The women's movement hit my neighborhood like a freight train. Everybody got divorced. You wonder what would have happened to women if the suburbs hadn't been built.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the transformative impact of the women's movement on traditional family structures in suburban America.
Susan Faludi's quote highlights the rapid societal changes brought about by the women's movement, particularly in suburban neighborhoods where traditional marriage and family roles were challenged. The metaphor of a 'freight train' conveys the overwhelming and inevitable nature of these changes, suggesting that the construction of suburbs provided both physical space and a social context that facilitated this transformation in women's roles and relationships.
In practice
In discussions about the evolution of gender roles, this quote can emphasize the impact of social movements.
Feminism's agenda is basic: it asks that women not be forced to "choose" between public justice and private happiness. It asks that women be free to define themselves-instead of having their identity defined for them, time and again, by their culture and their men.
The media and the rest of popular culture weren't recording people's reactions to 9/11; they were forcing made-up reactions down people's throats.
The system of heroism depends on women to be weak so men can be strong.
As it turns out, social scientists have established only one fact about single women's mental health: employment improves it.
When the enemy has no face, society will invent one.
Feminism's agenda is basic: It asks that women not be forced to 'choose' between public justice and private happiness.
Racial discrimination, South Africa's economic power, its oppression and exploitation of all the black peoples, are part and parcel of the same thing.
Eradicate poverty. This is all that matters in my country. When I am out training I think about this a lot; when I am running it is going over in my mind. As a country we cannot move forward until we eradicate poverty.
I think most people have a general sense that when you're released from prison, life is hard, but, you know, if you work hard and apply self-discipline and stay out of trouble, you can make it. But that's true only for a relative few.
Every generation renews itself in its own way; there's always a reaction against whatever is standard.
Security can only be achieved through constant change, through discarding old ideas that have outlived their usefulness and adapting others to current facts.
When I look at our communities, our country, our justice system, those are things I want to change and I'm committed to changing, and that's going to take sacrifice. Laying the foundation is the hardest part and requires a lot of sacrifice and time.
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