Feminism In Norma Rae

Norma Rae is an Oscar award winning film from 1979. The movie takes place in a rural southern town where talk of union is taboo. However, a union rep, Reuben, comes into town and shakes things up. The film follows Norma Rae, a worker at the local textile mill as she and Reuben push together to unionize the workers.

The 70s were an interesting time for America. Minority groups were rallying and protesting, becoming activists for equality. The most predominant groups at the forefront of the activism were racial minority groups, the LGBT community, and women. All were seen as disadvantaged groups in society that have a long history of discrimination.

Norma Rae, being released in the late 70s, was riding the coattails of feminist movements. Norma Rae is a strong female character that fights for what she believes in, with little regard to the consequences. She was no doubt a very relatable character at that time in history and remains a relatable character today.

Sexism was a very prominent theme throughout the movie. The men in the film, including Norma Rae’s father, were very dominant figures. Additionally, there were countless double standards throughout the film, especially

when it came to Norma Rae’s perceived promiscuity. The dominant male figures, such as the bosses of the plant who were opponents of the union, used her reputation around town to question her integrity and her character, and delegitimize her efforts.
There are a few different types of feminism, but for the purposes of this paper I will focus on Liberal feminism and Socialist feminism.

Liberal feminism was pushed by advocates such as Mary Wollstonecraf. Liberal feminism emerged in the 18th Century around the time of the Enlightenment period, and believed that women should have equal rights and equal opportunity. This type of feminism argued that women were completely equal to men in ability, there was just a lack of equal opportunity. Wollstonecraft argued, in her book “A Vindication of the Rights of Women,” that women were falling behind as a result of a lack of education. She argued that women were equal to men in rationale and intellectual ability and that they were capable of doing any job a man could do if both received equal

training.
Former first lady, Abigal Adams, was a strong liberal feminist. She advocated for equal rights across the board, especially when it came to women. She was in an important position with a great deal of influence that she used to further her objective. John Stuart Mill was another large proponent of Liberal feminism. He and his wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, released “The Subjection of Women” which presented a strong case as to why women should be treated equally and incorporated into the political arena. Their work pushed for reform. This piece was highly regarded in its time, as it still is today. At one point in the essay, the Mill’s make the argument that women are treated like slaves within the bounds of society. They went on to say that that practice should cease and women should be granted the same human and civic rights as men.
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were also liberal feminism activists who helped lead the women’s movement in the U.S. resulting in the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls. Anthony and Stanton composed the Decrement of Sentiments and Revolutions which called for the right to vote and was patterned after the Declaration of Independence. Women were eventually granted the right to vote with the passing of the 19th amendment in the 20th century.
Socialist feminism held the belief that the key issue of the plight of women is capitalism and class conflict. This type of feminism often criticizes liberal feminism for disregarding the role of class issues. However, Liberal feminism criticizes socialist feminism for pitting women against women as a result of social class.
Those such as, German philosopher, Friedrich Engels, support this type of feminism. Engels argued that in pre-capitalists societies men and women worked with one another in the household. He argued that it was not until the development of societies that differences began to occur.
Norma Rae leans more towards the ideals of liberal feminism. In the film, Norma just wants everyone to have what she believes they are entitled too, and she wants equality for all. She believes that the lack of opportunity and equality are the primary root for the issues of the mill. Norma Rae believes that unionizing will bring equality and fairness to everyone, allowing them to have a voice and enforce the rights they feel entitled to.