Feminist Poitical Theory in America

2011 Words9 Pages
Assignment #2: Feminist political theory in America Poli 344: American Political Thought Bruce Baum March 28, 2013 By: Nadine Burgess Feminist political theorists like Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Betty Friedan experienced and analyzed very different eras in political feminism than the one that exists today. Despite contextualizing and directly addressing the cultural, social, and political issues women faced in their day, aspects of their ideas continue to be relevant in the 21st century. Gilman’s analyzed the economic dependence of women on their male counterparts and proposed solid reforms to spur a change in culture about how tasks in the home are completed. She touches on the balancing act women face when it comes to motherhood and other aspects of human life, a struggle women still face today. Friedan brings emotion and anger to the plight of women in her era of feminism, highlighting a political issue that remained out of the spotlight for far too long. Modern feminists can learn a lot from Friedan as a pioneer for women speaking out for what they believe despite it being unpopular. Though her work mainly discussed the feelings of white middle class women, her work led to a more comprehensive study of oppression on multiple levels, called intersectionality. Though not a politician herself, Friedan was able to take steps towards bringing on meaningful political change, a problem many women are still facing today especially in the abortion debate. Friedan and Gilman’s work have formed the touchstones for the current feminist movements and will continue to play a huge role as women work to advance their rights further in the coming years. Gilman wrote “Women and Economics,” at the turn of the 20th century contributing to the foundation of political thinking surrounding the domestic causes of women’s economically dependent status. She developed her

More about Feminist Poitical Theory in America

Open Document