Gender Identity
Post war recovery moved families from destroyed London to new builds in the surrounding counties. A display of female solidarity through shared identity could be seen as a way to reinforce a shrinking community, by dressing alike and sharing time together. In Wolff’s descriptions of both Flaneuse and Flaneur, the world beyond the home is considered to be a male space (1985). This is a middle class understanding of the social world, which restricts women to the home and actively ignores the spaces of the social and cultural world that working class women occupy. A personal account from Teddy Girl Rosie Shine shows women inhabiting music and drinking venues, "There was a jukebox and dancing, just tea and cakes, because we
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A cultural identity can prove unsettling to those from a different social positioning, who are unable to decipher such visual language. An anonymous column in the Brighton and Hove Evening Argus, complains that a young lady got a bus dressed as “the complete Edwardian girl”, upsetting the author by wearing clothes that did not adhere to the writer’s taste:
“She had gone to a great deal of trouble, and she looked an awful mess. Imagine a girl who looked like a man who looked like a girl. Now just into what category would you put her?” (Evening Argus 1954).
The writer seems annoyed that this person is undefinable by the writer’s terms, almost offended that a woman would have short hair and trousers and yet still look feminine enough to be called “a girl”. This could be misplaced homophobia, but more likely a class bias, the heterosexual assumption of lesbian identity performed through so-called ‘male’ clothing may not be relevant for majority of Teddy Girls, no more so than any other social group. Most historical photographs show male and female participants interacting intimately (see figures 7, 8 and 9), which is more likely indicates heterosexual women, but no easier to prove than disprove. Figure 9 ‘Teddy Boy and Teddy Girl at Petticoat Lane’ Roger Mayne 1956.
For these Teddy Girls, sexuality does not correspond to, nor is communicated by, gender informed clothing choices. Whether it is intentional or not, such acts and
The toy section at Target had many clear differences in the toys for boys and the toys for girls. The types of toys that were out on the shelves were different, but also the way the toys were presented were different. Girls toys mainly consisted of stuffed animals, dress up clothes, babies and dolls including Bratz, Barbies and fairies. The primary colors of all these toys consisted of different shades of purple, pink, and white. There were bits of blue and yellow but it seemed that all the colors stood out and had a type of feminine aspect to them. Besides color, the girl’s toys were often soft and fuzzy or
We have to contain the spread of Communism. We have to contain our women, our children, anything that goes against our American values and leaders. This was one of many widely held beliefs during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. In the book, Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era, the author Elaine T. May defines domestic containment as being a protectorate of the nuclear family; which consisted of: the bread-winner father, the stay at home mother (housewife) and well behaved children. This, was to stay aligned with our patriarchal society, where men were seen as superior; and women and children as in inferior. Thus, in need of protection by them. Overall, containment was the key to security for the wellbeing of all Americans.
World War II was a war that changed the world. It affected many lives across the globe, including those in America. The lives of women and minorities in America were greatly changed. Women became a key part in aiding the war effort, and minorities took the opportunity to push for civil rights. However, for Japanese Americans, the war had a very negative effect as they were seen as a threat to our country. World War II truly impacted these groups of people and transformed their of ways of life.
She had a healthy body, she was intelligent. She had an “abundant sexual drive and possessed strong arms and back,” (2, 8-9). She was herself blind to her own positive qualities as she was too busy trying to please others with her looks, “she went to and fro apologizing,” (2, 10). She apologized to everyone for her imperfections. The imagery of, “Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs” (2, 11), portrays the indifference society felt towards her. She wanted to be appreciated, but she was only seen her for her looks and not her inner self. She had learned from the time she was a child her imperfections made her not good enough or socially
Women's participation during World War II has had significant results throughout history. It has lead to economic advancement for them specifically after the post war Baby Boom period. The research is filling practical information about the advanced affects woman had on their family income during this time. To get my results I analyzed ten sources and read through each one and found important quotes and details in each. As a result of this I learned that after World War II this was the beginning where woman had a large impact on the economics in their households. One major causes of the U.S. postwar baby boom was the increased demand for female labor during World War II. The effect of the war on female employment was not only large, but also
September 1st, 1939 is a day that changed the course of history. Lives were lost, families ripped apart, towns destroyed, and jobs were created. World War II had just begun with the majority of the main countries in our world participating in the war that would ultimately kill millions of soldiers and civilians. Two years later, on December 8th, 1941 after the Japanese surprisingly attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States entered the war fully. During this time, the U.S. enlisted the help of the entire nation; soldiers, factory workers, nurses, and doctors were required both overseas and on the home front. While many men were sent to fight over-seas or prepare at combat training on bases in the U.S., factories and other business were left with a shortage of workers. World War II encouraged, or more accurately, forced, women and wives to leave their homes to begin working. A familiar image that many Americans are familiar with is of the women flexing announcing “We Can Do It!”, which is greatly recognized as a symbol of the female presence in the workforce. Young adults dropped out of school to help out in numerous ways. The amount of children working also increased greatly. Desperate measures to save money and help in the wartime effort lead to many drastic changes in roles and lifestyles of American families on the home front.
