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
what was the red scare?
communist scare after the Bolshevik revolution in 1917
how many people entered america between 1920-1921?
800,000
how did the US try to restrict immigration?
- in 1921 congress passed the emergency immingration act which restricted to 3% of immigrants
- the 1924 quota law reduced the number to 2% therefore limited at 150,000 immigrants per year
what did the quota law exclude?
immigrants arriving from western hemisphere countries
how many mexican migrants constituted farm labour in the west?
75%
During the 1920s how many americans left the farms for the cities?
six million americans - black and white
How many black people moved from the South ?
one and a half million
What problems did black migration cause?
- black newcomers were forced into ghettos
- fear of black invasion prompted neighbourhood restrictive covenants > white home owners pledged not to sell or rent property to back people
What was the McCarran- Walter Act 1945-80?
- allowed small quota of immigrants from Asia
- enabled asian people to become american citizens
- maintained the existing national orgins system of immigration
how many japanese and chinese immigrants entered america in the 1950s?
45,000 japanese
32,000 chinese
What was the 1965 immigration legislation?
- the discriminatory quota system was abolished
- 290,000 immigrants per year could be admitted to the USA
- limits were placed on immigrants from Western hemisphere countries : max of 20,000 from any single nation
What was the impact of this legislation?
Over the decade an average of 100,000 were admitted each year, and 290,000 authorised
How many films did hollywood produce a year?
600
Give examples of hollywood stars in the 1920s
- Charlie Chaplin
- Buster Keaton
- Rudolph Valentin
what were talkies?
the first movies with sound
what was the first talkie?
The Jazz Singer (1927)
What dances became popular?
the Charleston and Black Bottom
What increased the popularity of jazz music?
Prohibition brough speakeasies in the 1920s which hired musicians, spefically jazz, to attract customers
what influence did radio have?
Radio brought music to more consumers and stimulated the sale of sheet music
Give examples of some successful radio stations
- KDKA in Pittsburg offered a weekly schedule of talk and music
How many radio stations were on air by 1922 compared to 1945?
500 in 1922 and 1000 in 1945
How did Roosevelt use the radio?
he used radio ‘fireside chats’ in the 1930s to sell his new deal measures
how did radio advertising increase
from 1% in 1928 to 15% in 1945
In 1955 how many homes had TV’s?
32 million - 75% of all households and 90% by 1960
what were some popular tv shows at the time?
- Gunsmoke
- 77 sunset strip
how did TV avoid bias?
- business men and professional people were favourably protrayed
- few featured black americans as main characters
- political issues were off limits
- fathers were all knowing, mothers all supportive and children obedient and loveable
what were the arguments against TV?
- strengthened violent tendencies
- sabotaged the reading habit
- stifled conversation
harmed radio, newspaper and cinema - big boost to advertising industry
what are the positive aspects of TV?
- helped define a national culture
- people had choice in what they viewed - not passive
- advertsiing led to a consumer boom and benefited the economy
By 1930 how many had a radio and how long did they listen for?
80% owned a radio and spent on average 4 hours listening per day
how did news reporting increase in popularity?
- CBS and NBC expanded their nightly broadcast to 30 minutes
- by 1963 surveys suggested tv broadcast was americans main source of info
How did Nixon use TV?
he used it to defend himself in his ‘checkers speech’ which impressed americans
how many people watched the kennedy v nixon presidential debate?
60 million
How did TV impact Civil Rights?
TV cameras captured events at Little Rock, Birmingham and Selma when violence was used against peaceful protest. These images shocked viewers
How did TV impact the Vietnam War?
The televison news coverage of the war is often regarded as crucial in determining its outcome by turing uS opinion against the war
