Impact Of The Second World War On Women 's Position

2992 Words12 Pages
How do historians interpret the impact of the Second World War on women’s position in Britain? Why are there such divergent interpretations? Social historians, feminist, sociologists and others have argued about the importance of the impact of the Second World War on women in Britain since the war ended in 1945. This essay will therefore interpret the scholar’s thoughts and views and conclude if there is a new historiography or a new re-interpretation of how the Second World War impacted women’s position in Britain. Even though there has been some development of interpretations of the Second World War and women since 1945. It was not until the 1960s-1980 where the historiography developed increasingly. The sudden change came about in…show more content…
It is clear that there is a disputed debate about the role of women in the Second World War. Therefore undeniably this historiography of the impact of the Second World War on women is considered as one of the major changes over time, in relation of methodology, theoretical viewpoints and interpretations of this subject. During the early 1950s-1960s, sociologists and social historians were increasingly interested in the Second World War and its effect on social change. As stated before historians, were mostly concerned with the military and political aspects of the world and were really blind side disregarding the social aspects of war. A range of scholars such as Richard Titmuss, Arthur Marwick, Alva Myrdal and Viola Klein concentrated on women and war, and the benefits the war had on women in terms of liberating them. Richard Titmuss was one of the first Historians to examine the impact of the Second World War on women. He proposed that with the new profound reliance on women in the Second World War, in which the men were out on the home fronts fighting in the war, whereas its the woman who were left ultimately to hold Britain together. This reliance came with a new sense of inspiration and the development of social policies, which eventually heightened women’s standings as wives and mothers and also helped to reduce discrimination against women. Also Titmuss
Show More
Related
Open Document