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Representations of Lean in and the Femi- Nine Mystique in Social Media Journal of Research Representations of Lean In and The Femi- on Women and Gender Volume 7, Pages 59-74 © Moody-Ramirez, Fassih nine Mystique in Social Media: A Look at 2016 Reprints and Permission: email [email protected] Texas Digital Library: Pinterest Pins http://www.tdl.org Mia Moody-Ramirez and Liz Fassih Abstract This analysis of representations of the Feminine Mystique and Lean In on Pinterest investigates how Pinterest serves as a means to disseminate social commentary on feminism. Specifically, it investigates hyperlinks to books, blog entries, and websites to assess how representations of both books on social media platforms provide historical context and characterizations of feminism. As visual bookmarking sites continue to grow in significance, scholars need a solid understanding of the various definitions and techniques affiliated with the platform. Keywords Lean In, The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan, Sheryl Sandberg, gender inequality, Pinterest, social media, feminism, marriage, homemakers, housewife Introduction As visual bookmarking sites continue to grow in significance, scholars need a solid n The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan understanding of the various definitions and described the widespread unhappiness of techniques affiliated with the platform. homemakers in the late 1950s and early This analysis examines the historical con- I1960s. She asserted that educated women text of these two pivotal books and their rep- had been duped into believing they could resentations on the social media platform— best fulfill themselves by “living up to what Pinterest. Written 50 years apart, both books she called the ‘mystique’ of the happy house- intrigued readers, topped The New York wife” (Loughlin, 1983, p. 138). Decades Times bestselling nonfiction list, and helped later, Sheryl Sandberg examined gender in- shape how society perceives women. As vi- equality in the workforce in Lean In: Women, sual book-marking sites continue to grow in Work, and the Will to Lead. The popularity importance, communication scholars must of, Lean In and the 50th anniversary of The develop a solid understanding of the various Feminine Mystique in 2014 offered the op- definitions and techniques affiliated with portunity to examine how Pinterest serves as each platform. Pinterest is of interest for this a means to disseminate social commentary study because of its target audience—wom- on feminism. Specifically, it investigates hy- en. According to Pew (2013), Pinterest fol- perlinks to books, blog entries, and websites lows Facebook in popularity, and 80% of its to assess how representations of both books users are women (Moore, 2014). This large on social media platforms provide historical base of women as an audience indicates the context and characterizations of feminism. platform offers a method of targeting certain Journal of Research on Women and Gender 60 audiences. Friz and Gehl (2016) assert: tion from career-woman to housewife was Pinterest becomes a surrogate for genera- such that by 1958, Friedan was unable to tional knowledge that used to be passed on find a single career-woman heroine (Lough- via inculcation into a specific, narrow gen- der role. No longer do mothers train daugh- lin, 1983). ters in the ways of sewing, cooking, clean- The author published the survey results ing, and childrearing, but this knowledge in the 1963 bestseller, The Feminine Mys- is now available, custom-made, through tique, which examined the role of women’s Pinterest. The kind of femininity cultivat- magazines, Freudian psychology, and edu- ed on Pinterest is then, conveniently, made cational institutions in keeping women in a available for purchase from handy sponsors. (p. 701) subservient position (Loughlin, 1983). The Phillips, Miller and McQuarrie’s (2014) book questioned the idea that middle-class analysis of 20 pinboards with 2,291 images women were happy and fulfilled as house- indicates continued gender-related studies of wives. Several events that occurred during this platform are important as women often the period of civil turbulence contributed use Pinterest to contemplate future purchas- to the book’s context and impact (Taylor, es and identities. This study is particularly 2013): • In 1954, Edith Green and Martha relevant as awareness of individuals use the Wright Griffiths won seats in the U.S. new medium to share messages on feminism House of Representatives. may offer scholars a deeper understanding of • In 1955, Green proposed the Equal trends. Pay Act; it became law in 1963. Green soon added Bernice Sandler to her Congressional staff and they began work on Title IX leg- Review of the Literature islation. Griffiths worked to eliminate oth- er forms of sex discrimination; she is now The Feminine Mystique credited as the person most responsible for Friedan is often credited with inspiring sex being included in the 1964 Civil Rights the second-wave feminist movement of the Act. 1960s and 1970s in the United States that • In 1962, Gloria Steinem published an article describing how women