The Changing Role and Status of Women since 1945.
Extracts from this document...
Introduction
The Changing Role and Status of Women since 1945 1. Source A suggests women were being discriminated in favour of men. It also shows that women were being made 'redundant' to make way for the men who had returned from the war. This source reflects what was happening all around Britain in 1945. All the women did not want the same thing because many were accustomed to the way they leave. However, there were many women who actively fought for women's rights. Some women welcomed the change but many others didn't because after the war people would like to return to normal and for some women this meant staying at home like they used to before the war. 2. Source C reinforces the image of Source A, which shows that women should return to their homes and become housewives. Source C is blatant propaganda by national media. ...read more.
Middle
This shows that the children were being indoctrinated from a very early age which contributed to discouraging women's independence because the children grew up to believe what they had learnt at school. Women were taught that they were to stay at home and help their mother in the home as girls, and when they grew older they were expected to adopt the role of their mothers as good mothers and wives themselves. 4. The Equal Pay Act and other legislation did not achieve the desired effect from a number of reasons. As is apparent from Source F, laws do not bring about social change because it cannot change the hearts and minds of people, and unless women organise and fight for their rights they will get nowhere. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s many demonstrations and protests took place campaigning to liberate women. The two main groups who fought endlessly for women's rights were the suffragettes, who tended to be violent and direct in their protests and the suffragists who were more peaceful in comparison. ...read more.
Conclusion
All of the sources show that since 1945 to date, the government in particular and men in general, have on the whole been hostile towards women competing with men on both rights and jobs. Women themselves felt that they had a moral responsibility to look after her husband and her children. Many felt that being a housewife was more important than being successful by working as indicated in Source D. Source E, which is an extract from a Janet and John reading book, (which was used even when I was in nursery, shows how quick I was at reading!) indoctrinated children from an early age to show the position and status of men and women. In conclusion, even today, in the 21st century, women are not fully liberated, because the high paid and 'elite' jobs, occupations and professions are still dominated by men. Zafar Abbas Naquvi 11 Blue ...read more.
This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE USA 1941-80 section.
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