At the conclusion of the Victorian Era, women throughout America slowly began to experience new levels of cultural empowerment. Then, with the end of World War 1, European influence, the wartime “live like there’s no tomorrow” attitude, and a taste for independent living working as nurses or war workers overseas, were all forces which contributed to the emancipation of American women. The 1920s era, commonly known as the Roaring Twenties, was characterized by a revolt of manners and morals by the younger generation against previous Victorian Era societal norms. Such norms include the domesticity of women and the lack of female representation in the predominantly male workforce. Further women were to always be in the presence of a chaperone …show more content…
Furthermore, housework chores were burdensome, and women were delegated to do them. For instance, homes at that time were relatively large and without electrical appliances, the maintaining of them was labor-intensive. Food preparation and laundering was time-consuming and the ready-to-wear clothing industry was undeveloped. Moreover, the shortage of female employment opportunities, as well as restrictive cultural expectations, resulted in only a narrow range of careers to be available to women. For example, for the comparatively few middle class women who pursued a career outside of the home, they “...had been largely restricted to school-teaching, social-service work, nursing, stenography, and clerical work in business houses” (Allen, 80). Therefore, women’s identities during the very early 1900s were heavily influenced by the work they provided in the home, and the traditional norms of the times. Thus, while these women made efforts towards independence from the traditional norms, they were almost completely reliant on
Despite this, women were able to make a huge impact on America through social reforms. Many young women went against the beliefs of their parents. Prior to the Roaring Twenties, America was in a Victorian era. Women wore dresses that were floor-length, their hair was long and premarital sex was almost non-existent. During the 1920’s however, some women became what are known as “flappers”.
Ara Hajinlian Mr. Rodriguez American Literature May 25th, 2023 The Roaring Twenties The 1920s, also known famously as ‘The Roaring Twenties’, was an era of American society that brought about waves of new modernity and dynamism to the country due to the materialism and rapid economic growth brought along by the aftermath of WWI. Consumer goods, such as automobiles, radios, cinemas, and sound movies, brought waves of entertainment and modernity to people across the United States, allowing the influence of many popular social norms to spread rapidly among consumers. Consumerism would grow rapidly in the 1920s as a result, and the economy experienced rapid and unprecedented growth.
The Roaring Twenties The 1920’s were an era of time that people struggled in. It had ups, and it definitely had downs. This was an age of social change, and it consisted of many ideas and events. Many refer to this decade as the “Roaring Twenties”.
The 1920’s in America is often considered as “The Roaring Twenties. World War I was over, women got suffrage, fashion changed immensely, prohibition was put into place, and jazz filled the air. The Roaring ‘20s was a decade of play and prosperity. Unemployment was low and Americans were better off financially. After World War I, America wanted to return to normal.
The Roaring Twenties arose with new trends, new technology, and a new morality. With wars finally and completely over, it was time for Americans to have some fun and let all the tension go. The women were able to free some of their restrictions with the ability to drink, vote, and have their own reputation. Also, Americans released the stress through using new technology, such as cars, airplanes, and radios. The Twenties finished with a screeching halt as the growth in the economy collapsed and the Great Depression into the next decade.
Women now began playing a role in the work place during the 1920s which caused many cultural changes and conflicts.. Women now began to take on various jobs previously done by men, Jobs such as welding, mining. Pharmaceutical and law. Women also began to dress differently and act differently during this time. They were dressing less conservatively and participating in things such as drinking and smoking.
After World War 1, the 1920s was often referred to as the Roaring ‘20s. It was known as this because of the sustained economic prosperity during this time period. Consequently, with the economic prosperity came with major political, social, economic, technological, and cultural developments of the 1920s. The “Roaring Twenties” can be considered as a time of many advancements that helped shape the lives of Americans on a large scale. For instance, one of the social developments in the 1920s was that people longed for a simpler life.
During the 1920s women revolutionized a brand new kind of freedom for themselves unlike any other era in history. The strict social constructs of times past were now completely overlooked and rewritten. During the progressive era, women demanded to be seen as full citizens and to have equal responsibilities as men. These series of epic changes all started during World War I, when many men went overseas. This left women to take on the responsibilities left behind by men, and gain a new feeling of freedom from the rigid social structure that required women to be caretakers of the home.
In doing so, these working women began to have the ability to support themselves, and, therefore, tended to rely less on men. However, these women not only defied the workplace’s principles, but also condemned society’s gender
The Unnamed Woman Up until the 1900’s woman had few rights, thus they relied heavily on men. Women could not vote, they could not own their own property, and very few worked. Women’s jobs were solely to care for children and take care of the home. Women during this time, typically accepted their roles in society and the economy ( “Progressive Era to New Era, 1900-1909”).
The 1920s in America, also known as the Roaring Twenties, was a time of political, social, economic, technological, and cultural developments. These developments created new changes and helped shape the ways of life of the American people. Women played a significant example in social changes. From improvements in the education system, to minor developments such as the changes in attire. Another major development was economic production.
In the 1920s women succeeded well but not without some struggles. Along the way with 19th amendment being so hard for them gaining the right to vote, women’s roles seeing that there not good enough for other than housework and the fashion or style movement with being able not to express yourself the way you should. The 19th Amendment better known as the women’s suffrage era 1920 of the united states
Gender roles in the 1900s were expectations that society had to follow in order to have balance. However, women were the ones who carried the weight of the load in the family. In the article "I Want a Wife" by Judy Brady gave an overview of the expectations women had to undergo in society. A wife had to to keep everything in check from the care of the children to having everything prepared and ready, and filling the needs of everyone else.
The women were expected to create a happy home, guard the religion, and the morality of her family. The unmarried and married women who tried to seek work outside the home faced limited employment opportunities because of their gender. Women were expected to only focus on domestic duties and her role were limited to continue living in the man’s world. Women roles were expected to be in line with the culture and norms set by the society. The American culture perceived that women were not intellectually and emotionally stable to be involved in the complex world of work and, therefore, women did not take up leadership and political roles.
During the 1890’s until today, the roles of women and their rights have severely changed. They have been inferior, submissive, and trapped by their marriage. Women have slowly evolved into individuals that have rights and can represent “feminine individuality”. The fact that they be intended to be house-caring women has changed.