The Role of Women in Factory Work During World Wars (Essay Sample)

History Question Valori Bonds Course Code Name of Professor 20 March 2024 1. Did women who worked in factories gain a greater acceptance from the public for women working in non-traditional roles? The first and the second world wars were crucial periods in women employment and in the definition of women’s roles in the society. These two historical periods provided women with an avenue to be incorporated into factory employment. This shift not only questioned but also slowly changed age-old norms that had been governing the role women play in the labor force. The change did not happen in a moment or without resistance, but it was a precedent that had seriously changed labor and gender norms. The argument here is that women who worked in factories received more public acceptance about women working in non-traditional roles, which was initially necessitated but perpetuated in appreciation of the women's abilities and contributions during the world wars. In the First and Second World Wars, the production of military supplies required the participation of women, as most men left their factories to fight abroad, which was a domain that was usually dominated by men. Though this emergency response was considered a provisionary action at first, women proved to be very efficient, skilled, and dedicated in these positions, which started to break the existing stereotypes. The women’s actual successful assimilation to such positions was indeed powerful evidence that they could do more contrary to societal norms (Lynn Dumenil ed., American Working Women in World War II: A Brief History with Documents (New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2019), 25.). This transformation was greatly facilitated by the media and government propaganda, which often characterized women workers as patriots who were essential to the war, thus creating a favorable image of women in these roles among the public. The post-war period tried to return to the gender roles that were before the war, but the seeds of change w...