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