Women of the 20th Century Essays - 1670 Words

â€Å"I feel empty somehow†¦ incomplete†¦ I feel as if I don’t exist.† A sense of numbness was not uncommon for many women who lived in the suburban world of the 1950’s. Confined by a strong emphasis on family and gender roles, women acted as wives and mothers, but did not live as individuals; always being their child’s mother, or their husband’s wife, led these women to lose their sense of self. As prisoners of their own lives, suburban housewives experienced an identity crisis that stripped them of the desire to become whoever they wanted to be, and forced them to become what they were expected to be. The traditional housewife was not the only woman who found herself in a prison during the middle of the twentieth century, as a decade†¦show more content†¦This realization struck Mary in a profound way, as she began to understand that her life was no longer in her control, that it was now subject to the will of the federal gov ernment. Gruenewald describes living through those dreadful times of helplessness, as she recalls, â€Å"Days of the week no longer mattered†¦ My days simply came and went.† Finding what made her unique in a prison filled with people who looked and felt the same way she did was a challenge for Mary Matsuda, but it was the only way she could, even if just temporarily, escape the monotony of living as an imprisoned human being. An opportunity presented itself to Mary as she was selected to take part in a traditional Japanese dance performance for the rest of the camp. Describing the process of dressing up in her kimono and taking the stage, Gruenewald bears in mind that she was not only up there to perform, but to represent the beauty and value of her culture. This single event gave her an identity, and as she remembers, â€Å"I hadShow MoreRelatedWomen in the 20th Century1684 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"sexual revolution†, which mainly focused on women. Not only did it focus on the sexual liberation of women, but also the attitude towards women in corporate America. The sexual revolution was a major turning point on how women were perceived in pu blic, media, and politics. Throughout the 20th century women had become a political presence. They fought for the civil right of African Americans and were finally being heard as an organized group. Then women finally started to fight for their own rightRead MoreWomen During The 20th Century1548 Words   |  7 PagesWomen are a large part of our society. They always have been. Without women none of us would be here right now. In the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries women did not really get to work much. A woman s job was typically to have and take care of the children. Mother was the main title that a woman could have. Then WWI started, and all of the men went off to fight in the war. With all of the men off fighting, there was no one left to to work in the factories. All of the wives and mothers, and womenRead MoreWomen During The 20th Century1840 Words   |  8 PagesThe government and ladinos had certain designs upon the market place and who ought to control it, and Mayan women fought them on it on a daily basis in order to protect their own interests and survival. As such, the state and its apparatuses created ways to police women who had very strong presence in public, included in that categories were midwives, market vendors, and sex workers, all targets of liberal narratives surrounding social control and national development. Thus, the market place becameRead MoreThe Role of American Women in the 20th Century1318 Words   |  5 PagesBefore the 20th century, the constrictions of the private sphere limited the roles of American women to those that related to domesticity. These roles included child bearing, rearing, cleaning, cooking, and tending to their husbands. This meant that women tended to set aside their hopes and dreams for a future that would extend beyond their lives of domesticity in order to focus solely on their home life. However, at the beginning of the 20th century women took it upon themselves to move away fromRead MoreThe Objectification Of Women During Th e 20th Century1382 Words   |  6 Pagesthe depiction of women. The Objectification of women did not start with photography, but it certainly did not end with photography either. The progression of objectification was only blossoming in the 19th-20th century. At that time, most acknowledged photographers were men. Men were expected to live a public life, whether it was working in a factory or socializing with ‘likeminded’ men in public places, like parties or out and about taking photographs. On the other hand, women were usually expectedRead MoreWomen in Sports 19th and 20th Century1067 Words   |  5 PagesJen Pearlstein December 2, 2010 Kin 305 Women in Sports 19th and 20th Century Women’s participation in sports has changed over the centuries. In ancient times, men dominated societies. Women were viewed as the caretaker, a provider for life. Women who did participate were criticized and were thought of as threatening. In 18th century America, women were considered inferior to men because of the belief that women are the weaker sex. A woman’s purpose in life was to take care of the houseRead MoreWomen And Gender During 20th Century America3566 Words   |  15 Pages Name: Title: Institution: Women and gender In 20th Century America Abstract Paid work for women moved from principally customary female-situated employments to all the more non-conventional and already male-arranged vocations. Ladies support in the workforce prompted them to start careers in the field dominated by male in the 20th century. Career yearnings were affected by elements, such as sexual orientation, financial status, race, occupation and instruction level, and parental desires. ThisRead MoreOppurtunities and Struggles for women of the 20th century910 Words   |  4 Pagesclosing of the 19th century brought along many new technological and social changes. In the article â€Å"The New Technology and Women’s Work† by Sheila Rothman tells of the opportunities and struggles that women faced in the college and job market following the new social and technological advances of this period. Rothman tells of advancing opportunities in College, as well as Department stores and offices positions, while also acknowledging the limitations that still existed with women in social workplacesRead MoreWomen s Rights During The 20th Century1302 Words   |  6 Pagesmovements to fight for women s equalities happened in the 20th century. People like Betty Friedan, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony helped to make it possible. In the 20th century there were two waves of feminism and third started in the 80’s but still continues today. I talk about the first and second wave in this essay. Then how these waves have changed the role of women in society. One of the first things to change the role of women in society was the right to vote. Women were seen as anRead MoreMargaret Sanger : An Influential Women Of The 20th Century1375 Words   |  6 PagesI. Introduction Margaret Sanger was one of the most influential women of the 20th century. She worked tirelessly as a nurse tending to female patients in the slums of New York’s Lower East Side. This experience converted her into an activist, not only for feminism, but for fair working conditions in the textile industry. Margaret was a polarizing figure. She was seen as antagonistic, even by the groups she fought for. Nevertheless she continued to fight for her causes. The United States owes much