Society and culture in change Flashcards
what is the 19th amendment?
guaranteed women the vote in all US elections
how did women’s employment change?
- by 1920 8.2 million found work outisde the home
- by 1930 this had risen to 10.4 million
how did womens leisue time change?
- more women spent it at dance halls, cinemas and sports clubs
how did womens fashion change?
Corsetswent out of fashion, hemlines rose and hair became bobbed. Comestics became a growth industry
who was Frances Perkins?
she was the first female cabinet member appointed by roosevelt in 1933
what role in women play in ww2?
200,000 women served in the Women’s Army Corps and the navy’s equilvalent and thousands worked as nurses.
how did social norms surrounding marriage change?
by the 1930s love and companionship as the basis of marriage had gained ascendacy
how many women entered the workforce in 1945?
6 million
how many women made up the workforce in 1944?
14% in shipbuilding and 40% in aircraft plants
who was Rosie the Riveter?
she symbolised women in war work
in 1945 what percentage of married women were employed outside the home?
25% compared to 15% in 1940 > married women outnumbered single women for the first time
how many people favoured married women working in war industries?
By 1942 a poll showed 60% in favour
what happened to women’s jobs after the war?
women were encouraged, sometimes forced, to turn their wartime jobs over to returning veterans
what happened to births after the war?
There was a baby boom - the birth rate per 1000 of total population grew from 19.4 in 1940 to over 24% annum by 1946
how were women discriminated against in employment?
- most went into low paid, low prestige occupations
- they were paid substantially less than men when doing the same work
What did Betty Friedan do?
she published the ‘feminine mystique’ , claiming the middle class home had become a comfortable concentration camp
what was the National Organisation for Women?
in 1966 Friedan and a small group of activists founded NOW
what did NOW intend to do?
- end gender job discrimination
- legalise abortions
- obtain federal and state support for childcare centres
What did women liberation activists do?
sought support through newletters and consciousness-raising meetings aimed at raising awareness of gender inequalities
what action did congress take to support women?
- In 1972 they approved the Equal righst amendment which had been stuck for almost 50 years
- The supreme court in roe v wade 1973 struck down state laws forbidding abortions during the first 3 momths of pregnancy
how did women’s sexual liberation change in the 1960s?
there was increased acceptance of casual premartial sex, abortion & extramarital relations
what accelerated this change?
the widespread availability of the first oral contraception
what were some of the failures of the women’s movement?
- divisions between radical and moderate feminists
- ERA failed to gain enough support to become part of congress
- lead to a powerful reaction from catholics and protestants regarding abortion
- few women were elected to congress
still faced employment discrimination
what were the successes of the womens movement?
- women constituted 51% of the population
- women’s growing presence in the workforce assured them a greater share of economic and political influence
