This week, we had a collection of articles to read and a YouTube video to watch! Both the articles and the YouTube video were interesting and, like always, I’ve learned so much! All of the assigned readings and the video provided me with, yet another, a unique view and perspective on the topic of “feminism.” In the first article, “ the Feminine Mystique”by author Betty Friedan, Friedman started to look into “the problem that has no name” by researching the lives of white, middle-class women that lives in the suburbs during post World War Two America. Originally, during World War Two, because all men were away fighting the at, there was a major labor shortage. A lot of positions in society opened up and it also needed to be filled. During that time, women stepped up to fill the shoes that were left empty. Up until this point in history, women were expected to be house wives and home makers. They are to rear children, make the house, prepare meals in the kitchen and they were not supposed to leave the house to make money or provide. That was what they referred to as a “perfect” woman. The bread winning task was meant to be given to the father of the family as it is more masculine. However, due to the on going World War Two, women had to become the sole bread winner of the family. Whether it was a factory job, construction, accountant, civil services, and everything in between, women fulfilled these roles and found a plethora of new colors that they quickly added to their life palette. Once the war ended, however, society expected women to return to their homes and resume the “normal” tasks women were supposed to uphold. Friedan writes in the article that women everywhere started to ask themselves, “Is that all?” Is that all women were meant for? A temporary place holder? A permanent house keeper and children raiser? An object that is supposed to server men and their sexual needs? This was ultimately what Betty Friedan described as “The Feminine Mystique.” It was the assumption that women can find happiness and live a fulfilling life from their house work, raising children, and having a sexual life. It was further more assumed that it would be considered “non-feminine” if women desired to work, obtain a degree, or to even have political opinions. Betty Friedman ultimately wanted to prove to everyone that none of this is true and that women everywhere are unsatisfied with their position in society and how they cannot even voice their own opinions or feelings. 

In another reading titled “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm,” by Anne Koedt, it explains to the readers how the vaginal orgasm for women doesn’t not really exist as it is mostly made up and fetishized by men. In fact, most women orgasm through clitoris stimulation as that is where most of a women’s nerves for sexual pleasure is at. It also goes into detail of horrendous practices in the past to keep women in check. For example, in the past, some men would put their wives through surgery to have their clitoris removed, therefore, she would not be inclined to sleep with other men. This would have undoubtedly harmed a women’s sex drive and definitely took a huge chunk out of their womanhood.

All in all, through the articles and the videos that we’re assigned to us this week, I have found them all to be extremely interesting and I have undoubtedly learned a lot.