Social developments 1924-28 - Social Welfare and Women Flashcards
How did people review social developments?
.Weimar Constitution - More rights, opportunities, freedoms and liberties - many embraced.
.Others saw a passing of life with clearly defined roles, authority and responsibility rooted in traditional values.
.Conflict - challenged traditional values in name of ‘modernity’ and resisted change and preserved social stability and old ‘German’ way of life.
What Social Welfare Reforms were there?
.1924 - The Public Assistance system - modernised providing help to poor and destitute.
.1925 - The state accident insurance system - injured at work and suffering from work-related diseases.
.1927 - National unemployment insurance system - benefits for unemployed - workers and employers contributed to it.
What were the impacts of the Social Welfare Reforms?
.Expensive and promised more than delivered - 1926 - 800,000 disabled war veterans, 360,000 war widows and over 900,000 orphans.
. Funded old-age pensions.
.After 1927 - cost of unemployment benefits as well.
.Required a large and expensive bureaucracy to assist so after 1924 taxes increased.
.Tightened means tests and snoopers used.
.Checks and paperwork insulted and humiliated many - undermined Republic’s support.
What happened to living standards?
.1924-28 - improved for millions - workers in trade unions could negotiate wage increases.
.Dependent on benefits less well-off but didn’t fall into severe poverty.
.Business owners and employees benefited from improved trading position.
.Those who lost savings no longer in comfortable lifestyles.
.Farmers suffered - poor trading conditions and low prices - incomes fell.
What was the ‘new woman’?
.A free, economically independent, sexually liberated and public/political visibility.
What happened in terms of freedom and inequality?
.Voting rights and education access equality.
.Civil service appointments and pay equality.
.Entered paid employment during war - expected greater opportunities after.
.Many disapproved of changes.
.1896 - Civil Code - husband had right on all matters and whether wife could get a job.
.BDF - 900,000 members - promoted traditional values and maternal responsibilities.
.Conservative political parties and religion - promoted traditional women’s roles.
What happened in terms of employment?
.Constitution - equal employment rights e.g. pay.
.1925 - 35% workforce women.
.1933 - 100,000 teachers and 3000 doctors.
.Demobilisation laws - leave jobs for ex-soldiers.
.Give up jobs when married.
.Paid less than men for some work.
.Discrimination - blamed for unemployment.
.Conservative party campaigns - dismissal of married female workers.
What happened in terms of Sexual freedoms?
.More widely available contraception.
.Obtain divorces.
.1 million abortions a year.
.Abortion a criminal offence and done by unqualified people - 1920 - 10-12,000 deaths.
.Conservative press attacked birth rate decline - new woman a threat.
.Opposed by Protestant and Catholic churches.
.Committed members of Churches - traditional values.
What happened in terms of Political and Public life?
.Equal voting rights.
.Right to ne Reichstag deputies.
.1919 - 41 women elected to Reichstag.
.Active in local government, state and city level.
.After 1919 - Reichstag deputy numbers fell.
.No women in Reichsrat.
.No women became cabinet members.
.No female political party leader.
.KPD - gender equality but least appealing to women.
.Catholic Centre Party, DVP, DNVP - most female support gained - none gave support to feminist issues.
What facts are there about women?
.1918 - right to vote and 1920 - citizenship rights.
.Fired but 1920s - workforce recruited.
.1907-25 - Loss of women 200%.
.Loss of spouse/mother hope.
.44% women farmers and 35 female delegates but 4 in Britain.
.Women more inappropriate, some male presentation, American influences.
.Negative representation.
.Nazis limited this.
.Still inequality.
.Large movement.
