Women in 1920s Society

Question 1

How were middle class women expected to behave prior to WW1?

Answer 1

• restricted clothes
• no make up
• Behave politely
• no sport or smoking
• chaperoned if out with a boyfriend
• could not vote
• Very few paid jobs open to women

Question 2

What jobs did working class women have before WW1?

Answer 2

• domestic service
• dressmaking
• secretarial work

Question 3

How did WW1 change things for women?

Answer 3

• some women were taken into war industries (skilled factory work for first time)

Question 4

What happened to women in 1920 in America?

Answer 4

All women across states got the right to vote ( some states had introduced this before WW1)

Question 5

How did new consumer products help women in 1920s America?

Answer 5

• car to drive to entertainment venues

- domestic work made easier by vacuum cleaners and washing machines

Question 6

What name was given to young women who broke the rules of tradition in 1920s?

Answer 6

Flappers (generally from richer backgrounds)

Question 7

Name at least two things these young women who broke with traditional values did.

Answer 7

• wore more daring clothes (shorter dresses)
• wore make up
• Smoked in public
• drank with men
• went on dates without a chaperone
• kissed in public

Question 8

How many middle class women had jobs by 1929?

Answer 8

10 million (24% more than in 1920)

Question 9

How did the media impact on women in the 1920s?

Answer 9

• role models and celebrity icons seen in films, magazines and newspapers (e.g. Gloria Swanson)

Question 10

In what ways did women’s lives not change in the 1920s?

Answer 10

• strong conservative (traditional) element in society believed in traditional female roles
• traditional religious and old country values different to urban life
• women paid less than men
• no real political power in government