Flappers In The 1920s Essay
Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources
This investigation will explore the question: To what extent did the emergence of the flapper in the 1920’s effect women’s social equality? Specifically the 1920’s to early 1930’s and the transformation of the social role women.
To answer the question two sources were evaluated, Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s and The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom. The two sources provide information about the social changes of women, but portray two differing perspectives regarding the depth of involvement in the work force and society, one viewing women as a major and constant part of the workforce where the other regards working as the man’s role and the woman’s to be at the home.
The first source, Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s, written by Angela Latham a professor at Governors State University, was evaluated. Written in 2000, Latham explains that the role of women was not to take part in the work force and women were …show more content…
still made to be domestic, important information for the investigation regarding the social changes of women. The origin of this source is valuable because Angela Latham is a professor of history at Governors State University, and has a Ph.D., specializing in 20th century women, proving Latham knowledgeable and reliable. However, the source is limited because Latham is not a professional in history, but rather communication and performance studies, causing possible misinterpretations of historical documents.
The purpose of Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s was to explain the outside appearance changes of the flapper, including fashion and attitude throughout the 1920’s. The book was important to the investigation because the attitudes toward the dramatic changes and the controversy of the “fashion risks” showed that there was a large change taking place among the women of the time because of the flapper.
The second source, Emily Spivack’s The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom, written in 2013, tells about women being an ambitious part of society, joining the work force, taking men’s jobs and taking part in what previously were men’s activities.
The origin of the source is valuable because it was written by Emily Spivack, a professor at Pratt University and a writer for the Smithsonian, proving Spivack to be a credible source. Spivack is not an expert in history, but rather specifically women and fashion, limiting the source by creating a possibility that historical documents like The Flapper Magazine cited to be interpreted wrong. The purpose of the article was to explain the jump that the flapper women had taken in the 1920’s, proving important for the investigation by giving actual examples of the new social change that the women were
experiencing.
Although the two sources provide differing accounts for women during the 1920’s both were valuable to the investigation in determining the extent of social equality for women. Spivack’s information regarding women joining the workforce proved more useful to help form the argument for change of women by standing with the data found regarding women in the workforce.
527
Section 2: Investigation During the 1920’s a new woman was created, a woman that cuts her hair, smoked, joined the workforce, drove cars, attended college and danced. This woman was the flapper. (Spivack 2) Many Historians agree that the emergence of the flapper affected woman, changing their traditional appearance, roles and education. The extent of this change is debated, based off of the lack of the lasting effect of the new found equality. According to William H. Chafe, an esteemed professor at Duke University, “Instead of changing radically, then, traditional conceptions of the woman’s “place” in the first part of the twentieth century simply expanded to incorporate new elements.” (Chafe 33) The emergence of the flapper led to the change of social equality for women, changing the stereotypical role that the woman typically held. The beginning of social freedom for woman began with the suffrage for women. Carolyn Kitch, a professor at Temple University, said, “The foremost symbol of a woman’s increasing influence in the American 1920’s, [was] her right to vote” (Kitch 9). Susan B. Anthony, a strong leader in the woman’s suffrage movement, led women to fight for their right to vote. The Supreme Court ruled that the 14th amendment included women, but revoked the right by stating that the amendment did not extend to all citizens. With a new president in favor of women’s suffrage the 19th amendment passed in 1919, allowing women the right to vote. Dorothy M. Brown, a professor at Georgetown University, says the flapper with political power was “a wholesome loveable creature with surprising bad manners. She has gone to college, and when she graduates, she is going to earn her own living. She declines to be dependent upon a father and mother amply able to support her. She will do settlement work; she won’t go to church; she has views upon marriage and the birth-rate, and she utters them calmly” (Brown 31). Brown goes on to talk about how the mother would be surprised that her daughter actually held a viewpoint, further proving the difference between the past and the ever-changing present. This change becomes a normality in the 1920’s with the new form of women, the flapper. The flapper, emerging in the 1920’s, is a woman different than any previous ones. Women began to shorten their skirts, cut their hair, smoke cigarettes and enjoy greater sexual freedom. Very important to the flapper era is the freeing sexuality, women are no longer required to be pure and innocent (Spivack 2). In the beginning of the 1920’s a “new awareness of contraceptive devices” and an “increased recognition of female sexuality signified an important expansion of sexual freedom” (Chafe 119) leading to the promiscuous behavior of the flapper. On the other hand, in the late twentieth century women began to view the flapper’s new morals and manners with distaste and disgust, showing although a large leap was made in the social situation of the female, the changes made were not permanent in the history of the woman (Spivack 4). But overall, the flapper created a new woman that expanded what the previous role of woman was thought to be, breaking the cult of domesticity. Not only is the flapper acting as a symbol for sexual freedom and rebellion; the flapper created social equality by increasing education and opportunities for women and girls. Schools were now places of living for women, but created strict rules that women had to follow regarding clothing choices. Although taking away some social liberty with rules regarding dress, schools also empowered women by allowing them the education and knowledge that was previously thought to be just for men (Brown 133). According to Brown, “In 1900, 85,000 women were in college; in 1920, the number increased to 431,000… 43.7 percent of the total college population” (Brown 248). In twenty years the amount of women in school multiplied by 5, proving women were facing social equality through education and will soon be able to join the work force alongside of the men. President of Smith College, William Allan Neilson observed, “the path blazed by the nineteenth-century pioneers had become a highway” (Neilson 539-40). Brown also went on to say, “By 1920, the generations of women who had hungered for education had fought for it were succeeded by a generation that took it for granted” (Brown 248), proving that the flapper women of the 1920’s were fighting and succeeding for social equality but, the extent of the social change for future women without the flapper was not guaranteed. The new social role and freedom from the flapper led to the woman holding a powerful role in economic life too. The concern of appearance was higher for women, causing them to become the main subject of advertising. Ads included clothing, beauty