“The Worst Divorce Case that Ever Happened”: TheNew York TimesWomen's Caucus and Workplace Feminism
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: In 1974, women at theNew York Timesmade national headlines when they filed a class-action sex discrimination lawsuit. The drama of the court case, however, has overshadowed the formation of theTimesWomen's Caucus two years prior, in 1972. A focus on the Caucus, the daily labor its members undertook in the years before and after filing suit, and the behind-the-scenes negotiation of internal office politics reveals the years-long process of consciousness raising and workplace organizing required to undertake a lawsuit in this novel legal area. Activist newswomen operated with unique restrictions and necessarily distanced themselves from the feminist movement, while quietly advocating for feminist goals. Caucus members drew from the feminist, labor, and union movements strategically rather than ideologically, and laid the foundation for substantial shifts in women's participation and representation in the mainstream media.
Source: Modern American History
DOI: 10.1017/mah.2020.14
Author: Marama Whyte
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W3096216239