Racial Tensions and Exclusion in Second-Wave Feminism

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Though the quality of female-focused legislation decreased, the racial tension found within the United States escalated. This was caused by the exclusion of black women in the Women’s Liberation Movement, as many feminists of the period were, “white, middle class, and college-educated” (Cott 561). Along with this, many African American women felt their needs were not represented by common feminism, causing their involvement to be viewed as unnecessary. Above all, women of color believed that second-wave feminism belittled their community. Pertaining to the attitude of many white women during this period, the Black Women’s Manifesto stated, “If they find housework degrading and dehumanizing, they are financially able to buy their freedom …show more content…

Traditionally, the standing of the nuclear family symbolized that of American morality. Unfortunately, in the period spanning 1960 to 2000, the percentage of households formed by nuclear families sharply declined from 45 to 23.5 (“The Changing”). Similarly, married-couple households also diminished, as between 1970 and 2000, this type of unit bowed from 40 to 24 percent (Fields). The pattern continued with homes of families containing their own children under the age of eighteen, and throughout the years of 1970 to 2000, the percentage of households such as the described dwindled from 45 to 33. Statistics such as these displayed the drastic lifestyle alterations experienced by American women because of second-wave feminism. Due to an increased proportion of women working outside the home, additional stress was placed on marriages; men were no longer the sole income-earners, a characteristic that defined American culture in this period, and women became progressively uninterested in traditional feminine roles. This sudden shift created irreparable discontinuities, frequently resulting in divorce and the apparent loss of American morality. These developments were specifically harmful for women, as fifty percent of female college graduates desired a career in homemaking and were unprepared for life …show more content…

In the 1990’s, the number of homes maintained by unwed couples doubled and reached 5.5 million, with 41 percent containing minors. This significant portion quickly neared the quantity of married-couple houses with children, constituting 46 percent of all households (“The Changing”; Fields). The proximity of these percentages displayed the diverted social interests in America. In addition to the growth of unmarried-couple households, the proportion of single parenthood proliferated as well. In the period of 1970 to 2000, single-mother households swelled from three million to ten million, and those of single fathers expanded from 393,000 to two million, or 26 and five percent, respectively. This result stemmed directly from second-wave feminism, as more women made the decision to hold employment outside the home, magnifying marital tensions. After many resulting divorces, custodial arrangements typically produced greater stress, as the presence of children in single-mother homes was significantly more probable compared to single-father households (Fields). Furthermore, as recently as 2015, American women earned twenty percent less than the salary of men while performing equal tasks (“The Simple”). The combination of more parental responsibilities and the absence of sufficient wages left many women unable to provide

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