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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. All of the following are researchers on the Harvard-Yale marriage study EXCEPT:

2. Which of the following two anti-feminist movies are made into television sitcoms?

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

4. What is the theme of Chapter 8, "Beauty and the Backlash"?

5. By the 1980s the media begins to hail the arrival of a "________ generation."

Short Essay Questions

1. 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.

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

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

4. In chapter 7 of the book, why does Faludi write that retailers use the word "choice" to make their sales pitches "sound feminist"?

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. After Reagan is elected president, many changes occur in the political arena that affect the feminist movement. Discuss three of these changes and how they affect the fight for women's rights.

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

8. Select at least three media outlets and discuss how they work with the backlash to use relationship "scare tactics" to fight against the feminist movement.

9. Briefly explain the series of events that occur after the New York Times announces a "back-to-the-home trend" in 1980 based on six Ivy League undergraduates.

10. 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.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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