1.4 Changes in society, 1924-29 Flashcards
Changes in standard of living
- Hourly wages rose in real terms (ie above inflation) every year from 1924 to 1930, with a rise of 10 per cent in 1928 alone.
- Pensions and sickness benefits schemes were introduced.
- Compulsory unemployment insurance was introduced in 1927, which covered 17 million workers.
- Government subsidies were provided for the building of local parks, schools and sports facilities, and there was a massive programme of council house construction.
Despite all of this, a large increase in the working age population during the mid-20s led to increasing unemployment, and farmers in particular suffered from declining incomes.
Changes for women in politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z9y64j6/revision/8
Drawbacks for women at work
- in jobs where women and men did the same work, women were paid, on average, 33% less than men.
- Women were normally expected to give up work once they married.
- Few women entered high-status professions. By 1933, there were only 36 female judges in Germany.
Positives for women at work
The booming retail and service sectors produced plenty of part- time jobs in shops and offices.
- in more liberal professions, like education and medicine, women made more progress.
Did Trade unions oppose women workers and equal pay and conditions for those women that did work?
Yes, they were especially hostile to married women bringing a second wage into the home.
Women at leisure
The 1920s brought greater financial independence , with more job opportunities. So they had more social independence. .
They smoke, drank, went out more and wore make up. They seemed less interested in marriage and families. Images of these sort of women became common in advertisements and films, but they were not popular with all Germans. Many Germans thought that the growing equality and independence of women threatened to change traditional aspects of society.