Monday, February 28, 2011
Unit 9 World War I and Interwar Years
Part I: Analyze the impact of World War I on women in the Western world. How did it affect their self-perception? How did it affect societies' perceptions of women? Consult Diane Atkinson, Historian on Suffragettes (1) Diane Atkinson, Historian (2) and Gail Braybon, Author on Women's Contribution to the War Effort.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
29 comments:
World War I would influence women’s self-perception and well as societies’ perception of them. Women were looked down upon in political matters during the time of World War I. It was said to be impossible for women to make a political decision because it was not within her intellectual capacity to do so. It was thought that the brain of women was smaller than that of a man. Apparently they could not possibly make a reasoned judgment due to the fact that women were so governed by their child-bearing, by menstruation, by childbirth, and menopause that they could never be a vote in Parliament. If women got involved in politics, they would stop getting married. They would stop having children and that the human race would die out. Women were inferior to men in not only political standing points but their roles in society as well.
World War I raised negative views of women capabilities in the Western World. Society viewed women roles to be simplistic and based on their physiology, their participation in politics were not ideal because society believed that it would lead to the end of reproduction which would result in the end of the human race. The war also affected women's self-perception by allowing them to feel as though they held an important role. It wasn't so much that the women were entirely engrossed in the reason for war, but more of a response to seeing their family and nation enter a time of chaos. By taking over the jobs of their husbands or other men in society during war, women felt more satisfied as they fulfilled and maintained the important roles either back home or out on the battlefield. Basically, they were thrilled to be active and supportive of the war effort.
After WW1, women in the western world were looked down upon. Men believe that women couldn’t participate in political issues because they believe women a far more inferior than men. Women were viewed stereotypically and society believed that in women were to be involved with politics that, that would spell out the end for the human race. In general women are to be viewed by society as people who are not capable of handling political issue. However, the men that battled in the war had to leave their families behind allowing the women to take up jobs normally taken up by the man in the house. Women also cared for injured casualties on the battlefield. Therefore women were allowed to take on more meaningful roles in society and were satisfied in doing so.
I disagree with Gardenia’s statement that women were inferior to their roles in society because during the war, women were able to take up jobs that the men had to leave behind showing that women are able to do the same jobs as well.
I agree with Kristie’s statement that women were excited and thrilled to be active and supportive of the war effort because women were allowed to carry out important roles such as tending to injured soldiers, allowing women to feel more important, which doesn't happen quite too often. (lol)
Women were impacted during the war in three ways. First it was said that women shouldn't vote. Women were said to have smaller brains than men and that they wouldn't be able to make political decisions as well as men. Second Suffragettes were viewed in negative ways when they smashed windows, and burned down churches and attacked works of art. Third women wanted to join in the war but most told them to just stay home. Little did they know that TNT was reactive and caused deaths among many women, as well as caused chronic illness in women who had survived. I guess you can say women were always viewed as staying at home taking car of the children during the time. Even though women weren't told to do much during the war, they had important roles in society such as family matters, the safety of citizens, and the safety of themselves.
World War I impacted the entire world. Europe suffered from the war and many facets of society were altered. Women who were previously not contributing to society or being productive had roles that were now more involved. World War I was bloody and violent. The need for nurses was urgent. Many women were involved in the fighting as well. The US marines, army, and navy started to allow women to enlist. The Russians even had a female "Battalion of Death". Women being involved helped them to have a higher sense of purpose and belonging. They were no longer stuck being the "mother and homemaker" stereotype. Many were extremely supportive of the nationalistic movements. They became more proud of their countries as well as their work. Society now viewed women as more useful, helpful, and productive. They were no longer useless and helpless they were standing strong for their countries ready to fight and defend, as proudly as any male citizen (soldier) could be. Women were active workers in the factories as well as out in the war. Their involvement in the war helped to blur the gender distiction lines and helped women gain a more effective role in society and eventually they came to enjoy a lifestyle where they were more free and able to behave how they wanted.
