Women in American Society

The two excerpts from the documents “The Redstockings Manifesto” and Listen, America! portray two very distinct political stances on the role of women in American society. While the Redstockings is a plea for women’s liberation from a patriarchal culture in which women are undervalued and unequal to men, Jerry Falwell’s argument is that liberal movements like feminism undermine American values. While the feminist group who call for equal rights believe that this should be at the core of a true democratic society, Falwell’s belief in traditional roles for women to instill Christian values is the basis of his rejection of the feminist plea.

While the Redstockings belief is that traditional patriarchal society undermines the value and potential of women, Falwell sees the role of a subservient mother and housewife as crucial to holding together the traditional family structure. The feminists argue that women are limited by this role in which their only purpose is for the betterment of men: “Women are an oppressed class. Our oppression is total, affecting every facet of our lives. We are exploited as sex objects, breeders, domestic servants, and cheap labor. We are considered inferior beings; whose only purpose is to enhance men’s lives. Our humanity is denied” (p. 1108). Falwell, on the other hand, does not seem to think that women’s place in the domestic sphere as servants to men is a bad thing. Instead, he sees the Equal Rights movement as detrimental and even corrupting American society. Feminists, who are obviously liberals, are described by Falwell in the following way: “We cannot expect help from the liberals. They certainly are not going to call our nation back to righteousness and neither are the pornographers, the smut peddlers, and those who are corrupting our youth” (p. 1109). This harsh criticism of liberalism, and thus feminism, is a common conservative rejection to the feminist movement.

By comparison of these two excerpts, it is obviously that the political ideology of liberal feminist versus conservatives is wrapped up in religious beliefs. For many Christians, the idea of the family unit is sacred, and feminists like the Redstockings are seen as a threat to the traditional family dynamic. While it is true that the Redstockings want liberation from their male oppressors, often their husbands who blind them from the injustice or threaten them with violence, this does not mean that all liberals or all feminists are in support of tearing down the family structure. Farwell’s unfair assessment of the Equal Rights movement is drenched in Christian Conservatism, which fears this type of social progression will lead to disorder and immorality.

Reference

“Voices of Freedom.” (2011). Ed. Eric Foner. Give Me Liberty! An American History 3.2, 1108-1109.