Biography of Betty Friedan, Feminist, Writer, Activist

Biography of Betty Friedan, Feminist, Writer, Activist Betty Friedan (February 4, 1921–February 4, 2006) was an author and activist whose seminal 1963 book The Feminine Mystique is credited with helping spark the modern feminist movement in the United States. Among her other accomplishments, Friedan was the founder and first president of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Fast Facts: Betty Friedan Known For: Helping spark the modern feminist movement; founder and first president of the National Organization of WomenAlso Known As: Betty Naomi GoldsteinBorn: February 4, 1921 in Peoria, IllinoisParents: Harry M. Goldstein, Miriam Goldstein  Horwitz OberndorfDied: February 4, 2006 in Washington, D.C.Education: Smith College  (BA), University of California, Berkeley (M.A.)Published Works: The Feminine Mystique (1963), The Second Stage (1981), Life so Far (2000)Awards and Honors: Humanist of the Year from the American Humanist Association (1975), Mort Weisinger Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors (1979), Induction into the National Womens Hall of Fame (1993)Spouse: Carl Friedan (m. 1947–1969)Children: Daniel, Emily, JonathanNotable Quote:  A woman is handicapped by her sex, and handicaps society, either by slavishly copying the pattern of mans advance in the professions or by refusing to compete with man at all. Early Years Friedan was born on February 4, 1921, in Peoria, Illinois as Betty Naomi Goldstein. Her parents were immigrant Jews. Her father was a jeweler and her mother, who had been an editor of the womens pages of a newspaper, left her job to become a homemaker. Bettys mother was unhappy in that choice, and she pushed Betty to get a college education and pursue a career. Betty later dropped out of her doctoral program at the University of California at Berkeley, where she was studying group dynamics, and moved to New York to pursue a career. During World War II, she worked as a reporter for a labor service, and had to give up her job to a veteran who returned at the end of the war. She worked as a clinical psychologist and social researcher along with being a writer. She met and married theatrical producer Carl Friedan, and they moved to Greenwich Village. She took a maternity leave from her job for their first child; she was fired when she asked for maternity leave for her second child in 1949. The union gave her no help in fighting this firing, and so she became a housewife and mother, living in the suburbs. She also wrote freelance magazine articles, many for magazines directed at the middle-class housewife. Survey of Smith Graduates In 1957, for the 15th reunion of her graduating class at Smith, Friedan was asked to survey her classmates on how theyd used their education. She found that 89% were not using their education. Most were unhappy in their roles. Friedan analyzed the results and consulted experts. She found that both women and men were trapped in limiting roles. Friedan wrote up her results and tried to sell the article to magazines but could find no buyers. So she turned her work into a book, which was published in 1963 as The Feminine Mystique. It became a best-seller, eventually translated into 13 languages. Celebrity and Involvement Friedan also became a celebrity as a result of the book. She moved with her family back to the city and she became involved in the growing womens movement. In June 1966, she attended a Washington meeting of state commissions on the status of women. Friedan was among those present who decided that the meeting was unsatisfying, as it didnt generate any actions to implement the findings on the inequality of women. So in 1966, Friedan joined other women in founding the National Organization for Women (NOW). Friedan served as its first president for three years. In 1967, the first NOW convention took on the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion, though NOW viewed the abortion issue as highly controversial and focused more on political and employment equality. In 1969, Friedan helped found the National Conference for the Repeal of Abortion Laws to focus more on the abortion issue; this organization changed its name after the Roe v. Wade decision to become the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). In that same year, she stepped down as NOW president. In 1970, Friedan led in organizing the Womens Strike for Equality on the 50th anniversary of winning the vote for women. The turnout was beyond expectations; 50,000 women participated in New York alone. In 1971, Friedan helped form the National Womens Political Caucus for feminists who wanted to work through the traditional political structure, including political parties, and running or supporting women candidates. She was less active in NOW, which became more concerned with revolutionary action and sexual politics; Friedan was among those who wanted more focus on political and economic equality. Lavender Menace Friedan also took a controversial stand on lesbians in the movement. NOW activists and others in the womens movement struggled over how much to take on issues of lesbian rights and how welcoming to be of movement participation and leadership by lesbians. For Friedan, lesbianism was not a womens rights or equality issue but a matter of private life, and she warned the issue might diminish support for womens rights, using the term lavender menace. Later Years and Death In 1976, Friedan published It Changed My Life, with her thoughts on the womens movement. She urged the movement to avoid acting in ways that made it difficult for mainstream men and women to identify with feminism. By the 1980s, she was more critical of the focus on sexual politics among feminists. She published The Second Stage in 1981. In her 1963 book, Friedan wrote of the feminine mystique and the housewifes question, Is this all? Now Friedan wrote of the feminist mystique and the difficulties of trying to be Superwoman, doing it all. She was criticized by many feminists as abandoning the feminist critique of traditional womens roles, while Friedan credited the rise of Reagan and rightwing conservatism and various Neanderthal forces to the failure of feminism to value family life and children. In 1983, Friedan began to focus on researching fulfillment in the older years, and in 1993 published her findings as The Fountain of Age. In 1997, she published Beyond Gender: The New Politics of Work and Family Friedans writings, from The Feminine Mystique through Beyond Gender, were also criticized for representing the viewpoint of white, middle-class, educated women and for ignoring other womens voices. Among her other activities, Friedan often lectured and taught at colleges, wrote for many magazines, and was an organizer and director of the First Womens Bank and Trust. Friedan died on February 4, 2006, in Washington, D.C. Legacy Despite all of her later work and activism, it was the The Feminine Mystique that truly launched the second-wave feminist movement. It has sold several million copies and been translated into multiple languages. It is a key text in Women’s Studies and U.S. history classes. For years, Friedan toured the United States speaking about The Feminine Mystique and introducing audiences to her groundbreaking work and to feminism. Women have repeatedly described how they felt when reading the book: They realized they were not alone and that they could aspire to something more than the life they were being encouraged or even forced to lead. The idea Friedan expresses is that if women escaped the confines of â€Å"traditional† notions of femininity, they could then truly enjoy being women. Sources Friedan, Betty.  The Feminine Mystique. W.W. Norton Company, 2013.â€Å"Betty Friedan.†Ã‚  National Womens History MuseumFindagrave.com. Find a Grave.

