Review the materials linked here: the links to the National Women’s History Museum essays by Dr. Kelly Spring on “Working in the Defense Industry” and working “On the Homefront”; the “Rosie the Riveter” photo essay by Miriam Frank, Marilyn Ziebarth and Connie Field, the link to WWII Propaganda Posters featuring Women Workers, and the chapter on “Eleanor Lewis Bomber Plant Worker” from World War II US Homefront by Martin Gitlin. For this discussion, 3 posts are required.
In your first post of at least 300 words, discuss American women’s varied work experiences during the Second World War. What types of jobs were women expected to fill? (in the military, or on the ‘home front’). Were society’s ideas about what was ‘appropriate’ “women’s work” changing at this time? If so, in what ways? In what ways were assumptions about “women’s work” remaining the same as they had been before the war? Make this first post between March 18 and April 1
For your second and third posts at least 150 words each, respond to your classmates’ posts, adding more information, asking questions, or making other substantive observations to get a discussion going.
sources to use:
https://www.womenshistory.org/resources/general/working-defense-industry
https://www.womenshistory.org/resources/general/home-front
respond to these 3 post:
1)Alicia Arias posted Mar 23, 2024 10:10 PM
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During WWII, American- women encountered a huge change in their jobs and obligations, both on the home front and in different areas of society (Winkler, 2002). The conflict encouraged an interest in work and abilities that ladies were progressively expected to fill, denoting a takeoff from conventional thoughts of “appropriate” women’s work. On the home front, women were called upon to add to the conflict exertion in assorted ways. The shortage of merchandise because of apportioning incited the public authority to urge ladies to oversee assets proficiently, prompting the advancement of “Victory Gardens” where women developed produce at home. This drive upheld food creation as well as ingrained a feeling of commitment and enthusiasm among women (Rosie the Riveter: Real Women Workers in World War II, n.d.).
In ventures generally overwhelmed by men, like the development, and upkeep of aero planes, shipyards, and rail lines, women ventured into jobs recently considered unsatisfactory for them. The number of utilized women flooded, mirroring their fundamental job in supporting the conflict machine. Rosie the Riveter (Rosie the Riveter, 2000) arose as an emblematic figure, addressing the engaged and able lady who could succeed in generally male-ruled fields. Furthermore, ladies assumed a pivotal part in military help through assistant administrations. A big number of women (350,000) enlisted in the military during the conflict, serving in different branches and limits. This was noticeably a huge takeoff from past standards, as women were currently coordinated into military tasks in extraordinary numbers.
In any case, regardless of these progressions, cultural mentalities toward women’s work were complicated. While the conflict required women’s cooperation in modern jobs and featured their abilities, it additionally supported specific generalizations. The nostalgic Image of women adding to the conflict exertion while keeping up with their jobs as homemakers sustained the possibility of a woman’s “natural” place in the public eye. This story, while praising women’s commitments, likewise darkened the variety of women’s encounters during the war. After the war, numerous women decided to keep working outside their homes, looking for financial freedom and valuable opportunities for self-awareness. This period denoted a critical change in women’s jobs and prepared for progressing conversations about orientation correspondence in the labor force and society at large (World War Ii U.s. Homefront. A History Perspectives Book [PDF] [5b4nd3gkcam0], n.d.).
References:
Rosie the Riveter. (2000). DEV: National Women’s History Museum. https://www.womenshistory.org/resources/lesson-plan/rosie-riveter
Rosie the Riveter: Real Women Workers in World War II. (n.d.). Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021687597/
Winkler, A. M. (2002). World War II Homefront: A Historiography. OAH Magazine of History, 16(3), 5-6.
World War Ii U.s. Homefront. A History Perspectives Book [PDF] [5b4nd3gkcam0]. (n.d.). Vdoc.pub. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://vdoc.pub/documents/world-war-ii-us-homefront-a-history-perspectives-book-5b4nd3gkcam0
2:
Amelia Ruiz posted Mar 28, 2024 3:21 PM
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During World War II, American women experienced a significant shift in their roles within society, both in the workforce and on the home front. With millions of men serving in the military, women were called upon to fill essential roles in various industries, contributing to the war effort in significant ways.
On the home front, women took on jobs that were traditionally held by men, particularly in industries vital to the war effort such as manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture. The iconic figure of Rosie the Riveter symbolized this shift, representing the millions of women who entered the workforce to support the production of essential goods like aircraft, ships, and ammunitions. Women working in defense industries like the Willow Run Bomber Plant played crucial roles in manufacturing parts for warplanes, contributing directly to the war effort and feeling a sense of purpose in their work.
However, despite their invaluable contributions, women often faced discrimination and unequal treatment in the workplace. While some women were able to secure skilled and higher-paying jobs, many were assigned to lower-paying positions with limited opportunities for advancement. The story of the worker’s aide who discovered her male colleague earned more despite having similar qualifications highlights the prevalent gender pay gap and unequal treatment women faced in the workforce.
Additionally, societal expectations regarding women’s roles and responsibilities remained largely unchanged during this period. Despite entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers, women continued to bear the primary burden of household chores and childcare. The excerpt mentioning the protagonist’s struggles to balance work and family responsibilities underscores the challenges many women faced in managing their dual roles as breadwinners and caregivers.
World War II marked a transformative period for American women, as they stepped into roles traditionally reserved for men and made invaluable contributions to the war effort. While the war provided opportunities for women to enter the workforce and challenge traditional gender norms, it also underscored the persistence of inequalities and challenges they faced in achieving true equality and recognition for their contributions.
3)
Angela Maiello posted Mar 29, 2024 9:36 PM
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The Second World War served as an extremely transformative time in the history of women in the workforce. Women were thrown into the wartime workforce abandoning their prewar occupations to take up jobs in the military such as nurses, clerks, mechanics and in some cases even pilots. Factory jobs such as ship building and building aircrafts that were traditionally done by the male work workers, were now the women’s responsibility. Even with women been given a new role in the workforce, black women were still held back as the white women refused to work with them and the miliary companies refused to hire them, that was until President Roosevelt made it illegal to discriminate against anyone in the work force and this allowed black and Chinese women to be hired to work in the same positions within the military even though there was still some discrimination. One big name company that took advantage of the female workforce was the Ford Motor Company.
Society’s ideas of women’s work were changing rapidly. during this time. Women became an integral part of the war workforce as the war necessitated a massive mobilization of labor and with most of the men bearing arms, women were the natural back up to fill the void. Women demonstrated their capabilities during this time there for advancing the shift in what society saw as women’s work.
Even with women showing their versatility in the military workplace they still suffered from discrimination as they were paid considerably less than the male workers before them. At wars end many women were pressured into giving up the jobs that they had done with valor to make way for the men returning from the war. Women were still seen as homemakers, and it was expected that they would prioritize their roles as housekeepers over anything else.
References : Dr. Kelly Spring Working in the Defense Industry.
: Eleanor Lewis Bomber Plant Worker, World War II US Homefront by Martin Gitlin.
