Women's Perspectives in Country and Tejano Music

How did female Country and Tejano artists approach the issues of feminism and Women’s Rights in the 20th and 21st century?

Know (knowledge)

• The significance of the Women’s Rights movement as an historical event
• The response to the Women’s Rights movement in the United States
• How musicians can use their platform to speak to social and political issues
• About the work of musicians Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Margo Price, Selena, and The Chicks

Mastery Objective:

• Students will be able to consider the complex ways American people viewed feminism and the women’s rights movement throughout the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century by examining its representation by Country and Tejano artists.

In this lesson, students will examine the lyrics and context surrounding five Country and Tejano songs about feminist issues: Loretta Lynn’s “The Pill,” Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5,” Margo Price’s “Pay Gap,” Selena’s “Si Una Vez,” and The Chicks’ “Not Ready to Make Nice.” Through the lens of these artists and these songs, students will consider the ways Women’s Rights expanded over the latter half of the 20th century in America, and discuss the ways in which gender equity is still a work in progress.

The second half of the 20th century brought in waves of change for women. New freedoms such as the availability of oral contraceptives and those offered by the Equal Rights Amendment were fought for and won. Times were changing rapidly, and American’s varied perspectives on these cultural shifts were reflected in the music of the period.

Country and Tejano music often articulated the progressive social gains and political fights women were engaging in during the late 20th and early 21st century. In 1975, Loretta Lynn made waves with “The Pill,” a song celebrating the newfound freedoms granted women by oral contraception. In 1980, Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” became an anthem protesting the exploitation and harassment of women in the workplace. In the early 1990s, Selena almost single-handedly took over the previously male-dominated genre of Tejano. In 2003, The Chicks created controversy by publicly expressing their opinions of the Iraq War. Finally, Margo Price’s “Pay Gap” from 2017 addresses the issue of equal pay for equal work and how wage discrimination against women still persists well into the 21st century.

Each of the above songs provides a window into the moment in which they were created, and the experiences and feelings of those who experienced them. Looking through that window, students can use these songs to explore the ongoing struggle for gender equity within U.S. politics, culture, and history.