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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. Which of the following magazines uses the Harvard-Yale study to sell minis?

2. Backlash is written in which decade?

3. In her timeline of women's cosmetic trends, Faludi states that the bright, healthy, athletic look is popular in which era?

4. In coining the term "cocooning," Faith Popcorn was seeking to do what according to Faludi?

5. Faludi asserts that under the Reagan administration which of the following are pressured to generate data that fit the war on women's independence?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the purpose of the book Backlash: The Undeclared War against American Women?

2. 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.

3. The CBS hit show Cagney and Lacey deals with the serious issue of the unmarried character, Cagney, becoming pregnant. Summarize Faludi's perspective on the manner in which this issue is resolved?

4. In the book, Faludi highlights the following three shows: All in the Family, Maude, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Explain what point Faludi makes by highlighting these three shows.

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

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

7. Who is Dr. Robert Harvey and why is he discussed in the chapter on the cosmetic industry?

8. Discuss how the backlash uses the technique of divide and conquer. Analyze how each of the following pairs of women can be pitted against each other: single versus married, working versus homemakers, and affluent versus working poor.

9. What are the implications of the findings that a divorce may not have as lasting a financial impact on women and that men are more likely to suffer greater psychological impact than women following a divorce?

10. During the 1988 television season, many female characters joke about being like June Cleaver. What point are they making by claiming this analogy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the trend of "fetal protection" and why it is practiced by such a wide cross section of companies, doctors, lawyers, and court systems. Does it have implications for men and non-child-bearing women? If so, how? What are the implications of this trend on society as a whole?

Essay Topic 2

In Part 2 of the book, "The Backlash in Popular Culture," Faludi provides an account of how the backlash uses trends within Ivy League graduates. Summarize this account in one to two paragraphs? Discuss the implications of using trends from female graduates from Ivy League universities versus other types of institutions.

Essay Topic 3

The issue of pay discrepancies is significant in the feminist movement. Why is this an important issue for women to tackle? How does it affect the U.S. economy and have there been significant changes in this practice during the past 50 years? Cite evidence from Faludi's book or from contemporary society to substantiate your positions.

(see the answer keys)

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