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How Did The Ideology Of Separate Spheres Affect Women In The 1920s

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How did the ideology of separate spheres impact women in the 1920s?

An ideology is something that has been created by society that dictates ideas or beliefs – a social construct. The ideology of separate spheres had become a significant part of society in the 1800s, it was so influential that by the 1920s it had fully encompassed societal expectations of what behaviour was acceptable for each gender, but especially women. It influenced what jobs were available for them, how they had to live their lives and what restrictions they had to face.

The ideology of separate spheres included two spheres: the public sphere and the private sphere. Men could comfortably fluctuate between both environments, while women were expected to remain in the private sphere. …show more content…

They were expected to go to work and use their wages to provide for their wife and children, they were also responsible for delegating funding for the running of the household to their wives. Men could do as they pleased in this sphere and their money was theirs to control. They were also expected to protect the virtues of their offspring, but especially that of their daughters. This is because, in the 1920s a woman’s virtue was dependant on how they dressed and behaved, virginity was also an indicator of a woman’s respectability, and it was the responsibility of their fathers to care for these virtues until they were married. There was also an expectation to care for other female relatives such as unmarried ones, spinsters, widows

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That’s where the idea of separate spheres comes into play. Women were to live their life in this private sphere while men lived in

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