Inactivity of the Federal Government (1980s - 2008), since
then more active environmental policy