🙋🏽‍♀️Gender in Modern American History Unit 5 – Gender and World War I

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Gender roles: societal expectations and norms associated with being male or female
• Suffrage: the right to vote in political elections
• Home front: civilian life and activities during wartime, while soldiers are away fighting
• Mobilization: the process of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war
• Propaganda: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view
• Rosie the Riveter: iconic cultural image of women working in factories during World War II, later associated with women's economic empowerment
• Shell shock: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by soldiers who fought in World War I
• Nineteenth Amendment: constitutional amendment passed in 1920 that granted women the right to vote in the United States

Pre-War Gender Roles and Expectations

• Victorian era gender norms emphasized separate spheres for men (public) and women (domestic)
• Women were expected to be pure, pious, submissive, and domestically oriented
• Men were expected to be breadwinners, protectors, and decision-makers
• Women's roles were primarily limited to housekeeping, childrearing, and volunteer work
• Higher education and professional careers were largely inaccessible to women
• Women's suffrage movement gained momentum in early 20th century, challenging traditional gender roles
• Some women, particularly working-class and immigrant women, worked outside the home in low-paying jobs (textile mills, domestic service)

Women's Mobilization on the Home Front

• Women took on new roles in the workforce to support the war effort
  • Worked in munitions factories, offices, and other industries
  • Filled jobs vacated by men who were drafted or enlisted
• Women's labor was essential for maintaining wartime production and economy
• Many women joined voluntary organizations (Red Cross, YWCA) to support the war effort
  • Rolled bandages, knitted socks, and prepared care packages for soldiers
  • Raised funds for war bonds and other patriotic causes
• Some women served as nurses, both at home and near the front lines
• Women's contributions challenged traditional notions of gender roles and capabilities
• Increased women's visibility in public spaces and roles outside the domestic sphere

Men's Experiences in Combat and Military Service

• Military service was seen as a masculine duty and rite of passage
• Men faced harsh conditions in the trenches, including disease, malnutrition, and psychological trauma
• New weapons technology (machine guns, poison gas) led to unprecedented casualties and injuries
• Many men suffered from "shell shock" (PTSD) due to the horrors of trench warfare
• Male soldiers formed close bonds and camaraderie in the face of shared adversity
• Some men challenged traditional gender norms through cross-dressing and other subversive acts
• Gay and bisexual men found new opportunities for self-expression and same-sex relationships in the homosocial environment of the military

Changing Gender Dynamics During Wartime

• Women's increased participation in the workforce challenged traditional gender roles
  • Demonstrated women's capabilities and potential for independence
  • Led to increased confidence and assertiveness among some women
• Men's absence from the home front disrupted traditional family dynamics
  • Women took on new responsibilities and decision-making roles within the family
  • Children experienced increased autonomy and responsibility in the absence of fathers
• Wartime conditions led to increased sexual freedom and experimentation
  • "Khaki fever" phenomenon of women pursuing relationships with soldiers
  • Increased visibility of prostitution and sexually transmitted infections
• Wartime gender dynamics laid the groundwork for post-war social and cultural changes

Post-War Impact on Gender Norms

• Women's wartime experiences fueled demands for greater social, economic, and political rights
  • Passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote in the US
  • Some women pursued higher education and professional careers in greater numbers
• Many women were pushed out of wartime jobs to make room for returning veterans
  • Reinforced traditional gender roles and the ideal of the male breadwinner
  • Led to a cultural backlash against women's independence and assertiveness
• Some men experienced a crisis of masculinity and identity after the war
  • Difficulty readjusting to civilian life and traditional gender expectations
  • Led to increased rates of divorce, substance abuse, and domestic violence
• Post-war culture emphasized a return to traditional gender norms and family values
  • Idealization of domesticity, motherhood, and feminine submissiveness
  • Marginalization of non-conforming gender identities and sexual orientations

Cultural Representations and Propaganda

• Wartime propaganda emphasized traditional gender roles and values
  • Portrayed men as brave soldiers and protectors of the nation
  • Depicted women as loyal supporters of the war effort and guardians of the home front
• Propaganda posters and advertisements used gendered imagery and slogans
  • "The Girl He Left Behind" and "Knit Your Bit" campaigns appealed to women's patriotism and domestic skills
  • "Daddy, What Did YOU Do in the Great War?" poster challenged men's masculinity and duty to serve
• Popular culture (movies, music, literature) reflected and reinforced wartime gender norms
  • Heroic portrayals of male soldiers and self-sacrificing female nurses
  • Romantic storylines emphasized the ideal of heterosexual love and marriage
• Some cultural representations challenged or subverted traditional gender norms
  • Depictions of strong, independent women in literature (e.g. Dorothy Canfield Fisher's "The Bent Twig")
  • Homoerotic themes and imagery in art and poetry (e.g. works by Wilfred Owen and J.C. Leyendecker)

Legacy and Long-Term Effects on Gender Relations

• World War I was a turning point in the history of gender relations and women's rights
  • Women's wartime experiences laid the groundwork for future feminist movements and social changes
  • Challenged traditional assumptions about women's capabilities and roles in society
• The war had a lasting impact on masculinity and male identity
  • Glorification of military service and the "lost generation" of disillusioned veterans
  • Increased awareness of the psychological and emotional toll of war on men
• The war accelerated social and cultural changes that were already underway
  • Increased urbanization, consumerism, and mass media influence
  • Changing sexual mores and the rise of the "flapper" culture in the 1920s
• The legacy of World War I continued to shape gender norms and expectations throughout the 20th century
  • Ongoing struggles for women's rights and gender equality
  • Evolving definitions of masculinity and femininity in response to social and cultural changes