Question 20

It identified restrictive gender roles as a primary cause of dissatisfaction among American women.

Betty Friedan's 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique, is primarily known for highlighting the restrictive gender roles that led to widespread dissatisfaction among American women. This groundbreaking work challenged the traditional views of women's roles in society and brought attention to the issues faced by women who were unhappy in their domestic lives.

A) It identified restrictive gender roles as a primary cause of dissatisfaction among American women.

This option is correct as it captures the essence of Friedan's argument. She argued that societal expectations confined women to roles as housewives and mothers, leading to a sense of unfulfillment and identity crisis. This identification of restrictive gender roles was pivotal in sparking the second wave of feminism.

B) It outlined the barriers to women's advancement in professional and corporate careers in the United States.

While Friedan did touch on the limitations women faced in the workforce, this option does not encapsulate the primary focus of The Feminine Mystique. The book was more concerned with the psychological and social implications of gender roles rather than detailing specific barriers to professional advancement.

C) It provided the main ideas and theories that would be adopted by the women of the New Right.

This option is incorrect because Friedan's work primarily contributed to the feminist movement, rather than the New Right. The New Right espoused traditional values that contradicted Friedan's advocacy for women's liberation and equality.

D) It celebrated American women's special roles as suburban wives and mothers of the baby-boom generation.

This statement misrepresents Friedan's arguments. Instead of celebrating these roles, she critiqued them as limiting and a source of dissatisfaction for many women. The book sought to challenge the notion that fulfillment could only be found in domesticity.

E) It sought to quantify the contribution of the unpaid labor of stay-at-home mothers to the gross domestic product (GDP).

This option is incorrect as Friedan's focus was not on quantifying unpaid labor in economic terms but rather on exploring the emotional and psychological effects of imposed gender roles on women.

Conclusion

The correct answer, A, accurately reflects the main contribution of The Feminine Mystique, which was to identify and critique the restrictive gender roles that caused discontent among women. All other options either misinterpret Friedan's arguments or divert from the core message of her influential work, reinforcing the importance of acknowledging and challenging societal expectations placed on women.