In April of 1966, James Brown sang that “this is a man’s world”, however only four decades before women had been working to prove their value and social power, by challenging the social norms, and showing that it truly would be nothing with the women of the nation. Though, in reality, to what extent did they challenge the social norms of their time? There were limitations facing the women of the 1920s regardless they changed society for the better. Even before the 1920s, women were making a new name for themselves in society. The First World War was a pivotal moment for women’s social status.
The New Women in the 1910s and the 1920s did not have much of a life, other than take care or their family. They could not work and they could not try and support their family. The purpose about the 21st amendment was to give the women the freedom to work, not be forced to work. I picked this photo because I feel as the men are making fun of the women because they never do anything they take care of their family. Which they cannot do anything, but that because the men did not want to women to work and take over some jobs; that they could have.
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.
Life in the 1920’s: Women What were the changes that occurred in 1920 for women? Since the 1920’s women’s lives have changed dramatically starting with the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote, “the new women”, and women were able to work.
1920’s and Technology Have you ever wondered where that car in your driveway came from or when that T.V. in your living room was invented? The 1920’s was a decade of big inventions and important politics that helped shape the future of the United States and the world. The single seat airplane was getting popular with the military, radios were becoming more advanced and more popular (Guttman, 38), and the invention of the television came about in 1925(Shmoop Editorial Team). In the 20’s the automobile spurred a revolution in American life ever caused by one single device. It changed how we move, ended the solitude of the American farmer and the commute to the city jobs.
The 1920’s were a record changing time for women in the United States as they were given the right to vote. This was a new for women as most of them held down jobs for the men during World War 1 when the men returned back they wanted to continue working. This ban on women working when the men returned caused an uproar within society and got women to stand up for themselves to gain further independence. This newfound confidence in women was then shown in their physical appearance as they began to take on an androgynous look. Which involved downplaying their waists and wearing bras that flattened their breasts.
During the mid-1800’s and late 1900s, women’s sovereignty organizations were important centers of involvement in advocacy. These organizations gave women a convention to address their issues, relate similar stories to oppression, and plan for action. Many feminists set out to voice multiple issues that afflict many women’s day-to-day lives. These were issues such as gender equality, the limited rights they had as women, and social attitudes towards them. Through this, women from multiple religious and cultural backgrounds came to fight for their rights and pursue fulfillment without having to undergo a title as a housewife.
In the 1930’s women were not saw as independent features. Women were expected so much out of them as a house mom. They were expected to do all chores, take care of the children and husband, and were always expected to prepare meals. Women were not meant to be independent during this time. They were not meant to go to college and have a degree in anything they wanted.
At the time, women were permitted with the right to vote once the American society had changed its perspective. These particular American women differentiated between other groups of women, such as the Traditionalists and the New Woman. For instance, the New Woman group featured new fashion styles as well as equality and freedom to all. The flappers, for example, were one of the notable fashion trends for women living in the 1920s. On the other hand, traditionalists were concerned about the violations of their family values as well as the routines that women had provided during the time.
“Roar!” went the 1920s, emerging with automobiles, city life, and flappers. With the close of World War I, America not only breathed a sigh of relief but experienced massive economic and social upheaval. The government withdrew its money from war funds and returned it to big businesses like Ford Motor Company, boosting the national economy. The “Flaming Youth” wildly partied in their desperation to forget wartime hardships and enjoy life to its fullest (Stein, 13). Women, embracing new freedoms such as voting rights and broader career, took it a step further with short dresses, bobbed hair, and openly flirtatious behavior.
The 1920s was a time of social change for everyone, especially women. Before the 1920s, women were seen as housewives, mothers, and wives. However, during the 1920s, women’s views of themselves began to change. They started to pursue careers and attend universities; their clothes began to change to a more liberating style, and they began to do things that were not seen as ‘womanly’. Feminism became a popular term as women began to advocate for themselves.
American Women in the Late 1800’s Were married American women in the late 1800’s expected to restrict their sphere of interest to the home and the family? In the late 1800’s women were second-class citizens. Women were expected to limit their interest to the home and family. Women were not encouraged to obtain a real education or pursue a professional career. After marriage, women did not have the right to own their own property, keep their own wages, or sign a contract.
Amid the mid twentieth century, ladies were befuddled on their point of view in the public eye. They were uncertain whether it was suitable for them to join the work drive, or in the event that they ought to remain home to deal with the kids. Numerous non-benefit associations, unions, and dissident went to bat for the privileges of ladies. This time of disarray of the part of ladies endured two or three years, however lightened amid the late twentieth century. Before long, ladies felt confortable entering the work constrain at the end of the day.
In chapter 20 I read a lot about women and freedom. As I stared reading more about the role of a woman in that time in history. I became more interesting about the topic. Women life stared to change in the 1920s. They begin to have full freedom by the participation in the First World War.
Before the 1920s, under the colonial rules of Japan, the Korean male intellectuals claimed women’s equal rights. The Korean male intellectuals needed the new role of women for the nation building and strengthening. The male’s rhetoric of equal rights enabled women to access to educations. The practice of education bound women “to the welfare of men” (29). Given equal rights, women still remained in the domestic arena as “good wife, wise mother.”
