The Equal Rights Amendment as an Instrument for Social Change

The Equal Rights Amendment: Will it do so little, we don\u27t need it -or so much, we shouldn\u27t have it? The paradox stems from the arguments of the groups who oppose the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). On one hand, they claim that the 14th Amendment and Title V1II provide all the tools women need, so the ERA won\u27t be able to accomplish anything uniquely significant. On the other hand they contend, with even greater fervor, that the ERA will be so powerful it will destroy the fabric of society. The paradox is not altogether ludicrous, however, when it is recognized that it has been almost equally difficult for the proponents of the amendment to articulate its benefits and/or drawbacks. This article attempts to estimate the probable impact of the Equal Rights Amendment as an instrument for social change, assuming ratification