During WWI, men viewed the women as incapable of making intellectual choices, thus implying that the men did not want them to vote. Men felt they would make unreasonable judgments when voting, due to their physiology. Also, they feared that involvement of women in politics would cause the human population to die down. The suffragettes were taken to prison for rebellions. In prison, many women went on strikes such as hunger strikes, leading to the force-feeding. Those women who refused to eat, drink, and sleep suffered health issues and major breakdowns. However, some women felt it to be liberating to be able to particaipate in war efforts. They finally felt important in providing supplies during the war and playing a major role in various new jobs. But, there were some drawbacks. Women who had husbands who originally didn't volunteer were now forced to join, losing them. The war area was also highly dangerous filled with many explosions and TNT that can endanger women.
I disagrre with Andrew's comment when he says "Even though women weren't told to do much during the war, they had important roles in society such as family matters, the safety of citizens, and the safety of themselves." Women did play a major role as they took on the various jobs and assissted in the war efforts as best as they can. Without them, the war could not have been fought the way it did.
I agree with Brittany when she describes the women being more nationalistic and contibuting to war eforts. Women were now useful in the war and had a purpose. Many were nurses tending the injured, while some went in to fight. Women are now appreciated for their contribution and have gained new rights because of WWI.
I agree with Kevin that i was wrong. In fact women did participate in the war as nurses. They helped take care of the injured,and sick. The women were dedicated to assist in the war. They felt the thrill of being in the war and, just as kevin mentioned, they wanted to contribute as much as possible to the war effort.
I agree with peter about how men were taken to war causing women to take on their household duties. Women felt that this was an opportunity to help out and play a bigger role. Women married to soldiers were ok to have their husbands sent to war and took care of their duties, but women who had ordinary husbands that were taken to war made their families feel detached.
World War I impacted womens' self-perceptions and the societies' perceptions of them in both negative and positive ways.
there were many job opportunities available for women during the war. due to the higher demand for nurses for the duration of the war. women replaced men in jobs that were usually a man's job. as a result of increased rights, attitudes towards women changed.
women were seen capable to take on more responsibilities than people use to think they could before. With the men out fight at the front, women took over their traditional duties at home, and in the workplace. they proved themselves in the factories and they also proved that their capabilities extended far more than just from their domestic duties.
i agree with Kristie that women were enthusiastic about finally receiving an important role in society. throughout past centuries they have always been excluded from political decisions and now they were needed and able to contribute.
I believe that during World War I women viewed themselves in a much more capable manner. Women were taking care of the injured, producing supplies, ontop of being mothers. This is derived from the societies progression to total war. Everyone was needed to do whatever they could to give their nation a fighting chance. I believe the Suffregetes were in reality a hindrance to the feminist movement in both self perception and societal perception. It emphasized the emotional state and inability of women to look past their hormonal passions and work for the good of the nation. I do not believe it was a result of a masculine inability to look at an equality of women. After the war, I believe women proved themselves just as capable as males on almost every level. They had the brain power to accept the national interest in dealing with their men off fighting as well as coped with the physiological pressures of a maturnal factory worker.
I have to disagree with Gardenia in the sense that women during the war held the same social standards as males. They held those inthe sense that the gender distinctive barriers in the work force had to be knocked down in order to compensate for the shortage after the males left for war.
I believe a bigger question on this subject would be how much did the society's perception shift in society during the war. I bring this up because it must be kept in mind that women had been working within factories, getting married at later ages, and making their own decisions on an increase scale since the industrial revolution.
Oops got a little redundant there at the end lol. -_-
World War I impacted the perception of women and society itself in the Western World. Women were viewed stereotypically due to the increasing interest in biology and the non-rational side of the human behavior during the late nineteenth century. Also many rejected their participation in politics because they believed it would lead to the end of reproduction which would lead to the end of the human race itself. But during World War I women had a sense of belonging and purpose in society whether it was working at home or on the battlefield for their country. This allowed for women to not be viewed stereotypically but rather helpful and useful, somewhat capable like men. After the war women were able to demonstrate and prove that are not inferior to men in any way.
