A Century of Essential Feminism

In the course of reflecting on her own experience as a woman in the professional world, the author identifies 2 lines of development in the feminist movement. One is the increasing demand for women's political and economic power. The other is the search for an autonomous self, one that is independent of the power of men in patriarchal societies. The relative successes and failures over time, culture, social class, and geography are discussed, and some form of social action is suggested for American feminism at the present time.