Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
History
Date of Award
12-2007
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Elwood D. Watson
Committee Members
Dale J. Schmitt, Stephen G Fritz
Abstract
The American civil rights movement created a ready environment in which exploited people protested their social status and demanded change. Among the forefront, women contended against their male oppressors and demanded autonomy. Ultimately, however, women disagreed amongst themselves regarding the severity of their oppression and the ideal route to implement change. Thereafter, radical feminism became a strong force within the women's liberation movement. Group members denied that capitalism oppressed women, and countered that women's status as a sex-class remained the essential component in their subjugation. To obtain true freedom, women had to reject the deeply ingrained social expectations. As radical feminists, Redstockings, New York Radical Feminists, and Cell 16 shared the goal of female freedom, but the process of acquiring freedom remained unique to each group. Nevertheless, although they focused on distinct issues, they each identified men as the source of female oppression and offered legitimate alternatives to social expectations.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Schaaf, Meggin L., "Women and the Men Who Oppress Them: Ideologies and Protests of Redstockings, New York Radical Feminists, and Cell 16." (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2142. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2142
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.