Research Mentor(s)
Erickson, Mary
Description
The National Organization for Women (NOW) was an influential organization in the 1960s for furthering the agenda of second-wave feminists. The organization had many strategies for developing and controlling the national agenda for feminism, one of which was the production and dissemination of newsletters by local chapters of the group. This research paper analyzes the techniques used for legitimizing second-wave feminism to women who were unaffiliated with NOW, and the ways in which these newsletters interpolated new members into the group. The research involved conducting a textual analysis on a representative archival newsletter from the time period. This paper concludes that the use of local chapters of the organization and the publishing of local newsletters that contained information about the national goals of NOW created a streamlined national agenda that was able to legitimize second-wave feminism to new members.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
17-5-2017 12:00 PM
End Date
17-5-2017 3:00 PM
Department
Media and Communication
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Second-wave feminism; Women--Political activity; Feminism--20th century
Geographic Coverage
United States
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this documentation for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
From Bra-Burners to Bureaucracy: The Evolution of Second-Wave Feminism through NOW Newsletters
The National Organization for Women (NOW) was an influential organization in the 1960s for furthering the agenda of second-wave feminists. The organization had many strategies for developing and controlling the national agenda for feminism, one of which was the production and dissemination of newsletters by local chapters of the group. This research paper analyzes the techniques used for legitimizing second-wave feminism to women who were unaffiliated with NOW, and the ways in which these newsletters interpolated new members into the group. The research involved conducting a textual analysis on a representative archival newsletter from the time period. This paper concludes that the use of local chapters of the organization and the publishing of local newsletters that contained information about the national goals of NOW created a streamlined national agenda that was able to legitimize second-wave feminism to new members.