Women in the 1930s & 1940s: HIST18.2: History of Women in the United States Since 1877: Section 0972: Donegan A (2024)

FAQs

How did the 1930s affect women? ›

Women in the 1930s moved from having primarily domestic roles to being active members of society. They gained employment outside of the household and were often responsible for their families' survival.

Women had the vote, education and divorce reforms and at least the right to be lawyers and MPs. Skirts got shorter and so did hair. Women smoked cigarettes, danced the jitterbug and – those who could afford it – drove motor cars.

Women were expected to raise children, keep house, provide emotional support for their husbands, and in myriad ways, contribute to American society.

1930s—The Great Depression

As fewer and fewer women were able to find employment, the societal ideals that had embraced increasing female freedoms did an about-face. Domesticity, motherhood, and homemaking once again became regarded as the only truly proper and fulfilling roles for women.

At first, women weren't always welcomed into the workplace. They received less pay and some men looked down on them and felt they weren't up to handling a “man's job.” They often faced sexual harassment, long hours and dangerous working conditions.

The decade kicked off with the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave white women the vote. Women also joined the workforce in increasing numbers, participated actively in the nation's new mass consumer culture, and enjoyed more freedom in their personal lives.

A great deal of 1930s fiction portrayed the ideal woman as a self-sacrificing mother who devoted her efforts to caring for her family without entering the realm of paid work.

The women's movement was most successful in pushing for gender equality in workplaces and universities. The passage of Title IX in 1972 forbade sex discrimination in any educational program that received federal financial assistance. The amendment had a dramatic affect on leveling the playing field in girl's athletics.

With men away to serve in the military and demands for war material increasing, manufacturing jobs opened up to women and upped their earning power. Yet women's employment was only encouraged as long as the war was on. Once the war was over, federal and civilian policies replaced women workers with men.

The 1920s were the years when women were pushing boundaries like going out of their homes to work and changing social attitudes towards women, whereas the 1930s was a setback for woman, they were starting to get a formal education and began to create professional identity.

How did life change for American women in the 1920s? ›

Women found their lives changed in more than appearance, however. Society now accepted that women could be independent and make choices for themselves in education, jobs, marital status, and careers. Women's spheres had broadened to include public as well as home life. The “new woman” was on her way.

In the early 1930s and prior to, a “real man” was typically seen as a person with pure authority and power, who was tasked with decision making for women (Encyclopedia.com), while women were seen as domestic and the primary caretaker.

The 1930s would see a spike in policies and laws that discriminated against, even forbade, women to work when they were married. During the Great Depression, discrimination against their employment even became law.

When Depression hit, women sought employment out of the house: nurses, school teachers, beauticians, cleaning ladies (maids/cooks), secretaries, and manufacturing occupations (sewing). According to the Censuses taken in 1930 and 1940, the number of women holding professional jobs increased by 20.

Women filled the roles of housewife, mother and homemaker, or they were single but always on the lookout for a good husband.

Women faced challenges in overcoming cultural stereotypes against working women, as well as finding adequate childcare during working hours. Minority women also endured discrimination and dislocation during the war years.

“The women's rights movement from 1940–1975 was caused politically by unfair treatment towards females, economically by financial discrimination towards females, and socially by the defiance of the traditional image of an American woman.”

The women's rights movement won equal opportunities in higher education and employment relatively quickly in the 1940s and 1950s. The modern concept of women's equality as “feminism” appeared in the 1960s, led by activists such as Betty Friedan.

New ideas like socialism, nationalism and women's rights helped transform traditional attitudes and expectations. As a result, gender roles began to shift and change. The labor-intensive Industrial Revolution brought many women out of the home to work in factories.

The feminist movement has effected change in Western society, including women's suffrage; greater access to education; more equitable pay with men; the right to initiate divorce proceedings; the right of women to make individual decisions regarding pregnancy (including access to contraceptives and abortion); and the ...

