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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Fatal and Fetal Visions deals with how the_________ serve the backlash.

2. Part 2 of the book The Backlash in Popular Culture looks at trends in all the following media EXCEPT:

3. According to Faludi, cosmetic companies try to increase sales by ___________ their products.

4. In Angels 88 screenwriter Brad Markowitz has been ordered to do all of the following except:

5. In Part 1 of Backlash, "Myths and Flashbacks" which of the following myths is analyzed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What role does Women's Wear Daily play between the fashion industry and the feminist movement?

2. According to survey responses, women believe they need equal pay, the right to abortions, and decent childcare. Discuss how reforms in those areas would impact women's lives.

3. Recount the stages of the "Intimate Apparel Explosion" as written by Faludi. In your account, include the names of at least four individuals and/or companies

4. Discuss the implications of the misinformation perpetuated by the Harvard study.

5. Murphy Brown and Roseanne were two characters who were reviled by the backlash according to Faludi. Why were these women disliked so strongly? Also discuss the ways in which the backlash launches their attack of Murphy and Roseanne.

6. Several doctors are discussed in Chapter 8 of the book. Faludi writes about the ways in which they help the backlash and use their credentials to sponsor cosmetic products. Name at least one of these doctors and describe his or her role in the backlash by the cosmetics industry.

7. Identify three reasons why a periodical such as The New England Journal of Medicine would publish flawed data concerning fertility rates of young women.

8. On the issue of women's liberation and equality, compare the perspective of politicians, journalists, and business leaders versus those of women.

9. Discuss three instances in which Faludi uses personification in her description of the backlash.

10. Contrast the media's transition from applauding "brave" relationship choices in the 1970s to the position the media outlets took to address this issue in the 1980s.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the Epilogue, Faludi makes the statement that men see more clearly than women how women united could change government and society and that the backlash propaganda is a purposeful overreaction precisely because men "got it." What does she mean by this statement? Use three - five issues from the book to show how men "got it" much more than women and how the men mobilized to create a backlash around these issues.

Essay Topic 2

According to Faludi, daycare centers became a point of attack for backlash advocates. Discuss why this was an important issue in the fight against the feminist movement. How is this issue handled in today's society? Put yourself in the shoes of a working mother; how do you feel about choosing to place your child(ren) in a daycare setting and why do you feel this way?

Essay Topic 3

The fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a long and bitter one according to Faludi's account of the issue. In your own words, summarize the stages of the fight. Discuss the implications this amendment would have had on the nation and its workforce.

(see the answer keys)

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