She examines the consequences of these years for women in their homes and workplaces, and in the dance halls and in the city court rooms. In her work, Katrina Srigley argues that young women were central to the labour market and family economies of Depression era. In it she shows how factors such as gender, race, class and marital status shaped women lives and influenced their job options, family arrangements, and leisure activities. She talks about women who have been forgotten and whose life experiences were left unstudied. She also highlights how women have learnt to compromise with the joys and pains of their live.
World War II is an event that has marked history like no other. Originating from a European struggle, war broke out in 1939 and continued for six years. From the years 1939 through 1945 more than half the earth's surface was battling in war. American society was greatly affected. People of every age, race and class were deeply affected. Women's place in society took a leap forward like it never had before. As an effect of the second world war women's traditional roles in society were drastically altered.
People are judged for their appearance all over the world, every day. People with brown, ragged clothes are assumed to be less intelligent, or homeless. People with long hair are assumed to be female. There are many stereotypes that limit the social actions of many people, and it is not just in real life. Rodman Philbrick shows that these stereotypes are not always true in the book “Freak The Mighty” in the form of Maxwell Cane, Kevin, Loretta, and Iggy Lee. All of those characters are misjudged by others, and in some cases, even by themselves. The message that your appearance does not determine who you are is very important, and applies to everyone everywhere.
Third, Vern and Bonnie Bullough claim that cross dressing has signified both homosexual and heterosexual patterns at various times in history (viii), but as
The resilience of women and the hardship of men were prominent during this time. However, women were still deeply grounded in their home life (Bolin, 74). Particularly women from middle-income families were left with job of being able to balance work and home life (Bolin, 74). Being a caregiver and taking care of the domestic needs of the home was very important. During this time tradition values were deeply routed in the home. Women made sure not let their home life consume them because their may focus was being a good wife and mother. This is a trend that has made its way even in today’s society. “Even now lack of adequate day-care (necessitating private baby-sitting service), low paying jobs for women, and the growth of technologies that open the door to and “electronic cottage industry”, indicate that women’s home production is a mutable but perhaps permanent response to women’s economic and social inequality under capitalism” (Hollingsworth, & Tyyska). The oppression in the past is shown to have made and imprint on society even to this day. Even though
Mrs. Turpin does the same thing when she judges Mary Grace, a young woman, in the doctor’s waiting area “The poor girls face was blue with acne and Mrs. Turpin thought how pitiful it was to have a face like that at that age” (319). Mrs. Turpin refers to Mary Grace as the “ugly Girl” throughout the rest of the story.
Wardy's book offers an expanded insight into girlhood, complete with appearances of stereotypes and sexualization during childhood. Taking a friendly approach to the realities of growing up for girls while having stereotypes and sexualization present, the chapters in Wardy's book are honest and bold and offers advice to parents from the change of child play to shopping strategies for girls that take away from sexualized markets, from how to teach young girls the importance of loving their bodies, Wardy includes useful tips in each chapter that is designed to help parents redefine what it means to be a girl in today's society.
WWII changed the lives of depression-weary Americans across the country. After the country suffered through the Great Depression entering the war was the last thing on Americans minds. But as the war brewed overseas and grew closer and closer it became inevitable that America would have to get involved. As with most wars WWII offered expansion for women. Their duties and responsibilities at home expanded while their husbands were at war. Their roles in the workforce greatly increased. For the first time women were accepted into the military in an official capacity. WWII was one of the most important steps towards our present day state of gender
The period immediately following the Second World War was a time of great anxiety in the United States. Although the Germans had been defeated after many long years of war and much sacrifice and loss, the rise of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Cold War caused Americans great apprehension. However, Americans responded with an increased focus on domesticity and strove to make the family the centerpiece of American culture. In doing so, they hoped to counter the Soviet Union and its policies of egalitarianism, particularly the equality of women in all aspects of society.