Essay on Social Constructionism and the Message of Feminism

In this essay I will define social constructionism and how the theories of social construction altered feminism’s message during its second wave. The second wave of the feminist movement started during the 1950’s and is thought to have ended with the failure of the equal rights amendment. The amendment was only three votes shy of being ratified. Prior to this era the first wave of feminism seem to focus mainly on suffrage, a women right to vote and own property. During the second wave era, feminist incorporated the theories of social construction in their message. Social construction is the theory based on the idea that things that are present in our society were created by said society. As it relates to the message of second wave†¦show more content†¦To quote The Simone De Beauvoir, â€Å"Every female human is not necessarily a woman. To be so considered such she must share in that mysterious and threatened reality known as femininity.â€Å" Women who had once dreamed of attending school and had dreams of their own were now striving for this model of what women should want, of things that made them better women. Betty Friedan used the example of a young woman that was offered a science fellowship at Johns Hopkins. This young woman turned down the opportunity so that she could continue her quest to find a husband and start a family. Science wasn’t â€Å"feminine.† In reality, what is femininity? To quote De Beauvoir, â€Å"What is woman?† What was femininity and masculinity in truth? Many feminist of the second wave began to define femininity as a social construct. They used the theory that women’s role in our society was created by said society. Susan Bartky said, â€Å"A Culture has a global character, hence, the limits of my culture are the limits of my world.† Women were victims of a society, of a culture that was primarily constructed by men. De Beauvoir said, â€Å"They (women) have no past, no history, no religion of their own.† Women had no culture of their own. Everything that had been written, the stereotypes held toward women, the entire culture surrounding them had beenShow MoreRelatedSocial Inequality in Society Essay2617 Words   |  11 PagesSocial Inequality in Society Social inequality influences all aspects of our lives. The following essay will look at evidence highlighting inequalities in society today. In particular it will focus upon inequalities found between men andRead MoreThe Between Female And Female Roles3586 Words   |  15 Pagesâ€Å"Boys will be boys†. The phrase is associated with â€Å"boyish† behavioural characteristics, which are understood to be essential and natural to a male. Social constructionism, on the other hand is the theory that social identifiers, like race, behaviour and gender are constructs of an individuals environment, not their biology. Although social constructionists do have differing opinions on the influence of society or biology over male/female characteristics, a popular opinion is that though thereRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesis it, and why does it matter? Introduction What is organization theory? Defining theory What are organizations? The relationship between organization theory and human activities The relationship between organization theory and management practice Social engineering and organization theory Critical alternatives to managerialism in organization theory Philosophical disputes and debates: explaining and understanding the diverse nature of organization theory Mapping some aspects of organization theory’s