AP European History AMSCO Guided Notes
9.8: 20th-Century Feminism
AMSCO Guided Notes
AP European History Guided Notes
AMSCO 9.8 - 20th-Century Feminism
Essential Questions
- How have women's roles and status developed and changed throughout the 20th and 21st centuries?
I. The Influence of Feminism
1. How did World War I contribute to women gaining the right to vote in much of Europe?
2. What types of jobs were available to women in the early 20th century and how did this limit their economic opportunities?
A. Feminists in the West
1. Why did women gain voting rights in some European countries earlier than others, and what does Switzerland's experience reveal about this process?
2. What barriers did women continue to face in employment and education despite gaining the right to vote?
B. Second-Wave Feminism
1. How did second-wave feminism differ from first-wave feminism in terms of the issues it addressed?
2. What was the relationship between the postwar ideal of the domesticated housewife and the emergence of second-wave feminism?
3. How did third-wave feminism build upon and critique the work of second-wave feminists?
C. Simone de Beauvoir
1. What did Simone de Beauvoir mean by the myth of the 'eternal feminine' and why did she believe it needed to be abolished?
2. How did de Beauvoir's ideas about women's roles and opportunities influence feminist thought?
II. Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union
1. What contradictory policies did Stalin implement regarding Soviet women and what was the government's justification for encouraging women to work?
2. How did the Soviet Union's record on women in higher education compare to Western European countries in the 1930s?
3. What was the 'double burden' that women in communist countries faced and how did it differ from women's experiences in Western Europe?
4. How did the Romanian government's ban on abortion in 1966 exemplify state control over women's lives under communism?
III. Options for Women
1. What types of jobs did European states initially create for women after World War II and why were these positions limited?
2. What was the 'marriage bar' and how did attitudes toward it change by the 1960s?
3. What legal and social changes in the 1960s expanded opportunities for women in employment and other areas of society?
IV. The Pill
1. How did the development and approval of the birth control pill change women's control over their own fertility?
2. Why was the birth control pill controversial and which groups opposed its use?
V. Scientific Fertilization
1. How did in vitro fertilization (IVF) expand women's reproductive choices and independence?
VI. Women in Politics
1. What factors enabled women to achieve political power in the latter half of the 20th century?
A. Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain
1. What were the main goals of Margaret Thatcher's economic policies and what was Thatcherism?
2. Why did Margaret Thatcher resign as prime minister in 1990 despite being elected to a third term?
B. Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway
1. What positions did Gro Harlem Brundtland hold and how did her background as a physician influence her career?
C. Mary Robinson of Ireland
1. How did Mary Robinson redefine the role of the Irish presidency and what were her priorities as president?
2. What international human rights work did Mary Robinson undertake after her presidency?
D. Édith Cresson of France
1. Why was Édith Cresson's tenure as France's first female premier brief and what factors contributed to her replacement?
E. Hanna Suchocka of Poland
1. What was Hanna Suchocka's background and what was she respected for during her time as prime minister?
F. Reneta Indzhova of Bulgaria
1. What circumstances led to Reneta Indzhova's appointment as interim prime minister and what was her main accomplishment?
G. Angela Merkel of Germany
1. How did Angela Merkel's experiences under East German rule shape her character and what was her educational background?
2. What was significant about Angela Merkel becoming chancellor of Germany in 2005?
Key Terms
second-wave feminism
Simone de Beauvoir
birth control pill
Édith Cresson
Thatcherism
Mary Robinson
in vitro fertilization (IVF)