5 Super Simple Tips for Dealing With a Difficult Boss

5 Super Simple Tips for Dealing With a Difficult Boss There are bad bosses and then there are tough bosses. If your boss is in the second category, they might not be doing anything outwardly wrong or inappropriate- they might even be a good boss, in the end- but they sure do keep you on your toes. Whether it’s micromanaging or outrageously high standards or inaccessibility†¦ a difficult boss is a tough thing to manage. Here are 5 strategies for how to make the best of a challenging situation, things you can do to change the situation from your end, and how it can benefit your career.1. Don’t be too sensitive.The first rule of tough bosses is not to take anything personally. Your boss might have a temper, or a super exacting work ethic, or almost unreasonable standards. Your boss might throw tantrums or demand the impossible. Your boss might be short with you. None of these things should be interpreted as personal affronts.Your boss is human, and dealing with a bunch of things that have nothing to do with you; thatâ₠¬â„¢s in the background of every interaction. But also, a real professional takes the message in the madness (This project not perfect yet? Okay!) and leaves any perceived judgment behind. Let the tone or manner of the delivery be whatever it is; take the information you need and simply do your job. Plus, it doesn’t necessarily matter if your boss likes you.2.  Come up with the solutions yourself.If you have a tough boss, try to get your questions answered elsewhere- same with your problems and small talk. It’s not possible to never need something from your boss, but you could probably drastically cut down on how many interactions you have with her where you’re not making her life easier. Focus on delivering results when you walk into her office. The more you go in there with solutions to her problems, rather than questions about your own†¦ the better.3. Be proactive.If you have access to your boss’s schedule, make a note of what big projects and p riorities she’s working on and stay mindful of them. Help where you can. Be proactive. Keep thinking forward, and help your boss do the same. And instead of waiting to be asked to check in (or for an informal performance review), take the initiative to schedule regular check-ins with your boss and come prepared. Detail what you’ve been working on and the progress you’ve been making. Basically, anticipate your boss’s needs and questions and have answers always at the ready.4. Radiate confidence.Even when you make mistakes. Especially when you make mistakes! Rather than trying to hide or fib your way out of it, take responsibility. Own it. Say â€Å"I screwed up and here is how I’m already working to fix it.† Remind yourself that their anger will fade, that you’re still the smart and capable employee they hired, and give them a bunch of good reasons to forget you ever erred.5. Figure out what’s in it for you.A tough boss can actu ally be a great opportunity. You’ll work that much harder, be that much more on your game. And you’ll probably get lots more done. You’ll also figure out what you are (and aren’t) looking for in your next boss, so you can make a more informed career decision when next you’re on the market. Try to focus on the positive aspects of this challenging situation, and you’ll be able to use this one tough boss to better your whole career.

Global Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global Branding - Essay Example itical to note that the debate of the standardization versus adaptation is largely rooted into the overall discussion on the globalization and anti-globalization debate. Despite the increase in the overall anti-globalization sentiments across the globe there are still efforts towards the standardization as well as the adaptation of the brands across regions. The debate therefore between the localization and the offering of the standardize products across all the regions largely depends upon how the organizations take into consideration different factors. Though both the approaches towards the brand strategy also required to be explored from the perspective of how they may have an impact on the marketing as well as the financial outcomes for the organizations. This paper will discuss and explore the issue of how the standardization as well as adaptation may have on the marketing outcomes such as prices, premium, market shares besides discussing as to how the same can have an impact on the financial performance of the organization. Branding itself has become one of the challenging aspects of managing the overall marketing strategy of the firm. Marketers have to actually now shift from the product standardization to the brand standardization as increased awareness of the global consumers actually require firms to cater to the uniform needs of the consumers also. Branding as a process actually refers to the process of connecting the name and the reputation to a person or an item. As such, the overall breadth and scope of the branding has expanded and often covers the products and even different product ranges. (Whitelock and Fastoso et al., 2007, pp. 252--270) Increasingly, international marketing experts believe that the share of the globally standardized brands is increasing at relatively greater pace. The entry of luxury brands into Asian markets speaks volumes about the penetration of the global brands into the markets which were previously not served by these