Feminism’s Forgotten Fight: The Unfinished Struggle for Work and Family

“Having it all,” argues historian Swinth (Painting Professionals) in this clarifying history, is a straw man invoked by detractors of feminism who ignore that second-wave feminists were really fighting not for the rewards of individual autonomy but institutional change. With calm acuity and rigor, Swinth surveys several fronts of 1960s–’70s feminist activism to dismantle cultural, economic, and social inequalities enforced by the “male breadwinner model,” women’s outsized responsibility for domestic matters, and workplace discrimination against pregnancy and maternity. Swinth assesses key figures, important texts, and symbolic moments; highlights links between local crusades and national ones; and remains sensitive to the differences in race, class, and priorities among the varied groups. On the one hand, a determined and ambitious feminist agenda culminated in legislative triumphs like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act; on the other, conservative backlash after 1980 halted or rolled back advances and obscured some once-popular efforts, like men’s liberation and calls for universal childcare, guaranteed income, and flexible working hours. Swinth persuasively argues that second-wave feminists advocated work-family balance for women and changed the social fabric in ways that benefit them. This is a smart, nimble corrective history of a rousing fight for societal equality. Photos. [em](Nov.) [/em]