What was the beauty standards in the 1930s? ›

And now thanks to the archives of LIFE Magazine, we know what was in vogue in the 1930s. According to a feature story from 1938, the "ideal" woman had a 12 inch neck, 19.5 inch thighs, and 6 inch wrists. Featuring 20-year-old model June Cox (who was 5 ft.

Popular fabrics of the time include rayon, silk crepe, satin, wool, and cotton all in various colors and patterns. More luxurious fabrics like silk and velvet were worn mainly for formal occasions. Day dresses in the 1930s were much more streamlined than those of previous decades, even centuries.

According to the golden ratio of facial beauty, she is the most beautiful girl in the world. According to a study conducted by Dr.Julian DeSilva, supermodel Bella Hadid has the most perfect face with beauty test score of 94.35%, followed by singer Beyonce and actress Amber Heard.

They worked under a unifying goal of social equality, with sexuality and reproductive rights being central concerns to the liberation movement, and with much of the movement's energy being focused on passing the Equal Rights Amendment.

women's rights movement, also called women's liberation movement, diverse social movement, largely based in the United States, that in the 1960s and '70s sought equal rights and opportunities and greater personal freedom for women.

Most women labored in the clerical and service sectors where women had worked for decades, but the wartime economy created job opportunities for women in heavy industry and wartime production plants that had traditionally belonged to men.

Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote. The 19th amendment legally guarantees American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle—victory took decades of agitation and protest.

When America entered the Great War, the number of women in the workforce increased. Their employment opportunities expanded beyond traditional women's professions, such as teaching and domestic work, and women were now employed in clerical positions, sales, and garment and textile factories.

During the 1920's the economy increased and people were very wealthy. On the other hand, in the 1930's, it was a time of depression and getting over problems. Unemployment increased more, there was lots of poverty, and people had to sell their houses, cars, and belongings to get money.

The jobs that had the most significant increase for women were clerks, typists, operators, and manufacturing. As families began hiring fewer servants, these women took jobs in stores, offices, and factories.

How did women look in the 1920s? ›

Flapper fashions included short hair under cloche hats, lingerie over corsets and loose dresses with hemlines that rose from the ankles in 1920, knee length or higher by the mid-1920s and back down to below the knee by 1930.

During America's early history, women were denied some of the basic rights enjoyed by male citizens. For example, married women couldn't own property and had no legal claim to any money they might earn, and no female had the right to vote. Women were expected to focus on housework and motherhood, not politics.

For starters, women were only granted the right to vote in 1920. Before that, they didn't have a voice in who shaped America's laws or ran the government. They were also barred from acts as practical and simple as wearing pants, or from enjoying a vice, like smoking in public.

The cars brought the need for good roads. The radio brought the world closer to home. The telephone connected families and friends. Prosperity was on the rise in cities and towns, and social change flavored the air.

'Women's Work' During the Great Depression

But the Great Depression drove women to find work with a renewed sense of urgency as thousands of men who were once family breadwinners lost their jobs. A 22 percent decline in marriage rates between 1929 and 1939 meant more single women had to support themselves.

Traditional gender roles in marriage usually mean that women do the cooking, cleaning and food shopping. It is assumed that they are naturally drawn towards cooking, and are better suited for this responsibility.

The decade was defined by a global economic and political crisis that culminated in the Second World War. It saw the collapse of the international financial system, beginning with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the largest stock market crash in American history.

Women were not allowed to vote. Women had to submit to laws when they had no voice in their formation. Married women had no property rights. Husbands had legal power over and responsibility for their wives to the extent that they could imprison or beat them with impunity.

During the early 1930s America's economy was suffering in The Great Depression which in turn affected America's people causing starvation, poverty, both physical and emotional stress, and a high rate of men leaving their families; leaving both men and women feeling hopeless and lonely.

The Married Women's Property Act of 1882 gave women independence under the law regarding property and other finances. A husband and wife were now considered separate legal entities.

