The Changine Role of Women
The Changing Role of Women in the 20th Century----------------------------------------------The period 1900 -1970 can be seen as perhaps the most radical change in the status of women in all history. It is a period that covers most of the twentieth century and so covers some of the most dramatic events in the course of social development. ...is the starting point of the period, and the starting point of major change. In this period, before the Great War, G M Cudderford remarks in the book 'Women in Society' respected women were expected to uphold characteristics including that she: appear to be gentle, pure, and less intelligent than her husband, and that her manners should be impeccable. Most middle class or upper class women were expected not to work, but to marry and bear as many children as possible and run the household. Families were large in 1914 - 71% of women had 4 or more children and 41% had 7 or more. However, though that life may be restraining, working class women were facing a great deal more problems. A letter from a working class woman in 1915 states that "many a week my husband has not had a penny of wage to bring home." She describes losing children to disease as i
In the 1929 elections, women formed 52. f it is an ordinary occurrence, albeit a troubling one. The 1960s was known as a 'Permissive Society'. However, the end of the war saw attitudes toward women within state and industry shift from encouraging women to work back to persuading women to stay at home and win the peace. It was often the case that working class mothers would put the health of their husbands before theirs to keep the husband at work, earning money. The methods of harrasment, violence and arson continued until 1914. Crimes such as the destruction of property were commited by the Suffragettes, showing the extreme lengths they would go to for their cause. In 1921, domestic service was as popular as it had ever been, and half a million women were unemployed. For most the war was simply destructive and disruptive. This is summed up in the lyrics of Bob Dylan's song 'The times they are a-changing': 'Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command/ Your old road is rapidly agein'/ Please get out of the new one if you can't lend a hand/ For the times they are a changin' '. Even Queen Victoria remarked "Votes for women indeed! We shall be asked next to give votes to our horses and dogs", demonstrating widespread opinion of women's status. Conscription was extended to women during this war - approximately 500,000 were enrolled in the WRNS, WAAF and ATS.
Common topics in this essay:
War Cudderford,
ATS Women,
Emily Davidson,
Daily Mail,
Simply America's,
Labour Government,
Role Women,
Christabel Sylvia,
Bob Dylan's,
Franchise Act',
class women,
home front,
music fashion,
domestic service,
women expected,
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Acceptance Essays
