There was a vast amount of differences as well as comparisons between aspects of life for women between the 1920s and the 1930s. “But although each decade had its distinctive qualities, overarching developments, especially in work and politics, link these seeming disparities into the larger trends in American women’s history”. During this time the lives of women began changing and were impacted socially, politically, and economically. Politically. In 1920 women gained the right to vote, which then encouraged them to be involved in politics more than ever before. Many women came together to advocate and make a change in the political system, but they had a struggle to make any influence. “Through a multitude of organizations, ranging from …show more content…
The 1930s started with the tenth anniversary of woman's suffrage, but it only displayed that during that time women had insignificant effect on the political world. Women continued to participate in strikes, they played a crucial role in labor radicalism that shaped the 1930s. In 1933 Eleanor Roosevelt developed the New Deal program, but this program cast women to work in more traditional housekeeping roles. The traditional expectations of women’s role, to stay home and care for the family, affected their lives in the political world during both decades Economically. The 1920s, also known as the roaring 20s, was a time of economic progress for America. Companies had a mass production of cars and various other consumer goods such as refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, and so on. These products made life easier for people and it gave women more pleasure as consumers. Companies grew bigger which created more work opportunities as well as increased wages. Women were asked to come to work but they were still given a lower status and wage compared to men. Though there was a dramatic increase of married women going to work, about 10 percent of wives worked …show more content…
The most meaningful change in women’s lives during the 1920s emerged in their personal relationships, family and homes. The 1920s was a time of female sexual revolution, women felt free and independent. They were inspired to challenge the traditions of their parents and to live life differently. Women everywhere embraced the New Woman lifestyle, they began to apply makeup, wear skimpy clothes and cut their hair short. Women not only adopted the “flapper” image but they lived it to the extreme, with heavy drinking, smoking, premarital intercourse and erotic dancing. “The 1920s marked the emergence of a highly commercialized beauty industry that built upon the growing interest in cosmetics of the prewar years”. During this 1920s there was an increase of beauty shops as well as a rise in sale of cosmetics. Women were not only being encouraged to explore their sexuality but now they were encouraged to identify it with beauty products to be completely happy. Women furthered the changing of female sexuality by separating sex from reproduction and fighting for proper birth control. The trend toward smaller families and the use of birth control, continued onto the 1930s as it became an economic necessity during the Great Depression. Women suffered during the 1930s especially in their households. Many families had to combine households to cope with the reduced income, this not only put stress on the women but on their marriages as well. Women had to learn to use fewer
The dual stock market rise and fall and the real estate bubbles of the 1920s and 2000s were very similar. The decade during the 1920s marked the flourishing of modern mass-production, mass-consumption economy, which delivered unprecedented profits to investors while also raising the living standard of the urban middle- and working-class. The 2000s marketed the development of the new e-commerce economy, which delivered high earnings for investors during IPOs of some of the biggest tech companies such as Google and Yahoo. According the US Census, home ownership rates in this country rose rom 47.8% in 1930 to 66.2% to nearly 70%in 2006. (US Census)
The 1920’s was a period of extremely economic growth and personal wealth. America was a striving nation and the American people had the potential to access products never manufactured before. Automobile were being made on an assembly line and were priced so that not just the rich had access to these vehicles, as well as, payment plans were made which gave the American people to purchase over time if they couldn't pay it all up front. Women during the First World War went to work in place of the men who went off to fight. When the men return the women did not give up their positions in the work force. Women being giving the responsibility outside the home gave them a more independent mindset, including the change of women's wardrobe, mainly in the shortening of their skirts.
The 1940's brought innovative opportunities along with hardships to American society. After the Depression it looked as though there was no hope for the traditional role of women to be changing. Women had very few job opportunities, especially married women. In William Henry Chafe's book The American Woman, he explains:
One of the most significant sociological changes in the nation's history began in the last decade of the nineteenth century and the ramifications are still being felt today. This change consisted of the large numbers of women who entered the work force. This dramatic change in American society was accompanied by a great deal of controversy and prejudice directed towards women. It was predicted that female employment would bring about the downfall of society and the change of the American family.
The 1920's was a time of change in the United States. “The Roaring Twenties” had an outstanding impact on the economy, social standards and everyday life. It was a time for positive results in the consumer goods industry and American families, because of higher wages, shorter working hours, and manufacturing was up 60% in consumer goods. But it was also a time of adversity and opposition for others, such as immigrants and farmers. Immigrants had lots of competition when they were looking for work and they weren't treated fairly by Americans, depending on where they came from and what they believed.
Out of some of the most turbulent times in history have come the greatest ages of success and prosperity. The 1920’s and 1950’s are two eras that exemplify the spirit of triumph and wealth. In both decades, a nation thrilled by the victorious conclusion of war and the return of their loved ones from war entered into an age of capitalism and materialism, bolstering the economy and with it national pride. Some of features most common to the 20’s and 50’s were consumerism and the accompanying optimistic mindset, the extent to which new ideas entered society, and discrimination in terms of both sexism and racism.
Freedman, Estelle B. "The New Woman: Changing Views of Women in the 1920s." The Journal
In the 1930’s and 1940’s, women were oppressed and held under a glass ceiling in both their career goals and home life.
The 1920s were known as carefree and relaxed. The decade after the war was one of improvement for many Americans. Industries were still standing in America; they were actually richer and more powerful than before World War I. So what was so different in the 1930’s? The Great Depression replaced those carefree years into ones of turmoil and despair.
The roar in entertainment, the improvements in technology, and the rights that women have today, are all because of the events of the 1920’s. However,
After World War One, 1920s, women’s status had reinforce because of their contribution during the war. Although, some still viewed them as housewives, women during 1920s did receive better chances on enjoying their freedom. They showed the society that they had the ability on doing men’s work. They experienced more liberation and show more self-reliant no matter on politics and on works. (The Roaring Twenties)
Women’s role in society changed quite a bit during WWI and throughout the 1920s. During the 1910s women were very short or liberty and equality, life was like an endless rulebook. Women were expected to behave modestly and wear long dresses. Long hair was obligatory, however it always had to be up. It was unacceptable for them to smoke and they were expected to always be accompanied by an older woman or a married woman when outing. Women were usually employed with jobs that were usually associated with their genders, such as servants, seamstresses, secretaries and nursing. However during the war, women started becoming employed in different types of jobs such as factory work, replacing the men who had gone to fight in the war in Europe. In the late 1910s The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) had been fighting for decades to get the vote for women. As women had contributed so much to the war effort, it was difficult to refuse their demands for political equality. As a result, the Nineteenth Amendment to the constitution became law in 19...
"Women Go to Work." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, Et Al. Vol. 3: 1920-1929. Detroit: Gale, 2001. U.S. History in Context. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
The 1920’s allowed women who never had their own voice to be reborn and to realize their roles in society. The decade will forever live on. Works Cited Carlisle, Rodney P. Handbook To Life In America. Volume VI, The Roaring Twenties, 1920 To 1929. Facts on File, 2009.
During the Great War and the huge amount of men that were deployed created the need to employ women in hospitals, factories, and offices. When the war ended the women would return home or do more traditional jobs such as teaching or shop work. “Also in the 1920s the number of women working raised by fifty percent.” They usually didn’t work if they were married because they were still sticking to the role of being stay at home moms while the husband worked and took care of the family financially. But among the single women there was a huge increase in employment. “Women were still not getting payed near as equally as men and were expected to quit their jobs if they married or pregnant.” Although women were still not getting payed as equally it was still a huge change for the women's