Women in the Mirror.

WOMEN'S rights; EDUCATIONAL programs; FAMILY services; FEMINISM; SOCIAL movements; FEMININE identity; SOCIETIES

The article deals with an educational course developed by the Jewish Family Service Association for group discussion on women's issues. The course series was designed to give women a chance to explore their feelings as women and to learn more about the nature of the women's movement and the impact it might be having on them and their families. This series, entitled "Women in the Mirror" consisted of six two-hour sessions. The series opened with a formal description of the evolution of the women's movement. In subsequent sessions there was ample opportunity for small group discussion and interaction. Men were invited to the first session only. Session II dealt specifically with the history of women's suffrage movements in the United States and Europe. The course included a film which dealt with the influences that have shaped the self-image of women and emphasized that feminine identity is culturally determined. The leader of the sessions emphasized the viewpoint that the oppression of women is not a temporary, accidental event, but that it has been an integral part of the history of civilization.