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. (Remember to respond to the question in 6-8 sentences (yes it can be longer) and to respond to two of your classmates answers in 4-6 sentences. Do not just agree or disagree without defending or justifying your argument.) Think above and beyond the common answers that you may see. Be sure to challenge your classmates with controversial tactics, actions or selections. Good Luck!!!! Go Mustangs!!!
36 comments:
There had always been much opposition when it came to female suffrage. Throughout history, whether it was the Middle Ages, Renaissance, or Enlightenment, women were always put in a position that was inferior to men. As Diane Atkinson stated, the physical structure and biological processes of women put them as a disadvantage. By twisting logic and making it seem as female suffrage would cause chaos, people were reluctant to allow women to vote. However, as Gail Braybon explains, women were an important part of the war. They held a larger role in the war, and therefore were rising up towards men on the social ladder. They understood that they were a significant part of the world, so their self-perception was changed for the better. Also, as they nursed soldiers and interact with TNT, society realized that they had as much potential as men did.
Women were not thought as intellectual, so they were not given the right to have a voice in society. Although the Reniassance brought about the believe in indviduality and that men should have a voice in the goverment, they did not believe women had the right to have a voice. So many great movements before WWI had changed society in many ways, but never did such movements believe women were equal to men. Some great people in soceity strongly believed Women had smaller brains than man, making women seem unable to be capable of having a strong stand in society. Also another reason that stopped the Goverement from allowing women to have the right to vote, was the actions that the Suffragettes took. The destructive actions that they took made the goverement angry, making them believe they did not deserve the right to vote.
The role women had in WWI changed the many views people had about women. The role of women was to take care of home and the children, WWI changed that. Women were nurses,cooks, and many other positions in WWI. WWI gave women the chance to step out of their stereotypical role.
I agree with Lilly women were seen as subordinate to men. There were so many movements before WWI that changed society. These movements never brought about any believe that women were equal to men, or that they were capable of recieving education. I also agree that the goverement made up excuses, to why women suffrage chould not be allowed.
All through mankind's existence women were seen as inferior and incapable of handling anything that was masculine whatsoever; men always expected women to take care of domestic obligations, and during World War I these sexist views were once again embraced. Women's suffrage was a huge issue. As Diane Atkinson pointed out, men believed that women had smaller brains than they did, and therefore were unable to make good political choices. However, The war also brought new perceptions towards women. Women realized that their friends, relatives and husbands were all out fighting & possibly dying, so they had to remain strong; to do what men never thought a women was mentally and emotionally capable of. Also, since their husbands were away at war, they took over jobs. Women began to see themselves as something much more than what they have been perceived for so long. They realized that they too were a significant part of this world, and didn't want to miss the chance of proving themselves.
I also agree with Lily and Laura, though there were movements such as the renaissance to support the belief of individuality men still managed to twist it to satisfy their superiority and dominance. However, at this point in the nineteenth century women begun to take a step outside of the status quo and begun to take on jobs as nurses to wounded soldiers, munition workers, and so on. Women begun to discover self-worth during this time, which affected how society viewed women.
Women were thought as overall inferior to mens , so their opinions was not as influential. Even though, the Reniassance brought in the individuality belief and that "men "should have a voice in the goverment, they didn't want to accept the fact of women having a say. Many social impacts, before WWI, had modify the society in many ways, but none of them changed the beliefs of inferiority of women. In a sense, the female suffrage seemed chaotic and negative, making the people hesitant on whether or not to give women a right to vote. However, WWI changed the views of gender roles dramatically. The traditional beliefs of the role of women was to take care of home and the children was changed by WWI. Women were beginning to step out of their house and held many other "public" positions in WWI. After observing how capable women actually is, the society noticed that they had just as much potential as anyone else. This change gave them a opportunity to step out of the traditional gender role.
I agree with Lily, because women were seen as an assistant for mens. There were a lot of social impacts that modified the society's view. Although, these movements never brought up equality nor if they had capability of being educated. I also agree that Lily stated, "Gail Braybon explains, women were an important part of the war," because they were indeed the ones supporting men and maintained the social conditions meanwhile they are at war.
