Society and Culture in Change 1917-80

Question 1

What problems did women face between 1917-80?

Answer 1

• paid less than white men for the same job even if they had experience.
• passed over in promotion in favor of white men.
• unlikely to reach the top level of the work environment.
• more likely to get fired if jobs needed cutting than a white man.

Question 2

What changes did WW1 bring to women?

Answer 2

• gave women a chance to work.
• chance to vote: 18th August 1920.
• league of women 1920, conducted the civil rights movement.
• the 19th amendment to the constitution, the vote.
• politicians addressed the broader issue of women’s rights in order to gain their votes.

Question 3

How did the roaring twenties affect the position of women?

Answer 3

• opening women’s bureau of labour set up in 1920, improved women’s working conditions & campaigned for wider employment.
• 1910-40, no. of working women went from 7.64 million to 13 million.
• gave more women a chance & opportunity to vote.
• economic boom.
• office jobs, working in a typing pool.

Question 4

Who were the flappers?

Answer 4

• women that worked, cut their hair short, wore short dresses & silk stockings.
• smoked & drank.
• behaved like young men, even went to male dominating events, without a male escort.
• some went to speakeasies, places no ‘lady’ would go alone.
• this was only a small percentage of women.