There was a massive disruption of the industries in which women were mostly employed, such as dress-making and textiles. This, in the end, was actually a benefit. As war work became available, such as munitions factories, many of those women could now work in a higher paid job as well as do their part in the war effort. Women in the domestic services even left their jobs in order to work for higher paid jobs2. The first world war gave women more opportunity in the workplace as more occupations were open to them and the war also
Most people are unfamiliar with World War I impact on American society. $33 billion was wasted on the war, interprets the government to tax everything thin from tobacco to luxury goods. The Great Migration impacted African Americans where they moved from the South to the big cities where they faced negative and positive issues. Women in war changed how we women are today, back then women starting taking men's job. Initially, billions were wasted on war, bonds were a problem, and propaganda started to rise.
How far did the position of Black Americans improve in the years 1945-1955? During the decade after the Second World War, many political, social and economic changes took place in the USA. Some of these were influential in improving the position of Black Americans whereas others were not so effective. The Second World War transformed the American Economy and had extensive effects on both North and South. In the South, $4.5billion was spent creating factories that produced war goods.
Women began to enter higher education at a staggering rate and this gave them the qualifications needed to enter into their own profession (often a senior one). Women were now beginning to earn their own income thus giving them their own spending power, paternalism of the family was beginning to break down as the father was no longer the main bread winner and so saw the foundation for the increasing role of the female consumer. Another significant development during the Golden Age was the availability of electricity and by the mid 1950s most houses were enjoying its benefits ‘‘the joy of better light, of warmth and the power to make easier work of life’s chores’, as one advertisement put it.’ (Sandbrook, 2005, p.110). The installation of electricity was soon becoming the norm and so the market for electrical consumer goods such as hoovers, washing machines, fridge freezers and cooking appliances began to rise. These products made the household chores much easier and advertisement for these
In support of the World War One having a positive effect on the women’s role. Other aspects did improve, the wages increased for women,
Conscription soaked up rural unemployment and some peasants grew prosperous. Fiat received cheap loans to re-equip factories and military contracts because of the strength of demand for army vehicles. Fiat also grew fivefold. The industrial north benefited most from the war, describing it as a ‘total war’ and in the south the gap with the poverty stricken grew wider. By the time it came to 1918 food shortages had caused riots and discontent and the government was finding it difficult to keep the army supplied.
Changes in the role of women A large majority of women in the 50’s and 60’s were expected to be a house wife: to cook; to clean; to look after the house and children. However, during the 60’s and 70’s more technology was being purchased and as a result of this was making the work of women a lot easier. For example, the washing machine became very popular and women saw that they were having less work to do, as a result of this more women wanted to develop their own interests. One woman said; “I was always trying to think of short cuts to housework, to get out and stimulate my own interest and that’s where the washing machine came into its own!” This led to more women looking for work outside of the house, which to some men seemed like an “unsettling and deplorable” idea (according to Dominic Sandbrook). Another way the role of women changed during 1955 and 1975 was that they were becoming much more confident this is shown by Dominic Sandbrook: “the results was that the conventional, patronising view of women, which presented them as weak, unreliable and oversensitive, was no longer sustainable.” This shows that women (with some help from the new technology) were becoming stronger and more independent.
The women’s trend being a primary breadwinner is increasing because the larger number of women are earning higher degrees and entering the workforce (Claire). Sarah Jane Glynn, an analyst with the Center for American Progress, told the Washington Post that the recent recession accelerated the trend. “Part of what’s happening is that more men have been getting laid off and are having difficulty finding work…And with the way the recovery’s played out, some men who lost their jobs wound up taking others that paid less,” she noted (Claire). With the rise of working women, it is beneficial for the family as they are contributing more income towards the family. In today’s economy, when the cost of everything is going very high, it is very hard to raise the kids and run the family.
For example: the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. World War II, probably made the biggest impact on the women’s movement. When men were drafted to go to war the women had the opportunity to fill the men’s jobs while overseas. The United States Department of Labor stated that the number of women employed for selected cities in 1944- 1945 in all industries were 1,266,200. Which in turn the women inherited a sense of independence and security.
The Government also controlled the price of many goods, ensuring that smaller businesses were not forced out of the market. This would ensure that the unemployment was stabilised and did not fall further. Conscription also meant that over 1 million men were employed into the armed forces by 1935, but not only did this strengthen the army and reduce unemployment, it also meant that the German industry grew massively creating nearly 1.3 million extra factory jobs which would help supply the army with munitions and equipment etc. As a result of these measures, unemployment fell dramatically, from six million in 1933 to