Gender identity and roles in the twenties
The role of women in particular changed a lot from pre-WWI to post-WWI. In particular the war saw women being employed in jobs that previously the men did i.e. factory workers and labourers during the war years to keep their countries running. All of a sudden women had other roles then being a ‘housewife.’ Also, in the 1920’s employment of women in ‘white collar’ jobs increased and many women became primary school teachers and were involved in government employment. Previously these jobs primarily consisted of men. Jobs which, prior to WWI considered ‘women’s work’ such as domestic service and farm labour showed a decline in employment of women.
An important aspect of these new roles for women is that they were becoming more ‘visible’ in public life. As most of these new jobs (government employment, factory work, white collar jobs) were based in the city,- compared to domestic work and farm labour which is ‘behind the scenes’ so to speak- women were becoming much more visible. Although they still weren’t considered as equals to men the gap between genders was decreasing significantly.
Another important step in the making women equal to men was that in America on August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution became law, and women could vote in the fall elections, including in the Presidential election.
A particular ‘gender identity’ that emerged in the twenties was that of ‘The New Woman’. This identity was misrepresented through the media as being ‘the majority of woman’ when in fact it was just a small group consisting of young, single, women living in large urban areas. This stereotypical image was a woman who smoked, drank alcohol, wore their hair short (women never had short haircuts prior to the war), wore short dresses and lots of makeup. These women were also known as 'flapper's.
An important aspect of these new roles for women is that they were becoming more ‘visible’ in public life. As most of these new jobs (government employment, factory work, white collar jobs) were based in the city,- compared to domestic work and farm labour which is ‘behind the scenes’ so to speak- women were becoming much more visible. Although they still weren’t considered as equals to men the gap between genders was decreasing significantly.
Another important step in the making women equal to men was that in America on August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution became law, and women could vote in the fall elections, including in the Presidential election.
A particular ‘gender identity’ that emerged in the twenties was that of ‘The New Woman’. This identity was misrepresented through the media as being ‘the majority of woman’ when in fact it was just a small group consisting of young, single, women living in large urban areas. This stereotypical image was a woman who smoked, drank alcohol, wore their hair short (women never had short haircuts prior to the war), wore short dresses and lots of makeup. These women were also known as 'flapper's.