Introduction
Throughout the period examined in the module, Americans expressed varying views on the roles of men and women. Between 1929 and 1945, women gradually began to fight for their empowerment. Moreover, numerous historical events during this period, including the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II significantly impacted the issue at hand.
Great Depression
One of the significant events that affected how people answered the question about the roles of men and women was the Great Depression. Many people were forced to leave their homes due to poverty and move to look for work elsewhere. This situation led to an improvement in the treatment of women, who were now expected to work on an equal footing with men. The distinction between men’s and women’s roles became blurred as they became more equal in the labor force.
New Deal
Another event following the Great Depression was the implementation of the New Deal as a response to the country’s complex economic situation. This further expanded employment opportunities for women by providing them with more job opportunities and equal pay. They began to devote themselves to household chores less. Thus, many Americans began adopting less conservative opinions regarding male and female roles.
WWII
The period under study also saw the Second World War, which contributed to the blurring of gender roles. For example, campaign posters began to appear that encouraged women to join the United States Army. Thus, this duty, which was traditionally considered masculine, gradually began to be extended to women, allowing them to participate in combat. The response suggested that the roles of men and women had grown indistinguishable.
Conclusion
The response indicated that, between 1929 and 1945, men’s and women’s responsibilities increasingly came to resemble one another. Women gradually gained more opportunities for employment and military service, but they did not achieve the same social status as men. Based on this, many Americans could answer the question under study that the traditional gender roles of American society have begun to disappear.
Works Cited
Bradshaw Crandall, Are you a girl with a star-spangled heart? Recruiting Publicity Bureau, US Women’s ArmyCorps Recruiting Poster (1943). Library of Congress.
CrashCourse. “The Great Depression: Crash Course US History #33.” YouTube Video, 12:56-13:05, 2013.
Corbett, S., Janssen, V., Lund, J., Pfannestiel, T., Waskiewicz, S. & Vickery, P. U.S. History (Houston: OpenStax, 2022), 702.