I agree with Brittany that many women became more nationalistic. This was allowed for because they were no longer stuck being the "mother and homemaker" stereotype. Women began to work as nurses, factory workers and even soldiers for their country. As women began to become take part in society they started to feel nationalism towards their country.
I agree with Kristie that the war affected women's self-perception by allowing them to feel as though they held an important role. This was allowed for by seeing their family and nation enter a time of chaos in which they were needed for. By taking over the jobs of their husbands or other men in society during war women were seen as useful and productive. This resulted in many viewing women not inferior to men.
I agree with Peter about "women not capable of handling political issues" because society thought that their physiology held them back from making political decisions. Characteristics such as child-bearing, menstruation, childbirth, menopause were believed to disallow reasonable thinking.
I also agree with Brittany A. when she writes "Their involvement in the war helped to blur the gender distiction lines and helped women gain a more effective role in society..." because previously, women ofter held protests or riots in hopes to gain more rights, but there were far too many fails in comparison to gains. Their participation in war efforts would discreetly allow them to gain more rights and be recognized on somewhat a higher level, though still not as high as men.
Although some women initially felt as if they could aid the war effort, the First World War generally brought upon a negative impact on women in European societies. The need for munitions workers gave them a great chance to help their countries, but they were not told of the dangers associated with it. At first they were told that working with TNT explosives were basically harmless, and one turns yellow and just washes it off for a day and can work again. The women who worked in these factories learned firsthand how dangerous these explosives were because of how hazardously sick they and their coworkers became. What seemed to be their first true chance to aid the war came with the high price of their health. The political scene served as a disappointment for women as well. In Great Britain, the ludicrous Race Suicide Argument was an absurd justification for the discrimination of women in politics. It stated that if women were to enter politics, it would trigger a chain reaction that would lead to the women refusing to have children and/or care for them, thus a decrease in the population, which would ultimately lead to the extinction of the human race. This argument, since it held strongly with even the most intellectual and logical figures of the time; stuck with society and made it impossible for a woman to enter politics. Women and their self respect were consequently greatly affected by this idea. Although this attitude attributing inferiority towards women has been in European society as long as any tradition, the increased intellectual opportunities should for women should have given them a chance to hold a place in politics. After all, their constant experience of social letdown has given them much patience and experience for political decision-making.
I agree with Kristie’s argument on the negative effect on women’s self-perception. Women were greatly put down by their exclusion from politics, especially when the inflation of the importance of nationalism made women have more of a sense of belonging.
I agree with Peter that women were looked down upon in society, but not just after World War One. The idea of a woman’s general inferiority to men has been passed down as long as Europe’s history.
i agree with Christian that it wasn't because the men could not live up to their duties, it was because the women proved that they were as capable as men to do any job. women were perceived as inferior to men, but during the war the government had no choice in using the women, because they need all the help they could get. women took this as an opportunity to break the barriers that separated women from men.
World War I definitely had a huge impact on the social life of the people in Europe. Women, for instane, had to take on many roles of the men due to their absense since they had to fight for their country. As they were gone, Europe was in a total war type environment, everything done was focused towards the war, helping soldiers and providing them with the necessary equiptment. By focusing all their powers towards the war, Europe could not progress as much as it could during that time. Women, however, was able to actively take part in roles that men would normally participate in if they were there. This did not give them power, instead, it just provided them with a little more responsibility, but they were used more as place holders if anything. Although, eventually this would lead to them earning voting rights, but this would not be established until later on.
I must agree with Christian's statement about how at the end of all this, women were able to prove that they are just as capable to perform importnat tasks as men were at this time. Just because they were women, they used to be looked at as very inferior, weak figures in society. After this, they proved to be much more than that.
I agree with Brittany A's point that women were able to show their potential as they assisted in the war. By doing this they would blur the gender distinction lines to help women gain a more effective role in society. This is very true because as they were able to show everyone that they are capable of much more than they were percieved, they could eventually start gaining more rights, being looked at as human beings rather than just weak women.
