Roles Of Women In The 1930s

The role of American women has changed significantly from the time the nation was born, to the modern era of the 1950s and 1960s. Many people, "... believed that women's talent and energies ... would be put to the better [use] in the new republic." (Clinton 3) Clearly showing that society has seen the importance of the women's talents and that their skills can be very useful, exploited this and thus, the change of the women's role was inevitable. Society has understood that the roles of women played an important role on all parts of life.

Without this cultural and social change to society in the 1950’s and 60’s, a woman’s world today would be very different than what we currently know it as.

Prior to World War II, many women were unemployed, due to the Great Depression which had started a decade before. With men always getting preference for jobs, there were very few jobs left for women. Consequently, not only were many occupations were reserved for men, but men were also paid wages up to five times higher for the same task as women. Some states also barred married women from holding jobs. However during World War II, America produced at an efficiency which was higher than ever. This meant that the women had an increasing number of jobs. Jobs in the public sector opened up. Since 1939, women progressively changed the idea of patriarchy and the cliché thinking of an average woman in the United States to be a wife and mother.

In the 1930 's, the roles of men and women varied greatly. From the workplace to the home, the expectancies were different. Their behaviors were night and day. The views of both genders were also very different.

The woman’s role in society had many changes during the era of WWII to the baby boom era. It went from the strong independent woman that can work in a factory to a house wife that takes care of the family to the final slightly dominant, but still dependent female. All of these different feminine mystiques were changed because of society and through indirect propaganda in TV shows and

During the 1930s women is not treated equal with men and they are very different with each other. The amount of women actually getting jobs are less likely to men getting jobs. Fashion is also very different, women are in plain dresses while men are in blue denim jackets. Women during the Great Depression are actually depressed because they can not get jobs and their wages are half as as much as men. Men gets good jobs and amazing wages but at least both still got their fashion.

After World War I ended in 1918, the United States became a world superpower with a thriving economy. The 1920s was a time of prosperity, symbolized by technological advances, consumerism, and leisure. Along with this affluence, came a movement towards modern values, and as people migrated to large northern cities, these modern values became concentrated in urban areas. As a result, an enormous cultural shift took place that greatly altered the lives of Americans, including women. Women experienced significant political, social, and cultural change beginning in the 1920s, a decade which came to be known as the “Roaring Twenties.”

While social change has brought on more changes than what women are a custom too, at one point in history women actually felt a form of importance in fulfilling their roles not only in the home; but outside as well. “These demographic shifts account for many new or altered roles, such as increased number of duel-earner families, later and fewer marriages, fewer children, increased life expectancy, and the massive migration shifting employees across a nation and across the globe” (Lindsey, 2011, pg. 275).

In the 1930’s, gender inequality was present for countless women based on the time period they were living in. Many women were not allowed to play major roles in their government or society during the time period of the 1930’s. “ For some reason he looked pleased with Jem.’I was wondering when that’d occur to you,’ he said. ‘There are lots of reasons. For one thing, Miss Maudie can’t serve on a jury because she’s a woman —”(Lee 252). Women in the 1930’s were not able to choose their jobs as easily as men.They were not allowed to hold government positions and had many limitations on the jobs they could do. They were expected to cook and do housework for their families. According to Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird, “ it is funny to think of men cooking and wearing aprons”. Men were not seen as cooks for their family; it was the women who made the meals.

The women of the 1920’s were first introduced to society as a generation that spent most of their time cleaning, cooking, and nurturing their children. However, as the “Roaring 20s” came to impact the

All throughout history, women have been thought of to be “weaker” and “not as capable” as men have always been thought to be. Due to this, gender roles were

Gender roles have been changing throughout the centuries with both men and women. The most and drastic change has occurred in our 21st century to women. Women are now viewed as equals in the work and home, they are able to achieve just as much as men and no longer have limits suppressing them. There have been limits put on women since the beginning of time, women were to attend to the house and children but never other responsibilities beyond that. This change in gender roles has shaped our society in numerous ways making new jobs for women and breaking through social norms. Throughout history the role of women has dramatically changed, first with women being primary caregivers and up keepers of the house to women being able to have their own careers and lastly to being equal to men and no longer being inferior to them.

jobs like teaching, civil service. Men worked in manufacturing and dominated the professions. Women did clerical work, or worked on the lower scale in a factory, or worked as domestics in other people?s homes.? (Dr Strom and Wood, pg. 1) More married women were at work in the 1930?s than in the 1920?s but they held the lowest paying jobs.

The roles of men and women have changed in the last 30 years. In this

Change of Attitudes Toward the Role and Status of Women During the 1920's and 1930's