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Women's roles in society in 1920s
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Women's roles in society in 1920s
Gender in the 1920s
Women's role in society 1920s
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http://online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?bookId=132&articleName=1920_0224&searchText=Flapper&category=History Paragraph
Lloyd Armbrust reputes that the flappers abandoned the old generation’s unflattering and tight fashion with their flowing dresses with bobbed hair to display their confidence. Flappers would hang their corsets and cut their hair to illustrate how women had the ability to wear what they want and be who they please. They disapproved of the modest dresses women were expected to wear and ridded themselves of the patriarchy’s body shaming notions. Before the 1920s, women were rarely seen in bars and saloons but, as the Prohibition was implemented, Armbrust notes the flappers segregated the bars to drink freely. These women had the ability to defy what society told them and learned that being “selfless” was oppressive.
“Flappers” better known as a groups of young woman who wore skirts, had bobbed hair, frequently listened to jazz, and tended to use sexual behavior fairly often. The picture of the group of Flappers in Document L shows the specific styles of clothing and traits of the Flappers during the twentieth century(DOC L). In the twenties, the traditionalist viewed them in a negative way. If one was considered a flapper, it meant that she had many sexual encounters. Traditionalists didn’t want women to strive to be like that.
The rejection of tradition shocked adults and a moral panic ensued. The reaction older, more modest generations had to the flapper perpetuated the youth movement making it more powerful and purposeful. Adult perspectives viewed the flappers as immoral, indecent and an ill on society. This in turn challenged adults to consider their own ideas about youth and childhood innocence. Flappers of the 1920’s revolutionized youth culture by challenging societal perceptions of femininity, sociological ideas, and conventional concepts of women’s roles within society.
Joshua show us that the flapper was more or less a victim of circumstance. With all the new advances in technology and the reforms of the world, it was only a matter of time before women decided that they needed some independence as well. Immigrants coming in the country left and right, people of color fighting for their human rights, and men fighting for their country. They began to smoke, drink and have sex because it was their life, they wanted to vote, own property and obtain any job they wanted because it was their right, they did not want to dress in their mother’s attire and not all of them wanted to have children because it was their body. The 1920’s were revolutionary for the woman and Mr. Zeitz puts it all into perspective with his
Since early ages, mothers have always criticized the ways their daughters acted. In the 1920s criticisms were taken a step further by the flappers, who completely revolutionized the view on females. Flappers in the 1920s had an impact on women for the future. Who they were, what they wore, and what their morals were was how their impacts changed the future for all the females. “The term "flapper" originated in the 1920s and refers to the fashion trend for unfastened rubber galoshes that "flapped" when walking, an attribution reinforced by the image of the free-wheeling flapper in popular culture.”
While a majority of the “old-fashioned” people disagreed with the ways of flappers in this time, others saw it as a declaration of independance. “(…) the New Woman of the 1920s boldly asserted her right to dance, drink, smoke, and date—to work her own property, to live free of the strictures that governed her mother’s generation. (…) She flouted Victorian-era conventions and scandalized her parents. In many ways, she controlled her own destiny.”
Recognizable for looser moral behavior, the flapper wore revealing clothing desiring a body type focused on androgyny and cut her hair into a short style framing the face. Typically found in urban areas and practiced by “young, single women,” the flapper forcibly distorted the divisions “between working class and middle class femininity,” yet this was not a purposeful social cause such as what led to the passage of the 19th Amendment. Concerned mostly with individual actions and rebellions, the flapper stayed “oblivious to the problems” of the 1920 and was not a “political identity” at all but rather a youth movement that did not include or consider the feminists of the previous decade that pushed for female suffrage; in fact not equate their “femininity with gender equality” in American society. As the Great Depression hit, however, the behavior of men and women changed drastically. This economic downturn led to a return to traditional forms of femininity with the safety of marriage, and though criticized under the eyes of “revolutionaries,” remained the unshakeable basis for American society until the 1960s.
The 1920s was a golden age for the United States, as the economy was rising. When jazz was played everywhere you went, and flappers were in style. It was hard to think that a decade later the economy and lives of the American people would change drastically. Due to such changing times so did culture, inventions, and economics. These include; women empowerment, the inventions of radios and automobiles, and the creation of commericialism.
The 1920s was a time for women to grow. To begin with, the nineteenth amendment was ratified, which made women feel “emancipated” to be able to have a political voice (United States). Another thing that changed in women was their willingness to work. During World War I, many women had to work in the workforce to help to limit the shortage of jobs but would not quit after the war due to the fact that they enjoyed their independence socially and economically (United States). Lastly, a largely popular idea of the flapper was created.
Before the 1920's, men and women each had certain roles and expectations set by the general community of people that kept men more in control. However, through the 1920's, a new woman came out/became visible and showed women in a new light. These ladies were starting to break the rules of society and be independent. In the end, this time period consisted of women expressing and enjoying themselves by beginning careers that they were interested in, wearing clothes that were flashy and revealing, drinking, and smoking in public. The Flappers were a great inspiration to all women around America.
Since women in the 1920s fought so hard for our rights, we are now able to smoke, drink, wear makeup, wear short dresses, and do whatever they want. We can go to parties, school, work, etc. and be able to wear our cute clothes that express ourselves without being judged or thought badly of. The most familiar symbol of the “Roaring Twenties” is probably the flapper (Document four). A flapper is a young woman with bobbed hair and short skirts who drank, smoked and said what might be termed “unladylike” things, in addition to being more sexually “free” than previous generations.
As a result of technological progress and new opportunities for Americans to consume popular culture, the 1920s can be remembered as a period of immense innovation. Despite the fact that more traditional ways of thinking existed such as feelings toward immigrants and religious fundamentalism, to a greater extent, the 1920s were characterized by roles of women and the fight for freedom and equality. Before the 1920s, roles of women were mainly traditional. In general, the duty of a woman included taking care of the children, and the household. In the 1920’s, women just began to rebel against the traditions of the society, starting with becoming Flappers.
cried Marjorie impatiently ‘That’s so out of style.’” (Fitzgerald 53). Although this trend seemed to be the norm of teenagers, it did not sit well with adults. Adults often found the attitudes and morals of flappers irresponsible and did not support
It was published in The New York Times on 21 May 1922 and describes the flappers in a negative way. Flappers were simply women with more freedom and independence, who began realising they should be on the same level of equality as men. They did something about this and made sure society noticed them. The source is able to explain to us the attitude of some of the people against the flappers.