They did not have the same degree of patience, however, as the more subdued feminists, and they wanted change now. They wanted to choose whether they had children, whether they got married, and whether they could or could not perform a certain task instead of allowing a man or group of men (the government, for example) to choose for them. They stuck by the posters of 'Rosie the Riveter' that were around during the war and depicted a woman doing a man's job - and doing it well.
These women saw themselves as strong and capable and tough, and they were also much more in tune with their sexuality than past generations had been. They were not afraid of being women. The sexuality issue was confusing and uncomfortable for a lot of men. Men saw women as sexual objects, but they were not comfortable with the idea that they women saw themselves that same way. It made them feel as though there had been a shift in power, which was a serious concern for a gender that had been taught since virtually the beginning of time that it was the stronger gender, the one that should be in control, and the one that should ultimately be making the rules for all of society. Not all women in the 1950s pushed for change, and not all men resisted it, but there was a large societal divide when it came to some of the more serious issues that were being culturally addressed.
Even though feminism in the 1950s had begun quietly, by the end of the decade the radical feminists had made sure that it was too loud to be ignored. As it spilled over into the '60s it took on a desperate and sometimes dangerous quality that it did not have during the '50s. Women might have not...
However, that decade and the things that took
place in it was clearly the catalyst for a lot of
cultural change that took place both in it and in the decades immediately following it. It all came from the
feminist movement and what those women wanted changed in their society. Their protests were seen all across the country and efforts to stop them were mostly futile. A few women backed down but most of them held their ground. They had too much to fight for, they felt, to simply give up.
They believed that it was for their children, and their children's children as well, that they wanted to earn their
equality - essentially their
freedom from male domination. Many of them took this stance a bit too far and were so aggressively feminine that nothing a man said or did was ever acceptable to them. Others participated fully in protests and other issues but also were able to acknowledge when they were awarded a victory. They were able to enjoy that victory, but the extremely radical feminists felt that they could take no enjoyment until every victory was won. Regardless of this overzealous attitude, however, these women made significant contributions to society and some of them are still leaving their mark today. Had it not been for all of the changes that began taking place in their younger days during the 1950s, society's women might not have come nearly as far as they have when it comes to equality and the rights that they enjoy. Overall they are no longer seen as being weak and inferior in developed countries throughout the world, and this is especially true in the United States, where changes started in the '50s have helped today's women gain ground and move toward equality.
