Women were expected to marry, have children and financially they were expected to be fully dependent on their husbands. Women rarely had careers and most professions refused entry to women. However, between the years 1850 and 1901 women’s role in society began to be challenged. There were a number of reasons for this,
Many states required both genders to have education. First in all women establishments, women sought after higher education, then in time, co-ed environments. The expansion of communication also intrigued the young women to move to Chicago. Despite the changes, 95% of married women, however, remained at home cleaning, cooking and taking care of their children. The woman’s rights movement also gained momentum at this time.
The lives of women on the Home Front were greatly affected by World War I The lives of women were greatly affected by the war, mainly in a positive way in the long run. Before the war upper-class women did not work, in contrast working class women worked in professions such as maids or working in factories as a way to provide for their families. Statistics show that as many as 11% of women worked as domestic servants before the war. The war also helped the social status of women dramatically in a positive manner as well as giving women the chance to work in a greater variety of jobs, although after the war they were expected to return to their original traditional housewife role. When the war broke out in August 1914, thousands of women lost their jobs in dressmaking, millenary and jewellery making.
They wanted equality for women in the workplace, in society generally and at home. “After discovering that they could work in high-paying factory jobs, the majority of women did not want to give these jobs up after World War II.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Womenroles_in_the_WorldWarsUnitedStatesofAmerica
Coming from all walks of life, there were those already working who switched to higher-paying defense jobs, those who had lost their jobs due to the Depression, and then there were the women who worked at home. Rosie the Riveter was the idol for these working women also she was known as the cover girl for the recruiting campaign. By 1944, 16 percent of all working women held jobs in war industries. While an estimated 18 million women worked during the war, there was growing concern among them that when the war was over, it would never be the same again. That new venture for American women would soon come to an end.
The Women's Rights movement, also known as "Women's Libbers," told women not to waste their time taking care of their homes and families, and they were too smart for that. They proclaimed that women had a "choice" not to be housewives now thanks to them. They said women could be anything they wanted to be, and they would find fulfillment in jobs outside of the home. Many women seemed to want to have jobs outside of the home, leaving their children, even very young babies, in day care centers. Older children were also in day care or on their own.
Trilogy of 1940’s Women Brittanie Glover Baker College of Clinton Township Trilogy of 1940’s Women During the 1940’s women's roles and expectations in society were changing rapidly. Women had very little say in society and were stereotyped as stay home, baby makers, and to be a good home maker and wife. The 40's were different, life for women was expanding, the men were at war and someone had to step up and take their place. Not only did the women have to take care of home, they now had to take care of the finances while still looking awesome. Women in the 40’s began entering to workforce, working in factories, labored jobs and became the attention of society in the entertainment industry, some even started to join or volunteer in
The Depression hit women, like other minority groups in American society, similarly harsh because of that payrolls of many communities and private companies were open only to males. The main role of women during the Great Depression was that of the homemaker. Some women had gone through college level education and, like their male counterparts, were having a difficult time of finding employment. Those with families had the task of keeping their family together, as the traditional view of motherhood role, when the principle moneymaker of the family was out of work. However, some women joined the work force and would do jobs that men previously had held.
Authors in the 1800s Authors in the 1800s tried to make changes to gender roles in the social status. The men were working class men and the women were either housewives or seen as inferior. This gave many women more leisure time, which they often used to get involved in political and social issues and spending time at home and doing the shopping, they were seen as important aspects of the coming consumer market. So then, the advertising industry targeted many of its campaigns specifically toward women. As a result, women's status in society started creeping up in the late 1800s.
Women: From 1900-Present Kaprena Love HIS204: American History Since 1865 (GSN 1314I) Instructor: Mohamed Khan May 6, 2013 The Progressive Movement, suffrage movement, and cultural changes of the 20th century provided new opportunities for women to move beyond the restrictions of domestic life. Through such movements women were able to break free, in a sense, and move away from their traditional gender roles defined and set for them by men. The 20th century brought about a sense of liberation for women of all ages. Women gained new opportunities during this period taking on jobs in the industrial sector and also serving in the military as nurses. My topic of choice will be on women and how they have evolved through the 20th century