The Feminine Mystique

If you found Friedan’s arguments persuasive to any extent, did you find her citations of experts or her anecdotal evidence to be more effective? Why?

Throughout the book, Friedan insists that women are no different from men in their psychological needs. Do you think that there are any fundamental differences between men and women’s psychology, or do you think that most perceived differences between men and women reflect gendered socialization? Moreover, how does the increasing visibility of non-binary people in contemporary society influence your thoughts on this question, if at all? 

Imagine that you are writing a preface for a new edition of The Feminine Mystique. In your preface, what aspects of women’s status in American society would you say have changed most profoundly since the book was published, and which would you say have changed the least?

Friedan makes clear at numerous points throughout the book that Freud’s theories have shaped American thought to the point that many people treat him as infallible. Do you think any person or groups of people have this kind of influence in American thought (especially on issues related to gender) today? If so, who? If not, why do you think this has changed?

Friedan claims that those in the advertising industry are the “most powerful perpetuators” of the feminine mystique (270). Do you think the advertising industry still wields this much power to shape women’s ideas about themselves? Why or why not?

Throughout the book, Friedan identifies the women’s magazine industry, the social sciences, colleges and universities, and the advertising industry as institutions that promote the feminine mystique. Would you add any institutions to this list, either in Friedan’s era or the present? If so, which ones and why?

Friedan frequently talks about the potential of careers to provide women with more fulfillment and a stronger sense of themselves. Do you think that a career can provide an individual with a sense of fulfillment and identity? If not, why not? If you think it can, do you think it often does in American life?

In Chapter 1, Friedan includes the statistic that the average age women married at the time of the book’s publication was 20. The average age of marriage and childbirth has risen dramatically since then. Do you think that this shift has been mostly positive or mostly negative? Also, does your answer vary at all depending on whether you’re considering effects on individuals or society at large?