Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future

by Barbara J. Berg

The news in 2008 was that women had taken huge strides forward. Feminists’ decades-long struggle finally seemed to be paying off, not only in boardrooms, classrooms, and kitchens but also at the very top—in presidential politics. But what is the truth behind the headlines?
In Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future, renowned feminist author Barbara J. Berg debunks the many myths about how far women have come and the pervasive belief that ours is a postfeminist society. Combining authoritative research and compelling storytelling, Berg traces the assault on women’s status from the 1950s—when Newsweek declared “for the American girl, books and babies don’t mix”—to the present, exploring the deception about women’s progress and contextualizing our current situation. All women are hurt by a society lauding their attributes in speeches while scorning them in public policy and popular culture, and the legacy of the women’s movement is being short-circuited in every aspect of their lives.
Passionate, extensively documented, humorous, and persuasive, Sexism in America is simultaneously enlightening, frightening, and revitalizing. Berg, an ardent optimist, helps women understand where they are and why and how they can move beyond the marginalizing strategies. It is exactly the right book at exactly the right time.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Politics, History, Sociology, Gender, Womens

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Research and writing have always been essential aspects of Barbara's career. Her books are widely respected and quoted. She has also written for THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, THE WASHINGTON POST, THE BALTIMORE SUN. Her feature articles have appeared in both scholarly and popular magazines, PARENTS, MS., WORKING WOMAN and LADIES' HOME JOURNAL among them.

Barbara has repeatedly been engaged in nationwide speaking tours, discussing such topics as women's health, parenting, balancing family and work, childbirth and adoption. Her extensive television appearances throughout the United States and Canada have included the morning talk shows in most major cities, CBS MORNING SHOW, THE DONAHUE SHOW, CNN and OPRAH.

She has taught at Sarah Lawrence College, Yale Medical School, Columbia University's Physicians and Surgeons, The Academy of Medicine, Marymount College and The Horace Mann School where she started a women's history program. As a consultant to PBS, the National Endowment for Humanities, The Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women, and The Rockefeller Foundation, Barbara has worked to get women's issues the attention they deserve.

The recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, her biography is included in the recent book, FEMINISTS WHO CHANGED AMERICA (University of Illinois Press, 2006).

Barbara is the mother of two daughters and a son. She lives in New York City with her husband where she is a member of Mount Sinai Hospital's Community Board, the Board of the New York Correctional Association and a variety of women's organizations.

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a woman? Do you have a mother, sister, wife, or daughter? If you answered yes to any of these things, than this is a must read for you. Barbara J. Berg's passionate and eloquently written "Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining Our Future" is a wake up call and rallying cry to anyone in America who wants and believes that women are equal to men and should be treated as such.

Berg's straight-forward, no nonsense approach to the myriad of issues facing women today and the increasingly more harmful societal norms that women have against them proves to be an effective educator for her readers. She takes things that women know on some level, for example - rap music is filled with demeaning images of women as well as acts of sexual violence; the Bratz dolls marketed for elementary school aged girls are overtly sexual and are giving these girls the wrong image about their bodies and sexualizing them too early; or the lack of proper attention given to women's issues in the news media is directly proportional to the number of women we see reporting the news in print, online in blogs, or on television news programs - and then dissects them even further, putting together the missing links until her readers have that 'aha!' moment when it all comes together. It is hard to question the prevalent culture, especially when it is the only culture women have known. Berg's analysis and dozens of resources and references give readers the background needed to confront the societal norms and question them, calling for change.

Over the past week while I've read "Sexism in America," I've noticed that I'm seeing things I've never questioned before in a whole new light. For example, 'chick flicks' and 'chick lit', terminology for fluffy and shallow movies and books that only women like. I never liked the terms, but I had embraced the 'chick flick' moniker while rejecting 'chick lit.' Why? I'm not so sure, but now I see that both are demeaning to women and our interests. No one goes around calling movies 'dick flicks', although I think I'm going to start. The main problem with the chick flicks is that they are written, directed, and produced by men who are using their platform to perpetuate gender stereotypes. Why would a guy want to see a movie with a female main character who laments that she is single and spends the entire 90 minutes in search of love at the expense of her family, friends, career, and herself? I don't even find this appealing and I'm the target audience! Again, it's the quintessential 'chick flick' further perpetuating those negative stereotypes and allowing the men (and even other women) in our lives to do the same.

There are several of Berg's examples that will stick with me for life:

Berg's story of being five months' pregnant and panicking because something white is hanging down between her legs. She calls her doctor, who advises her that it is her urethra (WTF??) and to push it back in and to calm down because she is hysterical (again, WTF??). After 24 hours of phone calls to the practice, an associate finally agrees to see her. But it's too late. The white thing dangling between her legs was the umbilical cord. She was in active labor. Her baby was dead.

