A noted anthropologist, Mead studied gender and sexuality in primitive civilizations and applied some of her findings to American society. Mead, like many social scientists in the postwar era, validated traditional gender roles through her application of the theory of functionalism to her studies. Friedan is critical of Mead for the ways in which Mead’s functionalist views effectively reinforced the feminine mystique and sent women back into the home in the years following the war.
Margaret Mead Quotes in The Feminine Mystique
The The Feminine Mystique quotes below are all either spoken by Margaret Mead or refer to Margaret Mead . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Epilogue
Quotes
Perhaps women who have made it as “exceptional” women don’t really identify with other women. For them, there are three classes of people: men, other women, and themselves; their very status as exceptional women depends on keeping other women quiet, and not rocking the boat.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Margaret Mead Quotes in The Feminine Mystique
The The Feminine Mystique quotes below are all either spoken by Margaret Mead or refer to Margaret Mead . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Epilogue
Quotes
Perhaps women who have made it as “exceptional” women don’t really identify with other women. For them, there are three classes of people: men, other women, and themselves; their very status as exceptional women depends on keeping other women quiet, and not rocking the boat.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