World War l gave women a sense of capability to be involved and help out men. Of course they were not on the front lines fighting, but instead nursing wounded men, producing supplies, etc. Also back at home women had to step up and take more responsibilities for the men being away. This did not socially make women equal to men or give them the same rights, but rather more things to be responsible for. The impact of the war was more positive then negative due to the fact it gave women some sense of feel for greater equality. Although they did not gain equality during this time, it helped lead to greater acts to achieve equality between genders later on.
I agree with Reina and her point about women gaining responsibilities. It wasn't negative or so much positive that they gained more responsibilities, but it helped with moral overall knowing they can be a part of the war in some way to help.
I also agree with Brittany Sam because women did feel more empowered because they were able to show men they were also capable to take on their responsibilities. These actions help the womens' fight for equality.
During world war I women were looked down upon by men and were said to be not as smart as men. Women didn't really have much of a say in anything because they werent as smart as men. although womens opinions werent really accepted by men women still had many opinions. Women didnt like the world war because there husbands had to go to war while they stayed alone and worked. Women were expecting the war to be quick but ended up taking around 4 years. They had to work alone on the farms alone without there husbands. They also complained about the food shortages and high prices.
I agree with christian that women thought that they were capable of doing much more. Women thought that they were as strong as men and can do anything that a man can do. Women worked on farms, aided the soldiers and also took care of there children.
I also agree either Kevin salgado that men looked down upon women and didn't want them to vote. Men thought that women had smaller brains than men so they should have the right to vote. Men thouhgt that if women voted they would make bad decisions because of there little brains.
I believe that World War I impacted woman very greatly. I personally think that it improved their self-perception. While most men were away at war, women picked up on jobs that were normally done by men to maintain society back home. They were also nurses out on the frontlines of war. In general more opportunities came up for them during this time period. Socities' perception on woman however roughly stayed the same though. Overall they were at a disadvantage for rediculious reasons. Woman were still not allowed to vote because they apparently didn't have the mental strength for it. Or if they had the similar rights to men they wouldn't have children resulting in the end of the world.
I agree with Eunice about how women were at disadvantages. Stereotypes have constantly been holding women back. Luckly during WWI women were allowed to pick up a little extra equality. This would lead more of them to fight for complete equality.
I also agree with Andrew on how women were viewed as. Many people thought that they were household care takers and nothing more. Despite this woman were tasked with many hardworking jobs during the war.
Prior to World War I, women throughout the European continent - ranging from the National Council of French Women to the Union of German Women's Organizations - struggled to obtain rights that had been rigorously withheld from them. However widespread these programs were, however, most remained underdeveloped and were barred from attaining success due to the strong restrictions placed upon female political participation. According to the historian Diane Atkinson, even intellectuals of the time period were of the belief that females were governed by a weak, irrational physiology. This viewpoint, in conjunction with the deeply-rooted belief that women would shun marriage if they were allowed political influence, led most nations - with the exception of Norway - to ban universal gender suffrage preceding the First World War.
During the war itself, however, women played a pivotal role on the home front of each nation. As an increasing quantity of men were enlisted to fight, females were forced to take over the businesses previously dominated by the male gender - for instance, women replaced male factory workers and even constituted 43% of the labor force in Russia. The institution of total war, or the inclusion of mass civilian populations in the war effort, also gave women a greater role in the production of munitions and medical supplies. According to historian Gail Braybon, the widespread impact of the war in all spheres of life caused women to realize the importance of their roles in it. However, females were still quite far away from attaining true justice - their wages remained lower than that of males, even as they proved themselves capable of executing jobs of equal magnitude.