are forced to advocated the idea that women need mean- choose between career and marriage in Es- ingful work, education and careers. Friedan’s quire. (p. 71) research on women began in 1957, when By 2000, The Feminine Mystique had she conducted a survey of her former Smith sold more than three million copies and was College classmates for their 15th class re- translated into several languages. Today, it union. Survey results indicated many of her is widely regarded as one of the most influ- classmates were unhappy with their lives as ential nonfiction books of the 20th century. homemakers, which prompted her to begin As asserted by Dow (2005), feminist texts interviewing other suburban housewives and of 1960s and 1970s have not received ade- researching psychology, media and advertis- quate attention in communication studies. ing. According to Friedan's analysis of then The few studies on the text conclude that Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall’s, Good House- while strides have been made, there is room keeping, and Women’s Home Companion, the for growth in the feminist movement. In majority of heroines in the four major wom- her essay on The Feminine Mystique, Turner en's magazines in 1939 were career women. (2013), discusses the 50th anniversary of the Within 20 years, however, the transforma- book and its contribution to the growth of Journal of Research on Women and Gender 61 feminism. However, Turner adds that femi- nists still have much work to do in order to Lean In achieve their goals. Fifty years after The Feminine Mystique Cady (2009) explored a series of broad debuted, Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Oper- connections between women’s employment ating Officer of Fa cebook, details her ow n and feminism in her investigation of The struggle to achieve advancement and equal- Feminine Mystique. The author adds that The ity in a historically male-dominated work- Feminine Mystique envisions women finding place environment in Lean In. In Lean In, fulfillment not in corporate careers, but in- Sandberg advocates for women to be agents stead in civic-minded pursuits, and more of their own success; rather than sitting on importantly, through developing “thought- the fringes of a meeting, women should ful liberal subjectivity.” She concluded that take their place at the table and “lean in” recent mainstream news outlets have framed to their career. Addressing one of the lead- the book as feminism’s origin, a call to work, ing dilemmas women face, Sandberg offers and used these connections to condemn all strategies for women to pursue career ad- feminism as conformist careerism, hence vancement without sacrificing a family life. narrowing the range of issues addressed by She argues that it is no longer necessary for the book and by women’s liberation (Cady, women to choose between having children 2009). Cady adds: or a career. Lean In has sold more than 2.25 Although sections of The Feminine Mystique million copies worldwide (Sandberg, 2013). encouraged middle-class women’s career Another measure of Lean In’s influence is its aspirations, the book did not simply argue that women should enter the professions. network of Lean In Circles, or small in-per- Friedan critically assessed working within son and online peer group meetings that are corporate capitalism, and she concluded by worldwide. advocating not that women merely pursue Sandberg details her struggle to achieve professional work, but instead that they equality in a historically male-dominated seek self-actualization through “the kind of lifelong personal purpose that was once workplace environment, advocates for wom- called a ‘career’” (Friedan, 1963, 2001, p. en to be agents of their own success, rather 342). (p. 366) than sitting on the fringes of meetings, and One of the biggest criticisms of the book offers strategies for women to pursue career is the idea that it contains elements of rac- advancement without sacrificing a family ism and classism. In 1984, black feminist life. theorist bell hooks introduced, Feminist Fine and Fermaglich (2013) note that theory: from margin to center, which in- both Friedan and Sandberg share similar cludes a critique of The Feminine Mystique backgrounds. They grew up in comfortable and mainstream feminism, in general. hooks Jewish families where education was valued maintains that mainstream feminism’s reli- and both women went to elite schools and ance on white, middle-class, and profession- excelled in their chosen disciplines. Both al spokeswomen obscures the involvement, women were married with children and leadership, and centrality of women of color worked outside the home when they wrote and poor women in the movement for wom- their books. Fine and Fermaglich (2013) en’s liberation. add that while Friedan and Sandberg are similar in their backgrounds, their books are different. Friedan primarily focuses on Journal of Research on Women and Gender 62 the unhappiness felt by housewives who have yet to fully explore the many dimen- believed something was missing from their sions of how audiences view and enjoy the lives, while Sandberg focuses on how wom- book.
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