I also agree with Laura, because even though the belief of individuality men was supported in the Renaissance era, it still managed to maintain their superiority. However, in the nineteenth century women had an opportunity to step out of their traditional gender roles, and began to take on "public positions", such as nurses that held an important position in wars. The society realized how capable women actually are, and affected the society dramatically on the views of women.
In the eyes of a male-dominant society, women had always been looked down upon. There were many people who tried to fight for the rights of women, the first being Christine of Pisan, but despite these efforts, women were still not greatly appreciated. During World War I, however, women gained much respect and honor. While the men of the country were out fighting, the women had to stay behind to keep the economy above waters. All factories and workshops were kept open by the aid of women. Almost all the men in a country were sent out to war. With the help of female-right activists such as Emmeline Pankhurst, women managed to gain suffrage due to the respect they earned during the World War. Their skills in nursing and active participation on the military front also gained them much respect, leading to the gain of rights.
Great Job you guys on starting the dialogue about women. Keep up the great work.
Natsuki: Your comment about the significant women in history interested me. I agree with your statements, because there definitely were women who fought for their rights. However, this only made me think harder about how hard these women had to work for their rights. While men got everything handed to them, people were unsure if women should be given certain privileges. We only have these ladies to thank for the rights to us females have today.
Tommy: You are definitely correct by saying that World War I has contributed to the change in views of women. Before, they were inferior, and it was evident in everyday society for the entirety of history. As women started fighting and taking the responsibilities of men, people started to begin seeing their value. If it wasn't for World War I, women may have had to wait longer for their rights. However, this war gave them the chance to prove their capabilities, and that may have been one of the good things that resulted from this chaos.
The european society since the middle ages has been vary male centered up until the First World War. Though there were some advances dating back to the reniassance, European society has been dominated by men. Because World War One was such a large scale war, just about all the men who were able, went off to fight for their respective countries. That then left the factories that were needed to produce weapons and the like for the war, empty with few workers. Who filled those vacant jobs? WOMEN. They were able, for the first time, to truely get a glimpse of what life as a man would be like, and they saw that they are able to do just what men can do. Once the war was over the women began to speak out, demanding that they be given rights like men, using WWI as an example of their potential. Because of WWI, which was essentially the women's proving ground, the men had little if any excuse to bar them from such rights.
PS: the comment by Genjunky was me but apparently on my moms account...
I agree with Sarah. Since the men went to go fight in war, the women had take over jobs; this changed how women viewed themselves. They finally saw that they were capable of working as hard as men, and were also capable of doing the jobs men did before they went to fight. This will eventually show society that women are capable of doing things men do.
Jarren, I feel that WWI definitely allowed women to show of their potential and allow the rest of European society see how capable they really were. Society had always viewed them as weak, incapable beings, and I feel that the way they were able to keep Europe's economy still going during the war was amazing. This is a key factor as to how they received their rights.
Lily, I agree when you mentioned that female suffrage faced opposition. There was much opposition throughout the years, including acts such as the Witch Hunt's, the Napoleonic Code, and these all contributed to preventing women's suffrage. The war allowed women to show the dictators of European society how much potential they really had.
Woman were always seen as inferior to men for as long as any historian can trace back in time. Especially when it came to politics. The reasons being that a woman's brain was smaller than a man's brain, therefore she couldn't possibly make this political choice when it came to an election; that it was just not within her intellectual capacity to make that kind of a choice, according to Diane Atkinson.Also, that if women got involved in politics, they would stop getting married. When world war 2 started and all the men left, leaving the women with all their jobs, men, including the women themeselves, soon started seeing the potential that they had. Women started gaining confidence in themselves and tried to be more involved in matters of decision making, owning property, working male jobs, running the house and the farms, pursing education or even studying science. Many men were angered by this and didnt know what to do about it but woman still tried to rise up in the social ladder towards men as Gail Braybon explains. Women finally understood that they were important in the world too and men began to slowly realize it as well.
I also agree with Lily, all through the past women were inferior to men. Even through the enlightenment because of their physical unequalness to men. They were weaker so men automatically thought they were better. also that chaos had occured due to the fact that women wanted to vote. Also, that women understood that they were significant in the world because they could take on the jobs that the men left behind. Jobs such as the TNT that was extremely dangerous.
