New Roles For Women

Front 1

Transforming the Cold War Era

Back 1

- Growing emancipation of women in Europe and North America
- Grew out of LT changes in the basic patterns of motherhood and paid work o/s the home, which altered women's experiences and expectations, preparing the way for feminist thinkers and a militant women's movement in the 70s and 80s

Front 2

Changes in Marriages late 20th century

Back 2

- Late marriages producing demographic transition from high birthrates and death rates to low rates for both
- 1950s and 1960s the typical woman in the West married early and bore children quickly
- Post War baby boom did make for larger families and a fairly rapid population growth from 1 to 1.5% per year in many European countries
- Late 1960s, decline in birthrates resumed, and from mid 70s on, total population practically stopped, w/ limited subsequent growth coming mainly from immigration

Front 3

Pregnancy and Childcare

Back 3

- Occupied a much smaller portion of a woman's life
- Early 70s, half of Western women were having their last baby by the age of 26 or 27
- Women then had 40 years of working life in front of her
- male dominated society insisted on defining most women as mothers or potential mothers
- More and more women/mothers looked for new roles in the workplace o/s the family

Front 4

Three major forces that helped women searching for jobs

Back 4

1) Economy boom from 1950 to 1973 created a strong demand for labor
2) The economy continued its gradual shift away from the old, male-dominated heavy industries to the more dynamic white-collar service industries (govt., education, trade and health care)
3) Young Western women shared fully in the postwar education revolution and could take advantage of the growing need for office workers and well-trained professionals

Front 5

Working Women and the Decline in Birthrates

Back 5

- Went hand in hand
- women had significantly fewer children if they had a full-time job

Front 6

Women and Discrimination

Back 6

- Long-established with pay, advancement and occupational choice compared to men
- Could only find part-time work
- With divorce rates rising in the 60s, many women with teenagers found themselves in poverty due to only part-time jobs available to them

Front 7

Double Day for Women

Back 7

- Women who worked full-time, still had to face their responsibilities when they got home with the children and housekeeping
- These injustices women encountered lead to the subsequent movement of women's equality and emancipation

Front 8

Post-war Era for Married Women

Back 8

- Women saw employment as a permanent condition
- Women sought income and psychological satisfaction
- Sexism and discrimination in the workplace, and in the home, grew loathsome and evoked a sense of injustice that drives revolutions and reforms