1920s Women Essay

1098 Words5 Pages

The concept of the ideal woman has changed many times over the past century. It has shifted due to ever-changing gender roles, consumerism, and the way that the community perceives ideal behaviors. These changes have allowed women in the 2020s to better represent the American Dream, which states “every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative” (Oxford Dictionary). The 1920s were a period of time when women were advancing economically and socially. They began to show changes in style due to political, economic, and social progress (K. Cleave). Women in the 1920s were just beginning to progress in society and they were able to start working …show more content…

The ideal behaviors for young women in the 1920s were that they should be flamboyant and crazy. The behaviors that were expected of other women in the 1920s were that they should clean, take care of children, bake, and cook for their families (Holt). According to Jennifer Holt, “The ideal woman is reflecting the political-economic effort to socially construct.” Holt also goes into detail about stereotypes of women in the 1920s. These stereotypes include that women need to care for their husband and children, women do not make important decisions, women need a man’s protection and acceptance, and that women are regarded as sexual objects and thus they are of a lower status. These ideas conflict with the ideal behaviors for women in the 2020s because being a woman in the 2020s means that they are “a valuable member of society (Harmsworth), fighting outdated gender norms (I. Cleave), and being a support system for other women (Logan). The 2020s are allowing women to be equalized with men in the workforce and in other aspects of life. No longer are women expected to stay home and cook or clean, but women are now allowed to work full-time jobs. These jobs include business and medical jobs that women were never able to do in the past. Women in the 2020s are also able to act differently than they did in the past. Women now are known to be strong, assertive, independent, powerful, and unique. They are allowed to create their own person which conflicts with the 1920s as women were expected to be gentle, caring, and small. They were not given a voice, men spoke for them. Now in the 2020s women have a voice for themselves and they are able to make choices for themselves and be an individual in