I also agree with Laura too, her agruement that there were many movements before WWI that had changed society but had nothing to do with women is truee. All of the rights that were given to men were not given to women. They werent thought of when those rights were thought up. Also about the suffragettes movents and how the government got anygry. Once that happened they didnt want to give the women the right to vote. Thy still believed that the women belonged at home taking care of the children, but they didnt realize that women were way past that.
World War I was a pivotal time for women because it gave them an opportunity to prove that women can do the men’s jobs as well as they can. Most women were not only cleaning the house and tending to the children as they were before the war. Since so many men went to war,
there was an increase in openings of employment and women replaced many of the men’s jobs. Fewer women were unemployed due to these new opportunities for work. Diane Atkinson spoke about how it was not within a women’s intellectual capacity to make a political choice when it came to an election. Gail Braybon stated that "Women knew that they were important to the war.” Women had to fulfill a new role in all sorts of jobs or the war couldn't have been fought. Women grew to becoming more significant in the male-dominated society and they demonstrates their potential capabilities.
Throughout history it has been a male centered society. If you look back through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and even up through modern times, it has always been about the male population dominating society. However, there have been a few women who were able to defy the odds and stand out as great women and leaders (Queen Elizabeth I). During WWI the majority of the men were in the military off fighting the war. As a result women had to make up the work force. They did their patriotic duty and began working in factories and in other fields. This allowed many women to realize that they were capable of many things they were told in the past that they were not able to accomplish. Thus women wanted more recognition and a greater part in society after the war. They stood together for what was right and just. If they were able to work in factories, nurse the sick, and still tend to their homes why should they not have a greater say in society? They were able to organize themselves to be heard.
Laura: I agree with how the role of women was changed because the shortage of men who were at war gave women the opportunity to prove that they can do the men’s jobs. That meant women stepped out of their status-quo role of taking care of the household and their children. I also agree with your example about the reasons why the government resisted giving women the right to vote. Additionally, women felt their importance in society and that lead to the society respecting them.
Tommy Cheong: The women’s inferiority decreased during World War I, especially because they became responsible for the men’s jobs when they went to war. I agree with your statement on how the society began to realize the women’s credibility because women moved away from the stereotypes about their roles in the household. Specifically, Diane Atkinson spoke about how women had smaller brains then men, so they would not be capable of making a political choice. Gail Braybon talked about the significance of women in order to participate in the war.
Jaren, I completely agree with your statement in the fact that women essentially replaced men during the war. I would like to add that because of this women wanted more part in society and this created feminism to rise. There were several feminists groups that rose and tried to get respect and reach equality. Many women tried to be more involved in society by leading these groups.
Isabella, I would agree with what you pointed out from the arguments Diane made, although I believe they were unjust because women are just as capable as men to do anything they put their minds too. That is exactly why feminism rose in this time period. Also, women should be allowed to marry even if they are associated in politics. All politicians, rather male or female, should have a partner to support and encourage them throughout their endeavors.I'm glad that World War 2 gave women a chance to show their irreplaceable worth.
Women were never given the same rights and opportunities as the men when it came to owning property, education, and even their rights to their children. Starting from the Industrial Revolution the expansion of new jobs for women and the withdraw of from the labor force, showed that they were useful but remained dependent of the males. During WWI that opinion changed as the responsibility of the females was forced to increase. They became responsible for more than just the cleaning, cooking, and children. They became a support system for the men in the war. This change gave opportunity to women to change their perspective of themselves and societies view. Women gained self respect and learned to value themselves and believed they were of equal importance to the men. Society wasn't exactly supportive to the idea of giving women the equal right because of past views and actions of the radicals. However women continued to fight for suffrage.
michaela I agree that the most significant change in women and their self respect was during the WWI. This is because of the active role during the war. As the men of the family left to fight in the war, the women were forced to take up the role of the men. Their success of being capable to work in the role of their husbands or fathers, proved to themselves equal to the men. This is the revelation that made the movement toward women suffrage possible.
isabella I understand why you believe that the men were angered by the women gaining self confidence and respect. This change in character of the women and their belief showed that the men were losing their power over women. Although some were supportive of women suffrage, society was not ready to see the change after so much time. Women were described as dumb, useless, and housekeepers. With this change the women could stand on the same social status as the men.