The women who called security when her boss came into her office and unzipped his fly. She was fired.

The sorority at Cornell University that had to replace the plumbing because so many girls were bulimic that all the acid from their vomit corroded the pipes. After that, the girls vomited into plastic bags.

A rap song where a fourteen year old girl was hit until she gave a guy a blow job. She died when semen got caught in her windpipe.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, more examples in this book that will make you sick to your stomach like the above examples made me. The physical discomfort is well worth the read because this is one of those books that will change your life and revolutionize your thought patterns and the way you live your life.

[Kimba Tichenor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published during the early years of Barack Obama's presidency, Barbara J. Berg offers a scathing critique of the claim that we now live in a "post-feminist society." To debunk the widespread claim that feminism is no longer needed, the author sets out to show how and why feminist gains during the 1970s were undermined in subsequent decades. In particular, she highlights the erosion of women's reproductive rights and of protections given women in the work place.

Given Donald Trump's recent election as president of the United States, this topic has become more pressing than it was at the time of publication of this book. After all, Trump's campaign was predicated on misogyny. Repeatedly, he sought to discredit his female critics by making insulting remarks about their physical appearance. Yet, white women in record numbers voted for Donald Trump. This reality astounded the media and prompted many feminists to ask hard questions about why so many women were rejecting feminism.

Because this topic is so important, I would love to give this book a higher rating. However in good conscience I cannot, because the author does not adequately flesh out her arguments or provide sufficient documentation for her claims. For example, in Chapter 5 "Reagan and the Great Reality Check," the author describes in two short paragraphs efforts by the Reagan administration to move the nation to the right on social issues by "labeling those who disagreed with them as deviants." The demonization of opponents by the Republican Party in the 1980s is an important claim and not one that can be adequately proved in two paragraphs. Equally problematic is the author's tendency to reference "studies" without identifying who conducted the study or the size of the study. In chapter 9 (9/11 and Women), she writes: "One study, conducted in 2000 and again in 2002, found that women in new-economy companies who kept their jobs through the start of recession experienced heightened insecurities and difficulties after the attacks" (109). This shortcoming in the text is not corrected in the notes provided for the chapter. The source of the studies referenced remains a mystery, opening the book to attack from feminist detractors. Thus rather than changing minds, this book preaches to the choir.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll never look at tv ads the same again. Or my daughter's classes, or the books she reads (don't even get me started on those Twilight books, ugh). The magazines she begs me for on the newsstand at the blasted Walmart. I mean, I knew, but I didn't know the extent of what we are up against in our society, thinking we'd made great strides and all, aside from those stupid beer commercials that I loathe. This book kept me up at night thinking, stewing, writhing, and not in a good way.

And now, again, I'm everything a good feminist is supposed to be right?
Mad.
Angry.
Generally pissed.
But not mad at men. Or at least not just men. Men and women both. And me. I'm mad at me. I need to do more. We need to do more as a society.

This book is literally chest high in information starting in the 50's and what might be considered the beginning of the womens movement I guess, until now. It's a jagged little pill. Believe me. It more than hurts going down.

Downsides - If you're not a liberal you may not like this book (for me I loved that), but womens rights shouldn't be divided down political lines. And only the last two pages cover what you can do about it.

Two pages.

Couldn't do a whole chapter on that huh? Felt a little rushed at the end. Like I was smashing into a brick wall at the end of a dizzying roller coaster ride. It felt...unfinished.

But I learned copious amounts of material.
Read it - with some Pepto handy.

[Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely mesmerizing book. It is incredibly well-researched; every fact is cited. This is not a book written by a "militant feminist;" it is not a book written by a ranting woman (sad to say that standing up for our gender gives us these labels). It is written by a woman just like you or me--finally expressing the disgusting prevelence of sexism in this very country. I have experienced numerous sexist acts throughout my life and reading this book made me realize that the issue is not taboo and it is not "hush-hush." There have been many times where I thought to myself that sexist behavior was normal and I just had to live with it. Sexism is not discussed in popular media, let alone the news or in political debates. Those of us who endure it (which would be all of us women) are taught to keep our mouths shut. We are taught that "feminist" is a derogatory label, we are told that we are equal, what is there to complain about? It is nothing more than blatant ignorance, brainwashing, and pressure to conform to societal expectations. This book shed light to the hundreds of millions of women who are raped and told that they are bearing a "gift," the women who gave and endangered their lives in 9/11 but were ignored, the girls who grow up thinking that they have to like pink--that it is normal for them to be pushed around by the boys. Sexism is damaging, and this author set me free. I felt liberated, knowing that I am not alone, it isn't just me! This book has completely changed my life and I am proud to know that I am no longer blinded and I am not a puppet to the omniscient gender roles. Bless this woman for all of her hard work and research. This needs to be a highly marketed book and must have its place on the bestsellers list. Everyone, man or woman, must read this book and become educated on the things that your parents won't tell you, your teachers won't teach you, and your president, bosses, and co-workers won't (and unfortunately will) do to and take from you. This is a masterpiece and revelation for present-day women.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara J. Berg and I have something in common—we both hate the term post-feminist. An omnipresent myth exists that ours is a post-feminist society in which women have achieved absolute parity with men economically, politically, and socially. Because of this, the myth states, there is no longer a need for a feminist movement, or feminist ideas, conversation, outrage, struggle, or participation in any national dialogue. Berg's book is an exhaustively researched screed that quite easily proves this to be patently untrue.