What was the women's role workforce in the 1930s? ›

Despite the widespread sentiment against women, particularly married women, working outside the home and with the limited opportunities available to them, women did enter the labor force in greater numbers over this period, with participation rates reaching nearly 50 percent for single women by 1930 and nearly 12 ...

At home in the 1700s, women's work included cooking, cleaning, weaving and sewing cloth, spinning yarn, and taking care of children, animals, and gardens. Women also worked in fields and took over farm management when their husbands were away for long periods of time.

A labor market analysis of the Great Depression finds that many workers were unemployed for much longer than one year. Of those fortunate to have jobs, many experienced cutbacks in hours (i.e., involuntary part-time employment). Men typically were more adversely affected than women.

Female – Sweater Girl (1940s -1950s)

The cone breasted look of the 1930s grew into the bullet-bra voluptuousness of the 1940s and for women, the ideal body shape was plumper “sweater girl” or pin-up girl.”

Ninety percent or more of the nurses, midwives, telephone operators, secretaries, domestic service workers, and boarding housekeepers in 1940 were women, according to the 1940 Census of Population.

In 1943 the image of Rosie the Riveter personified what the ideal American woman was supposed to be. Rosie supported the war effort and did her patriotic duty for her country, earned a high wage, enjoyed her newfound independence, and showed America that she could do a man's job, and do it well.

At home or in public, women most commonly wore dresses with wide shoulders; puffy sleeves; modest necklines; higher, belted waistlines; and mid-calf flared hemlines. Frilly bows, ruffles, buttons, and other details often decorated dresses.

More women entered the workforce during the economically tough era, but the jobs they took were relegated to "women's work" and poorly paid. During the Great Depression, millions of Americans lost their jobs after the 1929 Stock Market Crash. But for one group of people, employment rates actually went up: women.

Women entered new job forces and faced struggles men didn't have. They were expected to maintain their houses and families but also work in offices. While also not taking away from a mans chance to provide for his family.

When Depression hit, women sought employment out of the house: nurses, school teachers, beauticians, cleaning ladies (maids/cooks), secretaries, and manufacturing occupations (sewing). According to the Censuses taken in 1930 and 1940, the number of women holding professional jobs increased by 20.

What were 1930s female beauty standards? ›

Miss Sophom*ore Slip, 1933 – By the mid-1930s, the ideal female figure was small-waisted and slim-hipped to accentuate the elegant and form-fitting clothing styles. Of course, this silhouette was unrealistic for most women and was achieved with corsets, slips, and other undergarments.

Draped skirts and ruffles were also common features. Except the dresses, a skirt and amatching blouse was also a common combination. Often with the blouse overthe skirt and of course with a belt that marked the waist. As for the pants, the were high waisted and came with wide legs.

Throughout history, women have been healers and caretakers, playing multiple roles as pharmacists, nurses, midwives, abortionists, counselors, physicians, and 'wise women,' as well as witches. As early as 4000 BC, there were women who studied, taught, and practiced medicine.

The statistics for enrollment of women in higher education in the 1930s varies depending upon the type of census performed in that year. According to the U.S. Office of Education, the total number of enrollment for women in higher education the U.S. in 1930 was 480,802.

What steps did women make toward equality during the 1930s? Women appointed to government positions; more women employed outside the home; expanding opportunities in the workplace; women activists and organizers.

Several factors contributed to this rise. First, with the advent of mass high school education, graduation rates rose substantially. At the same time, new technologies contributed to an increased demand for clerical workers, and these jobs were increasingly taken on by women.

Before the Great Depression, women's primary roles were to marry and become housewives. Married women, who traditionally had raised children and worked in the home, faced disapproval by society if they were forced financially to enter the workforce.

In accordance with social tradition and English common law, women were were denied most legal rights. In general they could not vote, own property, keep their own wages, or even have custody of their children.

The 19th amendment legally guarantees American women the right to vote.