Changing Position of Women - Roaring 20s

Flappers
1. Appearance
  1. Short hair
  2. Wore make up
  3. Short skirts
  4. Bright clothes
  5. 'Revealing' swimming costumes on public beaches
2. Behaviour
  1. Smoked/drank in public
  2. Went out to speakeasies/cinemas without chaperones
  3. Openly danced (Charleston) with men in public
  4. Listened to the new craze - jazz music
  5. Could be arrested for wearing clothes that were too revealing
Employment opportunities
1. 1930 - 2 million more women employed than 10 years earlier
2. Still limited opportunities for work for women
3. 1/3 of university degrees were given to women in 1930
4. Only 5% of medical school places were given to women so numbers of female doctors declined
5. Supreme Court banned all attempts at creating a minimum wage
  1. Men payed a lot more than women
6. Jobs available were limited:
  1. Nurses
  2. Librarians
Marriage
1. Tended to have less children
  1. 1900 - 3.6 average 1930 - 2.6 average
2. Less likely to stay in unhappy marriages
  1. 1914 - 100,000 divorces 1929 - 200,000 divorces
  2. Divorce was still quite rare
3. Still expected to leave work when married
Society
1. The more they worked, the more they earned giving them freedom to buy what they chose
2. New appliances gave them more time for recreation
  1. Fridge
  2. Vacuum cleaner
3. Rural women didn't have the same access to labour saving devices
  1. 1932 - only 32% of farmhouses had running water
4. Flappers paved the way for other women in society and for a more tolerant approach to the social position of women
Politics
1. Given the vote in 1920
2. By 1920, there were a handful of women in politics
  1. Nellie Taylor, Wyoming - first woman to become governor of a state
  2. Bertha Knight Landes, Seattle - first female mayor of American city
3. Women in politics still an exception
Entertainment
1. Popularity of cinema, radio and dance halls provided further opportunities for women
2. Mary Pickerford and Clara Bow became stars of silent movies and set up their own film company with two other stars
3. Mae West and Gloria Swanson became stars of 'talkies' and role models for many young American girls
4. Most women weren't affected by this as there were only limited opportunities in careers such as film
  1. It showed women that it was possible for them to have careers however

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Changing Position of Women - Roaring 20s

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