Chapter 21 Section 2 The Twenties Woman

1. Chapter 21 Section 2 The Twenties Woman

2. The Twenties Woman Chapter 21 Section 2

3. The Flapper • Represented the idea of rebellious youth • Reflected the image of a new sophisticated woman

4. Pre – war clothes disappeared Replaced with bright, shorter dresses, silk stockings, pumps, beads and bracelets Flappers clipped their hair into “bobs” and dyed it black Wore dark lipstick

5. The New Attitude The Twenties woman was more assertive - she did things that would have ruined her reputation in the past • Smoking, drinking in public, playing golf

6. The New Attitude cont. . . • Attitudes toward marriage changed • Marriage was viewed as an equal partnership although women did have certain roles

7. The Double Standard • The media promoted the image of the flapper • Traditionalists in churches and schools protested the “new woman” • Casual dating became accepted

8. The Double Standard • Despite casual dating, women were held to stricter standards of behavior

9. New Work Opportunities • Work opportunities changed for women as men returned from the war and growing mechanization • 1 million female college graduates moved into “women’s professions”

10. The number of women as police officers, bankers, lawyers and probation officers increased as well

11. Big business also created a need for clerical workers • By 1930, 10 million women were earning wages • Medical schools imposed a 5% quota on female admissions

12. Men argued that a woman’s real place was in the home • Patterns of discrimination and inequality for women in the business world were established

13. The Changing Family • The birthrate was continually dropping in the 1920s – women were having fewer children • Agencies and institutions handled more and more family tasks • Schools, nursing homes, ready made clothes, etc.

14. Attitudes toward Marriage • Marriage was based on personal choice instead of family choices • Couples began to get divorced if they weren’t happy in their marriage

15. Working Women • Most women stayed home as housewives • If a woman worked: • it was thought that her husband failed as the breadwinner • her family really needed the income • she had a college degree

16. Working Women • Women who worked had to balance both work and family • Led to rebellious teens • Teens spent more time at school than at work (child labor laws) • Extra socializing led to rebellion

17. Quick Check