Study Guide

1.What are the important changes of the 1960s?

The Cold War era brought a movement of sexual liberation. The term “make love, not war” was born in America. Stereotypical masculinity was openly challenged by the modern man. A man who was willing to be vulnerable, cry, and have long hair. The tough man of the Vietnam war was not accepted as the masculinity standard any longer.

2. How does Civil Rights relate to other rights movements?

Civil Rights addressed in the Bill of Rights addresses human rights in America. However, in terms of race, and sexuality affect how those rights are applied. Hence, both African Americans, and the Sexual liberation movement faced discrimination omitting human rights on the Bill of Rights.

3. Why is the availability of oral birth control important?

Primary sources from the 1960s and 70s “The Feminine Mystique excerpt” (The Problem That Has No Name, 1963) by Betty Friedan

The feminine mystique refers to the idea of a woman as an individual, not just an accessory for others. Not the mother, and wife, but the person capable of making individual choices that are not attached to the traditional nuclear family. An idea that according to Betty Friedan resided in the minds of many women in the early 1960s American society. This led to changes in the dynamics of gender relations in Cold War America.

4.How does she describe women in this period?

Betty Friedan describes women as individuals breaking apart from tradition. A yarn for freedom, and sexual liberation. Women unburdened themselves and embraced the feminine mystique outside the household. Enjoying sexual liberation and taking part, and shaping the “make love, not war” movement of the 60s. Women were no longer willing to be only mothers, and wives. Birth control allowed for sexual liberation of Cold War American women. Sex was no longer attached to pregnancies with the help of birth control.

What is the image of the American housewife in the Cold War context?
6. What is the “mystique”?

The mystique was the idea of women outside the household. Outside their roles as wives, and mothers, and never focusing on themselves as individuals. This led to much recement, and societal changes helped by the effect of the Cold War. The idea that women should never speak their afflictions and bury them was seen as the norm for women.
One of America’s great feminists Betty Friedan | CBC

7. What are 2 main points of Betty’s Friedan’s speech?

Betty Friedan’s speech highlighted the growing trend changing in the “hippie” community that opposed war. Males were not displaying the typical masculine features of the times. Displaying feminine features, and sexual liberation. Showing emotion, such as crying, and vulnerability. Additionally, she argued that these men were becoming their own individuals, displaying “softness” with pride in their actions.

8. What is your opinion?

I find it interesting how Betty Friedan mentions how there could be an “Armageddon of the sexes”. Perhaps this implies a war between men and women, or maybe a societal war of the sexes. Yet, i believe that as long as women populate the world, there could never be such Armageddon.

“The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” Anna Koedt, 1970

9. How does the author explain the myth?

In her book “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” Anna Koedt, 1970, she argues that the vaginal orgasm was a myth. She relates the argument by Sigmund Freud but highlights the clear prejudice by Freud towards women seeing them as inferior.

10. How does sex relate to patriarchy/male dominance in this piece?

“The Facts About Abortion” [1970] p432-433.
Sex is seen as the duty of a women towards her husband. Her responsibility whether ill, exhausted or otherwise. Men dominated sexuality through the patriarchy. But abortions, and birth control changed that for both men and women.

11. What is the main point in this piece?

The idea that the patriarchy restricted women’s sexual freedoms for the purpose of serving men in many roles. As mothers, and wives willing to go through the extreme for her family. To a modern sexually liberated individual. No longer tied by the society’s impositions.

Angry Notes from a Black Feminist, Doris Wright, 1970

12.What are two main ideas from this source?

Sexism, and the burden of black women with misogyny and racism combined. This led to much suffering of black women in America. A group that is one of the most vulnerable groups in America. Victims to two evils in a society dominated the patriarchy led by white Americans.

“Imprisoning and Artificial Labels of Gay, Straight, and Bi” Third World Gay Revolution and Gay Liberation Front, 1971

13. How does the author relate female and homosexual oppression?

The gay revolution saw much success but also challenges. As the author highlighted women, and were victims of oppressions, and labels for their sexual conducts. However, this challenge was not the same for gay people, compared to women in the 1960s. The Cold War was an era of world fear, and world change, an inexplicable time in human history