The concept of the ideal woman has changed many times over the past century. It has shifted due to ever-changing gender roles, consumerism, and the way that the community perceives ideal behaviors. These changes have allowed women in the 2020s to better represent the American Dream, which states “every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative” (Oxford Dictionary). The 1920s were a period of time when women were advancing economically and socially. They began to show changes in style due to political, economic, and social progress (K. Cleave). Women in the 1920s were just beginning to progress in society and they were able to start working …show more content…
The ideal behaviors for young women in the 1920s were that they should be flamboyant and crazy. The behaviors that were expected of other women in the 1920s were that they should clean, take care of children, bake, and cook for their families (Holt). According to Jennifer Holt, “The ideal woman is reflecting the political-economic effort to socially construct.” Holt also goes into detail about stereotypes of women in the 1920s. These stereotypes include that women need to care for their husband and children, women do not make important decisions, women need a man’s protection and acceptance, and that women are regarded as sexual objects and thus they are of a lower status. These ideas conflict with the ideal behaviors for women in the 2020s because being a woman in the 2020s means that they are “a valuable member of society (Harmsworth), fighting outdated gender norms (I. Cleave), and being a support system for other women (Logan). The 2020s are allowing women to be equalized with men in the workforce and in other aspects of life. No longer are women expected to stay home and cook or clean, but women are now allowed to work full-time jobs. These jobs include business and medical jobs that women were never able to do in the past. Women in the 2020s are also able to act differently than they did in the past. Women now are known to be strong, assertive, independent, powerful, and unique. They are allowed to create their own person which conflicts with the 1920s as women were expected to be gentle, caring, and small. They were not given a voice, men spoke for them. Now in the 2020s women have a voice for themselves and they are able to make choices for themselves and be an individual in
The 1920's was a period of prosperity and confidence for many Americans. Women who were largely restricted to certain jobs were now granted more opportunities. They besieged the offices of publishers and advertisers; they sold antiques, sold real estate, opened smart little shops, and finally invaded the department store (Document 2). These new job opportunities caused the inequality between women and men to be looked over during this time. African Americans also felt a spirit of optimism and positivity.
This opened so many possibilities for women because now their voice can be heard. While women have always worked either as a housewife or in the field, it was not until World War II that many women started to begin careers. After the war though there was a big emphasis on religion and family in the 1950’s and 1960’s. This push for Americans to be religious and have a more traditional family
With the passage of the 19th change in 1920, that gave women the right to vote, women in America finally achieved the political equality they had fighted for so long to achieve. They called themselves feminists. A big gap began to form between the "new" women of the 1920s and the previous generation. In earlier times, feminists commonly thought women could not handle both a career and a family successfully, believing that one would hold back the development of the other.
Before the roaring 20s women had the jobs such as staying home and taking care of children,making food for the family,cleaning etc. The changing role of women really changed because the work they did during the war. In the 1920s the number of working women increased by 25%, that’s crazy how the number of working women increased by a big 25%. Another big change that happened during the 1920s was that women were given something that they worked very hard to get….VOTING. In the 1920s there was a new type of women known as the Flappers.
Women of the 1920s paved the way for women's current position in society. Previously women would be forced to wear clothing below the ankles, corset styled bodices, and their arms and legs would always be covered, but once the 1920s began, women would begin to break societal norms. Women began demanding the same rights as men, such as voting rights and the liberties to live a judge-free life. Women of the 1920s would constantly be judged by men as well as less progressive women and they had to learn to persevere through the injustices. The topics stated above will be discussed throughout this essay.
The most crucial change that occurred in the 1920s was the passing of the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. Continuing the chain reaction, women found more opportunities for employment. For example, advertisers exploited sexual allure to sell everything, which many “old-timers” regarded as a veritable errotic eruption. Although a women’s lifestyle took a giant leap forward, African Americans were still in the same spot.
This connects to the 1920s woman through the duties that women are
“The Revolution was accelerated also by the growing independence of the American woman” (Allen). Some say that this decade was the first major step towards gender equality. Jones states that, “Before the 1920s, the crinolines women wore visually and physically reinforced a political order that denied most women the right to hold property, vote, file for divorce, or sit as juror in criminal and civil courts (Jones). The life in the United States remained stagnant in the years prior to the 1920’s. Not much had changed and life was simply ordinary, “Then the 1920s hit and things changed rapidly.
Picture it: New York, 1920, automobiles filled with flappers and Jazz music flooding the streets, a new age is here. Now this setting did not always occur in the country. The women would wear modest clothing, every daily task was done by hand, social standards were set no matter your race, and drinking became a serious problem despite your age or gender. However this all came to an end during the American’s Golden Age. The 1920s was a time in the country’s history where gender was defined, industries boomed, and political problems arose.
Prior to the 1920s, society had a very traditional and proper lifestyle, were people maintained a happy home and balanced life. Without the inventions we have today such as televisions, microwaves, ovens, or even washers for our laundry, many time at home was dedicated to cooking and cleaning. Many women were expected to stay at home, do the chores, not voice their opinion, and make life ideal for their husbands. Then, during wars where men were away, women were expected to do work outside the home instead of their usual household chores. At this turning point, women began to recognize their abilities and demand rights as well as break the stereotype that men are more capable than women.
The Unnamed Woman Up until the 1900’s woman had few rights, thus they relied heavily on men. Women could not vote, they could not own their own property, and very few worked. Women’s jobs were solely to care for children and take care of the home. Women during this time, typically accepted their roles in society and the economy ( “Progressive Era to New Era, 1900-1909”).
Well let’s begin with the obvious, women have so much more freedom than they did then and it wasn’t even 100 years ago when women were treated like complete minorities. During the past 50 years’ or so women have begun to acquire so many more rights and stand up for what they believe in. They have started becoming much more active members of society, women have a much louder voice today and it is normal to see women working and being active members of society. Today woman make up a large percentile of our work force, but even with this being said women are still treated less than compared to men. For instance, if a woman goes out looking for a job in the construction field, more than likely the employer will not hire them if there are males trying to fill the position.
Some people would say being a women in the 1920s was difficult and their right. Besides the point knowing that they grew stronger because of things like the 19th amendment, women’s roles, and fashion/style choices that still would make them incredible role models. Although there are negative people and the world is negative women stood up for what's right in the 1920s, because it's what they believed in and you should do the same
The shift from traditional to modern values in the 1920s created conflicts among genders, hindering women from achieving the American Dream. Prior to the 1920s, traditional values were more conservative, and proper etiquette was more prominent in society. Traditionally, men also had more rights than women , who were mostly expected to be housewives. The 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote resulted in a shift towards more rights and equality for women, but traditional ideas still opposed these modern changes.
The proper role for women was dependent on the role of men who were portrayed as being assertive and dominant. For upper middle class women in the early nineteenth century had strict expectations regarding everything including dress, behavior and etiquette. The industrial growth in America divided the male and female responsibilities. The definition of the ideal lady had begun to be associated with the idea of a home, and women were characterized by their submissive behavior and their focus on affairs relating to home and hearth. The ideal lady was per se, an ornament and was assumed to be physically and emotionally