On February 19, Betty Friedan’s groundbreaking book “The Feminine Mystique” was published. Referred to as “The Problem with No Name,” Friedan examined how society expected women to devote their lives solely to being wives and mothers, leaving many unfulfilled.
Betty Friedan, née Goldstein, was born in Peoria, Illinois. She attended Smith College, graduating with a degree in psychology, and later completed a year of graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1943, she moved to New York City and began writing about the struggles of working-class families and female workers. Four years later, she married theatre producer Carl Friedan, with whom she had three children. The couple divorced in 1969.
After her divorce, Friedan continued balancing motherhood with freelance writing for women’s magazines. In 1957, she began exploring women’s post-college experiences by surveying Smith College alumni. Over the next five years, she analyzed women’s magazines, examined social science research, and interviewed psychologists and women. This research culminated in her influential book, “The Feminine Mystique.”
In “The Feminine Mystique,” Friedan offered solutions for “The Problem with No Name.” She argued that marriage and motherhood themselves were not to blame; rather, it was the restrictive societal expectations attached to these roles. Friedan advocated for women’s access to education, proposing a GI Bill for women whose domestic responsibilities hindered their studies. She also called for maternity leave and accessible childcare.
“The Feminine Mystique has succeeded in burying millions of American women alive,” wrote Friedan. She argued that the expectation that women be household caretakers negatively affected not only women themselves but also their children and husbands. This pressure left women feeling as though they had to live through their families.
Friedan was labeled a “hysteric” even before her book’s publication. Many women took offense at the suggestion that they were unhappy with their family roles. Additionally, Friedan faced criticism for not representing the perspectives of women of color, single mothers, and low-income families, despite her early focus on working-class issues.
“The Feminine Mystique” is widely credited with sparking Second Wave Feminism, inspiring a new generation to challenge ongoing discrimination against women since the First Wave. After the book’s release, Friedan traveled the country advocating for anti-discrimination laws. She championed the 1963 Equal Pay Act, supported reproductive rights, and later fought for the Equal Rights Amendment, which failed to be ratified in 1982. Friedan also co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) and served as its first president.
Want more insights?
Check out better. magazine, our free digital zine! Get all things better – better ideas, better eating, better health, better entertainment & more.
Like MediaFeed’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