As a result of their participation in World War I, however, women in Great Britain, Germany, Austria, and the United States did experience a greater amount of rights. In 1918, for instance, English women over thirty years of age were granted permission to vote on the basis of their perpetuation of the war effort. Even Germany's defeat in the war yielded suffrage for women, according to the 1919 constitution of the newly instituted Weimar Republic. Yet, nations such as France were reluctant to extend such opportunities to females - in fact, a bill that granted the vote to women was defeated by the French Senate in 1922. Only until after World War II did universal French suffrage become a genuine truth.
Based on the suffrage allotted to women after the war effort, it can be argued that both societal and self-perception of females increased after their widespread participation.
I agree with Brendan's analysis of the rights denied to women in the era preceding World War I. The negative societal opinions regarding the intellectual capacity of females undoubtedly influenced the suffragette movement, which lobbied extensively for equal voting rights. I agree that the intellectual opportunities of the time period would have made it possible for women to make well-informed political decisions; despite the lack of favor bestowed upon the suffragettes, to state that their mental capacity was below par would have been a feeble excuse.
Reina's response to the female war effort was truly thought-provoking. I have to concede that women truly didn't have much in the way of societal influence even as men were at war - as she argued, the additional economic roles females had to fill could have been liabilities rather than empowering assets. Families were torn apart by the war due to massive conscription; widespread unhappiness would be probable. However, I suppose that the equal opportunities that followed served as ample, if not entirely sufficient, compensation.
Women's self-perceptions became elevated by the war. The contemporary society did not believe in women's capabilities, only their binding familial duties. Modern warfare gave women a reason to become useful as their male counterparts were expended in battle. The industrial production of weaponry and artillery obviously required many hands, and women became closer in terms of value to men as they functioned in mass production to meet the war's demands. The suffragettes are an example of women's newfound courage. Despite the public's negative response to their actions, they still garnered national attention for their cause. The war increased European society's need for women, therefore boosting their morale and perceived competence.
Societies' perceptions of women did not change during the war as much as it would after, when women gained suffrage in progressive nations such as Great Britain. Surprisingly, even the elites of society at the time believed in unsupported ideas such as female inferiority in intellectual capacity. The suffragettes' failures can be credited to the popular belief that the human race will not be sustainable if women are allowed entry into the realm of politics. Any traditionally respected and valuable careers rejected the thought of female equality in the field; only rare exceptions were allowed. The war did little to alter the long-upheld tradition of female inferiority in all aspects of life.
I agree with Ariel's comment on "However widespread these programs were, however, most remained underdeveloped and were barred from attaining success due to the strong restrictions placed upon female political participation." Though the war did foster female political groups, it did little to grant them success.
I agree with Brittany's comment on women's "involvement in the war helped to blur the gender distiction lines." Maybe it's due to the mass casualties, but I do believe that the war made one's affluence less importance when trying to restore an entire continent.
During the duration of the war women played a key role into nursing soldiers, providing food, and supplies to the military.. Their roles in the war allowed women to see the atrocity of the gruesome war and allowed feminists to put a hold to rebellious activities to support and defend their country. With the men in war, more opportunities for work were available to women. Women were taken out of their traditional roles in home and moved to factories or war-related duties due to the shortages of men; which concluded it as an important social change. Thus showing that women were capable of handling male roles in society. However, once the war ended survivors returned to uphold their jobs which put women back to their traditional roles as housewives. Showcasing that the war had no drastic change towards gender roles in society but it awakened more feminist movements later on.
I agree with Peter on how women cared for the injuries of soldiers on the battlefield and how they were able to take on more roles in society. The employment openings for women were increased due to the men in who went off in war allowing women to break apart from their original household duties into taking on more roles that stepped out of the gender barriers.
I agree with Christian that after the war women had proven themselves as being just as capable as men in society. After nursing casualties of soldiers and taking care of the men jobs as they were off in war allowed women and society to acknowledge that they could do more than their traditional role as a housewife.
Woman's lives were greatly affected during World War I. During World War I, most men were enlisted to serve in the war. That would mean a woman's husband probably would have had to serve in the war. During this time, women had felt more important because she would have taken over her husband's job, while still maintaining her family. This proved to be a challenge for most women, society still saw a woman as inferior to a man. However this was one way woman proved to be capable of things they said they could not do.
