Women in World War Ii Essay Example
History 103 Sec 002 Fall Term Research Paper
In what specific ways did the Second World War change the lives of women in Canada and/or the United States? Were the changes merely temporary or did they sow the seeds of collapse for traditional gender roles? * * The Second World War dramatically changed the lives of women in both Canada and the United States, on every level from political, to social, to sexual. Further, the changes in women’s lives during this time were not merely temporary reactions to a current situation, but rather were profound societal changes that would forever alter the place of women, and men, in modern society.
Before the war, women were cast as the “homemaker”, and their principal duty was to bear children and to narrow their endeavors to areas pertaining to home life. However, when the United States joined the Allies and entered the battlefield in 1941, roughly 16 million men were forced to vacate their jobs at home and enlist in military service. So the women stepped forward. * * Encouraged by government propaganda like the famous “Rosie the Riveter” poster which advocated a woman’s patriotic duty to leave home and join the workplace, women joined the war effort in unprecedented numbers. By the end of World War II, 6.5 million American women had entered the workforce, increasing the size of the female labor force by more than 50%, from 11.5 million to 18 million. * * During the war, women dominated almost every aspect of industry. They worked in careers as varied as streetcar conductors, taxicab drivers, business managers, engineers, and railroad workers. They worked in steel mills, where they made munitions and operated tractors. Some were even elected as government officials. * * Nevertheless, when men returned from the war, they were given their jobs back, and women were expected to resume their previous lifestyle. However, a large percentage of women became increasingly frustrated with
In what specific ways did the Second World War change the lives of women in Canada and/or the United States? Were the changes merely temporary or did they sow the seeds of collapse for traditional gender roles? * * The Second World War dramatically changed the lives of women in both Canada and the United States, on every level from political, to social, to sexual. Further, the changes in women’s lives during this time were not merely temporary reactions to a current situation, but rather were profound societal changes that would forever alter the place of women, and men, in modern society.
Before the war, women were cast as the “homemaker”, and their principal duty was to bear children and to narrow their endeavors to areas pertaining to home life. However, when the United States joined the Allies and entered the battlefield in 1941, roughly 16 million men were forced to vacate their jobs at home and enlist in military service. So the women stepped forward. * * Encouraged by government propaganda like the famous “Rosie the Riveter” poster which advocated a woman’s patriotic duty to leave home and join the workplace, women joined the war effort in unprecedented numbers. By the end of World War II, 6.5 million American women had entered the workforce, increasing the size of the female labor force by more than 50%, from 11.5 million to 18 million. * * During the war, women dominated almost every aspect of industry. They worked in careers as varied as streetcar conductors, taxicab drivers, business managers, engineers, and railroad workers. They worked in steel mills, where they made munitions and operated tractors. Some were even elected as government officials. * * Nevertheless, when men returned from the war, they were given their jobs back, and women were expected to resume their previous lifestyle. However, a large percentage of women became increasingly frustrated with