(^204) › STEP 4. Review the Knowledge You Need to Score High
One demographic group that made great gains in the second half of the twentieth
century was women, particularly in the political arena. In the early 1950s and 1960s,
women typically married young and had children early. Advances like the contracep-
tive pill helped women control their own fertility rates, a factor in declining birth rates.
Smaller families meant women had more free time, to gain an education and to seek
employment. Postwar economic growth contributed to this trend, as did the growing
white-collar employment sector. Economic complexity made two incomes more desirable
or even a necessity for families. Too, the social landscape was changing, including growing
numbers of single women of working age due to divorce or to delayed marriage. The com-
bination of these factors led to unprecedented numbers of women in the workplace where
they often were subject to discrimination in the form of limited opportunities for promo-
tion and disparities in pay with their male counterparts. This gave rise to a new feminist
movement in the 1970s, who found inspiration in earlier feminist writers like Simone de
Beauvoir, whose book The Second Sex argued that patriarchal society had relegated women
to second-class status as “Other,” but that women could choose to free themselves from
such roles. Women sought change in the political arena, eventually winning such victories
as the abolition of laws restricting divorce and abortion in Italy. Women also gained politi-
cal office in Europe during this time period, most notably Margaret Thatcher, who served
as Great Britain’s Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. Mary Robinson led Ireland from
1990 to 1997, and many Scandinavian countries like Norway and Iceland had female
leaders during the 1980s.
Review Questions
Multiple Choice
Questions 1–3 refer to the following passage:In a great number of countries, far from the Russian frontiers and throughout the world,
Communist fifth columns are established and work in complete unity and absolute obe-
dience to the directions they receive from the Communist center. Except in the British
Commonwealth and in the United States where Communism is in its infancy, the
Communist parties or fifth columns constitute a growing challenge and peril to Christian
civilization....
I do not believe that Soviet Russia desires war. What they desire is the fruits of war and the
indefinite expansion of their power and doctrines. But what we have to consider here today
while time remains, is the permanent prevention of war and the establishment of conditions
of freedom and democracy as rapidly as possible in all countries.... From what I have seen of
our Russian friends and allies during the war, I am convinced that there is nothing they admire
so much as strength, and there is nothing for which they have less respect than for weakness,
especially military weakness. For that reason the old doctrine of a balance of power is unsound.
Winston S. Churchill, “Iron Curtain” speech, March 5, 1946- What was Churchill’s belief regarding communism?
A. Communism was an immediate threat in the United States.
B. The Russian frontier was in danger of falling to communist forces.
C. Communists in European countries were obedient to the communist government
of the Soviet Union.
D. Communism posed a growing challenge to Asia.
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