Read the rest at Feminist Review.

[Ms. Online]

Ms. recently interviewed Barbara J. Berg, who explores the backlash to feminism in today’s society in her new book Sexism in America: Alive, Well, and Ruining our Future. Berg asserts that we do not live in a post-feminist environment, and that sexism is still evident in law, culture and mass media.

NEW MILLENNIUM, SAME OLD BACKLASH
Interview by: Maya Schenwar

Ms.: You write, "Women have become collateral damage in the war against terror." What do you mean by this? Also, do you think this particularly potent brand of sexism has lessened at all since Obama took office?

Barbara Berg: After 9/11 we saw a new kind of masculinity in vogue--one that emphasized domination, control and aggression. Some of this had to do with the terror attacks and our need to be strong and tough. A look at the language of our post-9/11 leaders shows it's filled with words like "dominance," "power," "a time of the warrior" and the like. Women began to disappear as guests from talk shows and their bylines became fewer and fewer. Under then-President Bush, we saw cutbacks in programs vital to women's health, reproductive rights and education. Much of this was done covertly, but when it was brought out in the open it was justified as budget-cutting for the war. The emphasis on the individual at the expense of government programs was also a feature of [Bush's:] administration. There has been increased violence in our popular culture on the one hand, and a hypersexualization of women and girls on the other, in our post-9/11 society.

Obama brings a different style of leadership to office; I'm hopeful that the particularly potent form of sexism will change, but so far I haven't seen it happen.

Historically, in a time of war, women in the peace movement have often emphasized their role as peacemakers, partially by virtue of their gender. Should women wholly embrace this gender-based argument, or might we run the risk of falling into normative assumptions that might be harmful to advancing women's equality?

A difficult question. If we embrace peace only because women are better suited to nonviolence, we run the risk of falling into the old (but renewed) gender-difference theory. I hope that all people will support peace and look for nonviolent solutions to our problems because it is the morally and ethically right thing to do. That said, since women today are generally active and engaged on so many different fronts, I think we can stand up to the stereotyping.

You discuss some of the ways that the financial crisis has served as a setback to feminist goals. Besides the fact that a high percentage of women have been laid off and experienced wage decreases, how has the recession impacted women's rights and gender equality?

There have been reductions in childcare facilities and vast food insecurities (a euphemistic term for hunger) due to wage decreases, the reduction of food stamps and the like. Something often overlooked is how many women's studies and women's history programs have been put on the chopping block because schools had to make reductions and these are among the first [programs:] to go. This hurts the awareness of what is happening to women's rights.

On another note, there has been a huge uptick in domestic violence due to the recession. The would-be abuser has more time on his hands and may be feeling very insecure about his job--this is also a very hard time to be a male in America. The would-be victim has fewer shelters, hotlines or opportunities to be self-supporting.

From abstinence-only education to the war on contraception, your book documents the ways in which the Bush years reversed many reproductive rights gains. Do you think a substantive push to remedy these reactionary policies is in the cards?

We're already seeing cutbacks in funding of the abstinence-only programs in favor of more comprehensive sex education. It's no accident that the Bush years saw an increase in teen pregnancy--we lead the Western world--and the alarming figure that one out of every four adolescent girls has some form of STD. More work is needed. Contraception has to be made more affordable and available, and this means emergency contraception being given out when it is needed. There must be education and engagement to get back to where we were in the late 1990s.

In your book, you show the prevalence of eating disorders among ever-younger women and girls in this country. At the same time, Americans are witnessing a rising obesity rate, accompanied by diabetes and related diseases. Does the "war on fat" exacerbate the cultural obsession with thinness that, in part, drives the increase in eating disorders?

While obesity is often related to poverty and the fact that high-calorie food is less expensive and more filling, both being too heavy and too thin carry serious health implications for women. When women are valued for themselves and the kind of people they are, I think we'll see a diminution of eating problems on both ends of the spectrum. I applaud Michelle Obama for taking on this issue and would love to see more celebrities and models speak out against being too thin.

The mainstream media is largely controlled by men--you note that women own less than five percent of commercial broadcast television stations. Has this imbalance gotten worse, and what can we do about it?

