Final answer:
Attitudes towards feminism and women in work have gone through shifts from the early suffragette movements in the 1900s to acceptance out of necessity in the workforce, gaining strides towards equal employment opportunities in the 60s and 70s. The 1980s experienced a conservative backlash, but many feminist goals had by then been integrated into everyday reality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The attitudes towards feminism and women in work throughout history have evolved significantly. In the early 20th century, British feminists like the Pankhursts fought for voting rights and highlighted the broader societal inequalities women faced. As time progressed, attitudes towards working women became more accepting out of economic necessity, though jobs were often limited to roles traditionally considered suitable for women. Women's participation in the workforce was further recognized as essential during periods such as World War II, leading to more opportunities, albeit with the expectancy that this role was temporary and with lower wages compared to men.
By the 1960s and 1970s, the feminist movement had made considerable strides in achieving gains in equal opportunity for employment and other areas of civil rights. Nevertheless, societal expectations still held strong biases, with women's employment often seen as an interim condition between education and marriage, or as a necessity during financial hardship. These biases extended to practices like the dismissal of pregnant employees and policies that did not account for long-term career growth for women. Activists combined conservative and radical techniques to push for change, attacking patriarchal structures that limited women's economic freedom.
However, the 1980s saw a conservative backlash against feminism, with some suggesting the movement was no longer needed and others criticizing it for creating stigma against non-working women. Despite this, the groundwork laid by earlier feminists meant that by 1980, many of the issues that formed the feminist agenda became part of everyday reality.