1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello Hello again. I'm Eves and you're listening 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: to This Day in History Class, where we examine the 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: past from the present. Today it's February. The day was 5 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: February nineteenth, nineteen sixty three, Betty for Dan's book The 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: Feminine Mystique was first published. The book is credited with 7 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: sparking the rise of second wave feminism in the United States. 8 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: Betty for Dan was a writer and an activist. She 9 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: worked as a journalist for leftist and labor publications for 10 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: a while, and she worked as a freelance writer for 11 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: different magazines. For Dan got married in nineteen seven and 12 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: had three children. After her first child was born, she 13 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: went back to her job, but after she got prey 14 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: with her second child, she lost her job. At that point, 15 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: she stayed at home to take care of her family, 16 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: but she was not completely satisfied with her life at home. 17 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: She wanted to know if other women felt the same way. 18 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: For Dan was a graduate of Smith College. When she 19 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: attended her fifteen year reunion at Smith in nineteen fifty seven, 20 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,759 Speaker 1: she surveyed her fellow college graduates. She asked them about 21 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: their education and how satisfied they were with their lives. 22 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: When she found that other women also felt unfulfilled in 23 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: their lifestyles, she decided that she wanted to publish her findings. 24 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: She interviewed more housewives and did research on psychology and 25 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: other relevant fields. Her work culminated as the book The 26 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: Feminine Mystique, published on February nineteenth, nineteen sixty three. The 27 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: term feminine mystique describes the assumption that women would be 28 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: satisfied with housework, marriage, children, and their sexual lives alone. 29 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: The idea was that women should be content with the 30 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: work they did in the domestic sphere and did not 31 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: need fulfillment through education, careers, or politics. The book argued 32 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: that many housewives were unhappy despite having lives that seemed 33 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: fulfilling from the outside. In the introduction of the book, 34 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: for Dana calls that unhappiness the problem that has no name. 35 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: For Dan used statistics, research and anecdotes throughout the book 36 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: to argue her point. She said that women wanted more 37 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: than just a home and a family. She pointed out 38 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: how the media promoted the idea that women were happy 39 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: in the home and unhappy in their careers. She noted 40 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: how the idea that women were naturally mothers and caregivers 41 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: was perpetuated. The book also linked the idea of the 42 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: feminine mystique to post World War two expectations and to 43 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: the promotion of the idealized nuclear family in America during 44 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,679 Speaker 1: the Cold War in the nineteen fifties. For Dan turned 45 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: to interviews to show that women were all been unsatisfied 46 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: with performing traditionally feminine roles and used coping mechanisms to 47 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: get through their feelings of unhappiness. The book aimed to 48 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: dispel the myth that women were fine with their domestic roles. 49 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: For Dan claimed that the feminine mystique limited women's quote 50 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: basic human need to grow. She encouraged women to seek 51 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: new lives that incorporated education, careers, and social roles, and 52 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: to rid themselves at the idea that housework was a career. 53 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: The book was popular and inspired many white middle class 54 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: women to take up the feminist cause. It was an 55 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: influential text in second way feminism, which had broader goals 56 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: and was less essentialist than first way feminism, but the 57 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: book's legacy is complicated. It received pushback when it was published, 58 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: and criticism of its messages and impact continues today. Some 59 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: of the criticism levied relates to its limited white, upper 60 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: and middle class perspective, to for Dan's own involvement in 61 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: leftist politics, and to the inaccuracy of some of the 62 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: research used. I'm Eve Chef Coote and hopefully you know 63 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 64 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: I want to impress your Internet crush, show them your 65 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: history smarts by sharing something you learned on the show. 66 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: Don't forget to tag us at t D I h 67 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: C podcast, or you can go the old fashioned route 68 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: and send us an email at this day at I 69 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: heart media dot com. Thanks again for listening. We'll see 70 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:44,119 Speaker 1: you same place tomorrow. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, 71 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 72 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.