Social Movements Of The 1960s Essay

During the 1960s, America was going through many changes and social movements. A few of these changes that were happening during this era included movements centered around civil rights, feminism, and antiwar. Each and every single one of these movements of the 1960s contains the concerns of equality and peace. These movements changed the identity of Americans through protests and the desire for reform. America’s identity was slowly reborn throughout all of the obstacles that were faced whether it being political, cultural, or social. These issues during the 1960s were the most important obstacles in attaining the highest principles for America’s identity. With many social changes that have occurred throughout the history of the …show more content…
A woman was expected to follow one path and that was to marry in her early 20s, start a family quickly, and devote her life to being a wife and mother. This led to the women’s rights movement because they had no legal right to any of their husbands' earnings or property, were largely limited to jobs, and didn’t have voting, sexuality, or reproductive rights either. As more females began entering the paid workforce it increased the disappointment among women regarding the huge gender disparities in pay and advancement. They had also encountered a lot of sexual harassment in the workplace. As more women became more open about their sexuality changes began to happen in the bedroom and towards the end of the 60s, more than 80% of wives were using contraception after the federal government approved the birth control pill. This freed many women from unwanted pregnancy and gave them many more choices, and freedom, with their personal lives. Slowly, Americans came to accept some of the basic goals of the 60’s feminists which were equal pay for equal work, limits on women in professional jobs, an end to sexual harassment, and the sharing of responsibility for housework and child