I agree with Andrew's points. During this time, women were still viewed as inferior. They weren't allowed to vote and denied to enlist in the army because they were women. Society saw women in a traditional view. In the traditional sense, women were to stay at home and maintain the family.
I also agree with Peter. He had stated women were now getting jobs as nurses. This was because there were a lot of casualties during the war. The nurses were able to tend to the injured during the war.
During World War I women all around the European nations felt as though they could make a difference at home while their male counterparts were fighting in the war. As all the men were battling in Europe the women were left in charge of processing goods and maintaining order in their motherlands economically. Females felt a small form of liberation in this time period and as they were given this heightened sense of freedom the other extreme feminists decided to exploit the leniency on women during the war. They pushed for female suffrage however they were met with vicious glares and oppositions by both men and females. At the time the human body and mind was not as heavily studied as it is today, and due to this fact most assumed that females were incapable of higher level thinking. Many believed that women had brains smaller than men and that due to their female functions such as menstruation, child bearing, and menopause would place a heavy tax on their mind that would impair thinking.
I concur with Brittany Sam's statement that TNT was a harmful substance that could hurt them. Back then they were ignorant about various chemicals and substances. If the effects were not immediate they would disregard them and consider it as something that wouldn't exactly seriously injure someone. It was only until mid to late twentieth century that they would realize that TNT was something to be feared.
I also agree with Kristie Liang as she states that the war brought about other various negative views upon women. At the time, although women did feel an increase in rights pertaining specifically to the economy it was different for politics. As the women of the days were beginning to regard women in a brighter light they were unable to accept or somewhat embrace the extreme feminists. Due to the aggressive method of protesting which the feminists used, females lost most of the credibility they earned as they were managing trade in their homeland.
World War 1 gave society a negative outlook on women while they themselves thought that they had a lot to offer towards society. Society didn't see much women during this time period. It was said that women shouldn't have the right to vote due the lack of brain size compared to the brains of men. Women who were took part in the suffragette movements also influenced the way society perceived them. Since most of these movements contained violence, it gave the rest of the non-supporters a sense of threat. Psychological damages that resulted from hunger strikes also didn't portray a positive image either. But on the contrary, the women who tried to change the perception of their gender and actually took part in the suffragette movements did it for the betterment of society. These women knew that they played a major role when it came to war. Fighting for their rights also made them feel like they have the ability to participate society and contribute in making decisions.
I agree with Francesca's comment about women taking over when their husbands were on leave. This helped women feel more useful and important in the household. Although it wasn't the easiest job to manage, it gave women the chance to take charge and made them feel less inferior.
I agree with Kevin's comment about the negative side of a women having her husband forced to go to war too. Although it gave women a sense of importance in society, their husbands could have gone to war and not come back alive which is exactly what happened to numerous women during World War I.
World War I opened the pathway for women to many freedoms. With the lack of male work force in the European nations, the government accepted that females were able to uphold the responsibility of work and production. This also included the education sector of society since many women were eligible to teach the many children who stayed at home. In England specifically, one could mention the Suffragettes of the early 1900's and call the female activists' actions a continuation of that event. However in places such as Germany, women were expected to fully support the war efforts whether or not there were health risks. T.N.T. was an invention of the early 20th century which turned people's skin a dark-yellowish color. It also reacted to fire and caused explosions. Women appealed their potential to the many conservative governments during World War I, and shortly after, they began to obtain rights equal to that of males (shortly is used in the terms of decades compared to centuries).
Reina's comment is very relevant to this discussion. Women did not receive rights during World War I, but rather acted as replacements, or "holders" as Reina stated. With the evidence that women are able to perform the same duties as men, activists used this to obtain female suffrage.
In response to Kristy's statement, the mental status of women she identified is accurate. Family was a prioritized virtue of almost all persons. It would only be sensible to assess that women sought to not only gain more rights, but to also support their family as moral human beings.
Post a Comment