Women has always been looked down upon by society. During World War I, when working males are sent off into the war, many women took over their jobs. They took over jobs such as those in factories. The Great War had affected women's self-perception because they believe that since they had given so much, and proven that they could do the jobs men could, they deserve the same rights. Gail Braybon stated that if it weren't for women who fulfilled the roles and jobs, the war couldn't be fought. Despite that common belief of a woman's role in society, after WWI, women proved that they could be so much more.
The impact on women in world war one was like any war from those past generations. It was never easy for them to develop. They had been stuck with being nurses for the soliders and workers for the men. Way into the renissance era they had always been looked down upon by the men. But i believe that women are now starting to have so type of freedom. Voting had started to come into play for women of age.
I agree with Lily.As Diane Atkinson stated,women were believed to be incapable of making political decisions by society's misconception of a woman's anatomy. So when WWI broke out, it shed light on women's roles in society and how much more they could actually achieve. However, even though society began to recognize women's potential and importance, their suffrage and basic rights have yet to come.
I also agree with Taylor."I think many women did find the war a genuinely liberating experience." said by Gail Braybon. And many women did, as they found more job opportunities when men left to go to war. They've shown their ability to do things that only men supposedly should do.
I agree with lily because woment were never equal to men for a very long time.Women were a big part of war becauase they were the ones who were nursing the men. The took over the homeland while the men were in war. They finally started being reconized.
I also agree with sarah because men seen women as not as tough or smart. They seemed to hold the male race at the top of the pedistile. Yet didnt seem to notice the works of a women until this era. The women did definately porve themm selves to everyone else.
The impact on women in world war one was like any war from those past generations. It was never easy for them to develop. They had been stuck with being nurses for the soliders and workers for the men. Way into the renissance era they had always been looked down upon by the men. But i believe that women are now starting to have so type of freedom. Voting had started to come into play for women of age.
Before the war women could not even vote, never really had a chance to work, and if they did, were paid less than their male counter-part. The war gave women a chance to step up in society. Since all the men went out to fight in the war, women were able to replace their jobs back home. Another factor was the Great Influenza, women would help out by being nurses. This was really the first time where women did not seem inferior, but equal to their male counter-parts. This eventually led to more opportunities for women.
I agree with Sarah, the views of many people before this time were sexist. During this time women began to challenge the status quo and took over jobs that their husbands left behind. What women did during the war changed the thoughts of many. Men began to relies that women were important in the world.
I agree with Jaren, many of the peoples thoughts were based on old renaissance ideas. Women began to step out and replace the jobs that the men had. It was because of WWI women were able to stand up and have a voice. This led to women being able to vote, and to gain more rights.
Throughout history women have been considered inferior to men and had limited rights as well as opportunities compared to men. Diane Atkinson provided evidence of the genetic makeup of a female body that justified why they would be incapable of making righteous decisions such as voting in politics. However, World War I seemed to be a turning point for the women to prove their true capabilities in all factors in life rather than just household and reproduction. Galil Braybon explained that women played a large role during the first World War. Women were some what forced to work in different areas of labor in order for the war to be fought; due to the shortages rapidly occuring throughout the country for example food shortages. The roles women played at home while the men fought at war proved they were not inferior to men like society had previously portrayed. After women worked the same jobs as men and did the same quality labor they began to think more positively about themselves. Son after they began to demand equal rights from the government since they now knew they were not below men on the social ladder.
Response to Laura: Women were seen as lower than men on the social chain and like Sarah pointed out the Renaissance did encourage individuality for all EXCEPT women. I wanted to point out another occasion when equality was the goal and women were not apart of that equality gain. During the French Revolution the National Assesembly created the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the title was literal the rights only for MEN women had no rights in this document. During World War I, women acquired jobs that before were never thought to be a job a woman could do such as nurses and military participation.
Response to Michaela: I wanted to add on the the accomplishments of Elizabeth I being a great leader. She defeated the odds of the male-centered sovciety they were used to. She ruled without a husband and as an illegitmate child. She lead England to greater exporation overseas. A woman ruling a country without a man was shocking and proved that women are capable of great things despite their "smaller brains". When women joined together they often demanded to be heard even though the may not have recieved the outcome they wanted. But they took a stand and stod up for the right and just, just as Michaela pointed out.
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