The concentration of the media into fewer hands is an increasing problem for the nation. Our news all too often reflects the views of powerful corporate America. That said, since the election of 2008 we've seen more women and people of color delivering the news in broadcast television, and now we have more women anchors, including Diane Sawyer and Christiane Amanpour. This gives me hope that change is possible, but it unfortunately is slow to come.

You also write that it's not too popular these days to identify as a feminist. What do you think is behind that aversion?

Many young women I interviewed made a point of telling me, "Yes, I'm a lawyer and I went to Harvard Law School (or to Yale, etc.—schools that they could not have gone to before the second wave women's movement), but I'm not a feminist." When I ask, "Do you believe in equal rights for women?" the answer is, "Of course!"

I think that several factors are coming into play. The press has always been very demeaning of women who identify as feminists, and this has had a negative impact. Also, for some women the term is associated with their mother's generation, and they want a different way of describing themselves. The important thing is to work for progressive change no matter what we call ourselves.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was published in 2009 and oh, do you feel it. I knew going into reading this that the references would be dated and I would already know the outcomes of Berg's predictions. I gave her some leeway but her takes were so stale even for 2009. Bratz dolls will overly sexualize girls. Video games will make boys more aggressive. Sure it will, Barbara. 🙄

My big issue with this book is Berg herself. Her bias is so utterly obvious I can't take her seriously. Before doing any research on her, I knew she was a second wave, anti sex work, anti porn, Hilary or bust feminist. Her history of feminism section paints second wave as this idyllic movement that sprung out of civil rights that didn't ignore PoC or LGBTQIA people. 😒 Berg never puts more then a couple of sentences for people who aren't white and cis.

I'm glad I finished it so I never have to think about it again.

[Jean Coltharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was tough to read but important nonetheless. It would be interesting to read an updated version in light of the current administration.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. The chapters are well-organized (first by decade, then by category) and offer a concise history of how sexism has impacted our country in education, the military, and the workplace. Berg presents interesting facts about sexism in news media and entertainment: pointing out the lack of news coverage of female rescuers surrounding 9/11; highlighting the prevalence of the madonna/whore complex; and emphasizing how popular "chick flick" characters are unhappy as career women, or fail at attempting to both have a career and raise kids.

Still, there are a few areas of contention. Berg often refers to herself, her life, and her work. She clearly takes sexism very personally, referring to "our rights" instead of "women's rights." Furthermore, she gleefully bashes the conservative right, to an excessive extent; even as an affirmed liberal, I found the repetitive digs at "Bushies" and "Team Bush" rather irritating. I had hoped to read a scientific account, while this tome is clearly biased.

Despite its flaws, Sexism in America is a stimulating, thought-provoking read, and I would recommend it to anyone.

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you know nothing about sexism in our country, or would like to take Sexism 101 in your free time, I would recommend this book. For someone like myself who was introduced to feminism at an early age, much of this book seemed like common knowledge, but that is precisely the point: it is not. There are still plenty of people out there who think the power and privilege gap between genders in our country has closed, and this book is for them.

Berg begins with a history of the women’s movement starting after WWII. She then works up to current times and dedicates chapters to some of the major issues facing women today, including (but not limited to), reproductive right, the virgin/slut dichotomy, representation in the media, economic freedom, and more. It’s a great overview of the many battles we continue to fight.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief overview of many aspects of gender relations in America; sometimes inspiring, sometimes depressing...

[Nikoel]

Okay, the cover is over the top, but this book is incredibly well written, well researched and informative. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in feminism.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a great read. It was very inlightening. That being said, it wasn't perfect. Though, I respect the author, I feel that she sometimes focused too much on her own bias. I just kept thinking, if any of the people in my life who don't think sexism exists, or that women aren't at a disadvantage still in our society read this, they'll just view this book as extreme rantings of an over feminist woman. And the validity in what Dr. Berg was saying would be lost to them because of that.

[Kayla Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So. Much. Information.

I really enjoyed reading this! I learned quite a bit but occasionally it meandered and I didn’t see how one idea connected to the next. As someone with no access to a women’s history class, it taught me so much. 👍🏻👍🏻

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this was written and published over 10 years ago it rings so true which scares me and pushes me to do more. Some of the information I knew some I didn’t and other pieces were good reminders of how I personally need to look at the world.

[Erin Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This call to gender equality was especially well-written. I knew that sexism was alive and well in America, but the numerous and systemic examples that Berg cited were shocking. What is even more poignant is the fact that this book was published in 2009 and we as a nation have so very far to go in this uphill battle.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really great primer for young women. Access, smart and fun.

[Beth Capo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book

[Ulrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

An update of Backlash for the 20xxs

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is well worth reading; Berg confirms that the war on women is a reality. Women take heed!

[Gurpreet Lally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really opened my eyes to how Americans see females and the inequality in this country