Women From 1900-Present Research Paper

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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…show more content…
Images drawn by Charles Dana Gibson of the “New Woman” emphasized athleticism and slimness, unconfined by the stiff petticoats of the past; these became known as the Gibson Girl image. These drawings were used in magazines and served as a model for other women to emulate (Bowles, 2011 Sec 2.3). The Gibson Girl portrayed an image of freedom for suffragists who had encountered hostile environments as they struggled to attain political independence. The Gibson Girl was strong-willed, confident about her future, and able to do as she pleased. In my opinion, the Gibson Girl is equivalent to the models young girls and women look up to in today’s time as inspiration to be strong-willed, confident, and free. This “new woman” image set a bit of fear in some for they feared this new ideal would disrupt the social order. Isadora Duncan is an example of one of the women who became a real-life example of these ideals. She was a popular entertainer and dancer and boldly undermined gender norms by dancing in bare feet and wearing short Greek-inspired tunics (Bowles, 2011 Sec 2.3). Duncan’s message was that she could achieve success without the help of a man. She defied all cultural norms of her time, for example, she wanted children but not a husband so she willingly became pregnant outside of marriage. I do not absolutely agree with her method, but I do understand…show more content…
She wanted and needed more meaning to her life. This issue and anxiety was brought to the attention of millions by Betty Friedan with her book The Feminine Mystique. Friedan sent a message to surburban women that she understood them. For so long women had believed that becoming a housewife was their greatest achievement because it stablized the home, the family, and even the nation in the Cold War (Bowles, 2011, 4.3). Women did not want to express too much concern with the way they felt about the growing emptiness inside of them for they feared people would think of them as a failure. Women began filling these roles as houswives at a very young age so much so that by the end of the 1950s the average marrying age was 20 (Bowles, 2011, 4.3). Women began, at this period, using college as a means for obtaining a husband rather than as a stepping stone to a career. The perception by many was that they attended college to get their “Mrs” degree. Betty Friedan revealed what her and other women like her had kept secret for so long, that they are human beings and deserve better
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