Listen to Ross and Burbank weekdays on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM
 Ross+Burbank


On International Women's Day: How far have ladies come?

BY Jamie Skorheim  on March 8, 2012 @ 9:52 am (Updated: 11:57 am - 3/8/12 )

cedargrove
How are the ladies on International Women's Day?

On International Women's Day, the Ross and Burbank Show wanted to check in on how the ladies are doing.

They called up Northwest author and retired Evergreen State College Professor Stephanie Coontz, who has a new book called "A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique and American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s" that looks back at Betty Friedan's book "The Feminine Mystique" and its impact.

Fifty years later, Coontz said women have made a lot of progress, but there is still work to do.

"We're not out of the woods yet, but oh my gosh we're a lot better than the 1960s," said Coontz in an appearance on 97.3 KIRO FM's Ross and Burbank Show.

Listen to Stephanie Coontz on Ross and Burbank

Coontz said modern-day men and women would be "horrified" by family life in the 1960s. "When I was interviewing women for this book, and men as well, you found that underneath the supposed complacency of the 1950s and early 1960s family, there was just tremendous pain on both sides."

"The idea that you would want to go back to those days is crazy," said Coontz. "People look back and say, 'Well didn't homemakers have it better in the 60s?' No. There were only eight states where a homemaker had any call at all upon her husband's income, what he earned during the marriage, even if she's the one who'd enabled the career. And there was no such thing as marital rape. That was considered a contradiction in terms."

As for women in the workplace, Coontz said a lot of strides have been made, but there's still room for improvement.

"It was only 50 years ago that there were sex-segregated want ads, help wanted female - help wanted male," said Coontz. "We've made a lot of progress in the glass ceiling, but still only two percent of Fortune CEO corporate heads are female."

As for what the "feminine mystique" looks like today, Coontz said the old one where women have to play dumb and take care of everything in the home has been "shattered," but new 'mystiques' have evolved in its place.

"When we look at young men and women today, we find two mystiques that really hang on."

Coontz calls one of the mystiques that plagues women "the hottie mystique."

"They can aspire to all the kinds of jobs that used to be off limits to women, but they feel this tremendous pressure to indicate that they are sexually attractive and sexually available along the way."

And apparently, men are also negatively impacted by "mystiques."

"The masculine mystique," said Coontz. "It's still alive and strong when you look at young guys. That's the idea that a guy is not supposed to be interested in anything supposedly girly. That you have to be tough. That you have to hide your emotions."

Coontz said while it's now OK for girls to aspire to activities and jobs that use to be reserved for men, it's still not OK for boys to do that.

For those that say those traits and interests generally assigned as more feminine or masculine are defined by our biology, Coontz said she doesn't agree.

"Of course there are some biological components, but what makes humans pretty different is that we're so variable," said Coontz. "I don't think that we are slaves to our biology."

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor

Jamie Skorheim, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Whether it's floating on Green Lake, eating shrimp tacos at Agua Verde, or taking weekend drives out to the Cascades, she loves to enjoy the Pacific Northwest lifestyle as much as humanly possible.
More Ross and Burbank

MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (10)


  • Add A Comment

  • fourstringfuror wrote...
    Stereotypes
    March 8, 2012 11:15 am
    The cover photo is a Rosie Riveter, dressed like a man, doing work like a man. The photo in the story is a woman lifting weights like a man. Is that how you view progress? Acting like a man?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    I think it's safe to say
    March 8, 2012 11:33 am
    Ms. Coontz known for her socialist and feminist agenda and writings would have a biased view of where women used to be and where they are today as far as our society is concerned. Of course saying anything detrimental today regarding feminism or personality traits of women in general immediately bran a man a misogynist. I would appreciate women to take more of a role in taking responsibility for their actions and the effect they have on society.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    this is where she loses her argument...
    March 8, 2012 11:38 am
    "For those that say those traits and interests generally assigned as more feminine or masculine are defined by our biology, Coontz said she doesn't agree. "Of course there are some biological components, but what makes humans pretty different is that we're so variable," said Coontz. "I don't think that we are slaves to our biology.""

    so, wait. we aren't slaves to what mother nature made us be? i don't think that's how it works. sure, some people can choose to completely alter their appearance, but slaves? women feel pressure for being attractive to attract a mate while striving to achieve? uh. ok. men do, too. we are slaves to that, sorry. it's how we're wired. this lady should NOT be speaking for modern women. she's a little stuck in a mode of feminism that's been out of vogue for a long time.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rich White and Orange wrote...
    Women -- today's target of Republican hate; recently preceeded by:
    March 8, 2012 1:03 pm
    21st century republican hate list:

    muslims

    immigrants

    gays

    the poor

    the unemployed

    the sick

    the elderly

    black people

    the middle class/working man

    minorities of any kind

    education

    the environment

    science

    Way to go ladies. Illustrious company.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Edgar Allan Pho wrote...
    And guess what they call someone who defends any of those groups?
    March 8, 2012 1:07 pm
    A liberal.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Actually, I'm a "minority" as is my son and G-kids...but we're not VICTIMS...
    March 8, 2012 4:19 pm
    so your saying conservatives "hate minorities of any kind" is pure rhetoric. But what else can one expect from the left?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TheSymbolForBoron wrote...
    "The Left" (and Liberal) doesn't mean anything
    March 9, 2012 11:35 am
    It means anyone who doesn't agree with you. As far as being 'victims'. The latest coordinated attack on women and women's health has evolved into LIBEL. The spokesman for your party (oh sure, you're an 'independent') should be first slapped with a suit then slapped to the ground by that women's father for that 3 day libelous attack of his.

    You use 'the left' and 'liberals' to continue the 'us versus them' strategy that has destroyed the Republican Party. It's extremely entertaining to watch. Keep it up.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    When is "International Men's Day"?
    March 8, 2012 2:44 pm
    ...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Howard goldman wrote...
    International Men's Day?
    March 8, 2012 7:34 pm
    This is the truth, pure and simple. I will celebrate International Women's day with pure enthusiasm as long as women finally admit, men are smarter, stronger, faster, and in general superior to them and this day is some sort of penanace to make up for their insecurities. The Constitution, who wrote it? All of the inventions in the Patent office, guess whose on 99% of them? The airplane, the sciences, who did them? BTW all other women from other countries know their are differences between men and women and they respect them. They don't file lawsuits because they are unattractive. The unatractive women don't unionize and try to manipulate and claim they speak for the rest. They understand. Until women reduce the size of their egos, they will never be taken seriously. If there was a woman preident all it would take is one sexist joke, and there would be nuclear war.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SgtFatso wrote...
    Huuuuu
    March 8, 2012 7:36 pm
    The women now days are just a bunch of cry babies just like another sect of our society. Always crying about something.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }