Daniel, “Die bevorstehende Männer-Emanzipation,” 1928

Categorized as 200-level course, Anita Daniel, Feminist Politics, Gender & Sexuality, Lesson Plan, Women Creators

Frame and Preparation

Die bevorstehende Männer-Emanzipation

Introduction

Anita Daniel’s article, “Die bevorstehende Männer-Emanzipation”, was published in 1928 in Die Dame, a popular lifestyle and fashion magazine targeted toward upper-class women. Here, Daniel briefly summarizes the achievements of the feminist movement over the last few decades. She identifies, however, an interruption in women’s success in achieving equality due to the lack of growth or “emancipation” on the part of men. She explores how men also need to emancipate themselves from sexism, old stereotypes about women, and traditional gender roles. Daniels calls for men to join the feminist movement, while also suggesting that men should and must become more feminine—just as women have, according to her, become more masculine—for women’s “war” for equality to succeed. 

This is an excellent text to teach in class, as it is both short and very easy to understand. Students, from 232 onward, could easily read and complete an assignment on this text in a single class session or as homework.

Conceptual Frames and Background

  • Neue Frau
  • Gender roles
  • Feminist movement
  • History of masculinity and femininity 
  • “Battle of the sexes” narrative between men and women
  • Time and gender 

Preparation

  • Because the author spends the first half of the article providing the necessary background knowledge to understand her argument, there is little preparation needed for students to engage with the piece.
  • You will need a scan of the article, which was published in Die Dame, Nr. 10, February 1928.

Text and Discussion

Discussion Questions

Here are some questions to begin a discussion of this article:

  1. How does Daniel describe the progress the feminist movement has made up to the 1920s? What are the benchmarks of their its success?
  2. What, according to Daniel, is the reason for the women’s lack of progress in the 1920s?
  3. What solution does Daniel identify for women to continue to push for equality? And what is the role of men in this fight?
  4. How do gender roles and notions of masculinity and femininity evolve under the pressure of the feminist movement, according to Daniel?
  5. Daniel ascribes certain temporal values and temporalities to specific positions regarding the feminist movement. What are the temporal characteristics of certain figures in the article, such as conservative men or radical women?
  6. What sort of language does Daniel use to describe the feminist movement? Legal or juridical? Aesthetic or cultural? Martial?