products and household appliances that guaranteed to make housework for women quick and easy (Perry 62). But, once married women would drop their flapper act and begin the life of caring for their family, able to shop with their husband’s money women kept their economic advancement as well as their political advancement with the gained right to vote. But, unable to flaunt their sexuality or exclaim their rebellion through the flapper lifestyle women lost some social rights (Latham 49). Historian Preston W. Slosson states that while acting as a flapper, a woman would “care little for approval or disapproval and went about her act…a marathon dancing contest, driving an automobile at seventy miles an hour, a Channel swim, a political campaign or a social-service settlement” (Slosson 157), while “eventually … [women] settled down in a four-room kitchenette apartment to raise two children, another “younger generation” to thrust them back to the stage among the old fogies” (Slosson 157). Although seen as being restrained by marriage, women who were married did hold jobs. According to the Women’s Bureau of the US Department of Labor, employment records published in 1928, regarding a census from 1920 women that were married made up 23% of the working class women. While 23% is about one fourth of the working woman population, it is larger than in 1910, showing the advancement of social rights for married women. Rebecca Onion, an admired historian, observed the graphs saying, “The figures show that women’s work was, on the whole, segregated in familiar sectors: clerks, bookkeepers, stenographers, laundresses, and waitresses. “Professional” women were most often school teachers.” (Onion 12) Onion points out that while women were joining the workforce they possessed jobs that were seen as frivolous. Although not highly esteemed jobs women now had jobs which was a big step forward in the social equality of women. Overall, the flapper played a big part in altering the social role of the women by allowing women to be more sexually promiscuous, appearance oriented, educated, and hold an opinion about politics or current situations. A main influence to the social gains of women come from the empowered flapper women becoming a common part of the work force, according to Ole Reinsch of University of Cologne women in the work force were offered “a lower salary of 10 to 25% in comparison to men, and shorter professional life” but on the other hand had “increasingly better chances to gain employment”. The two contrasting points show that although women were not socially equal, the large gap between the two genders was closing, a success for the flapper and women of the 1920’s. Lastly, although the social rights of women drop when married, women still maintained a higher social status than before the 1920’s by being educated, keeping up appearances and holding jobs rather than just taking care of the home and being domestic.
.
1270
Section 3: Reflection
Throughout this investigation, I have been able to further understand the job of historians and the depths they have to go to when analyzing and developing ideas. While researching, historians have to observe sources from multiple points of view, analyzing different sources that may contain bias. During my investigation the source The 1920s, cited H.L. Mencken, a critic of culture and a scholar of American English. Mencken regarded the flapper to be “a young and somewhat foolish girl, full of wild surmises and inclined to revolt against… her elders” (Drowne 30). Mencken’s statement about the flapper is understandable based off of him being a critic of popular culture but, his statement contains major bias, something I had to take into account when gathering and analyzing historical data.
Also, I learned that obtaining the necessary documents and data for research is sometimes troublesome. Finding records of jobs for women was difficult, during my research I had to search for job records of women which were not very common in the early 1900’s. Because the record of woman working was not very important to the time the documents are sparse and possibly not done accurately. I was only able to come across Vintage Infographics: Were Women Worked in 1920, which gave me useful, but sparse data regarding married women in the work force. Through the process of selecting accurate data from the time period I was able to understand the struggle historians are having to face while searching for documents and records that may not exist, or be very reliable.
Finally, the investigation proved to me that all historian’s versions are acceptable when supported by accurate data, although some versions might be more accurate than others. For example, during my research I have encountered two differing views on flappers in the work force. One source, Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s argues that women’s role in the work force in nonexistent; whereas the other source, The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom argues that women held a very strong role in the workforce, taking jobs from men. Despite the two different accounts both sources are accredited because they both back up their claims with accurate data.
Overall, this research has allowed me to understand the job of historians and the problems that they have to face when gathering information for their research.
This investigation will explore the question: To what extent did the emergence of the flapper in the 1920’s effect women’s social equality? Specifically the 1920’s to early 1930’s and the transformation of the social role women.
To answer the question two sources were evaluated, Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s and The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom. The two sources provide information about the social changes of women, but portray two differing perspectives regarding the depth of involvement in the work force and society, one viewing women as a major and constant part of the workforce where the other regards working as the man’s role and the woman’s to be at the home.
The first source, Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s, written by Angela Latham a professor at Governors State University, was evaluated. Written in 2000, Latham explains that the role of women was not to take part in the work force and women were …show more content…
still made to be domestic, important information for the investigation regarding the social changes of women. The origin of this source is valuable because Angela Latham is a professor of history at Governors State University, and has a Ph.D., specializing in 20th century women, proving Latham knowledgeable and reliable. However, the source is limited because Latham is not a professional in history, but rather communication and performance studies, causing possible misinterpretations of historical documents.
The purpose of Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s was to explain the outside appearance changes of the flapper, including fashion and attitude throughout the 1920’s. The book was important to the investigation because the attitudes toward the dramatic changes and the controversy of the “fashion risks” showed that there was a large change taking place among the women of the time because of the flapper.
The second source, Emily Spivack’s The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom, written in 2013, tells about women being an ambitious part of society, joining the work force, taking men’s jobs and taking part in what previously were men’s activities.
The origin of the source is valuable because it was written by Emily Spivack, a professor at Pratt University and a writer for the Smithsonian, proving Spivack to be a credible source. Spivack is not an expert in history, but rather specifically women and fashion, limiting the source by creating a possibility that historical documents like The Flapper Magazine cited to be interpreted wrong. The purpose of the article was to explain the jump that the flapper women had taken in the 1920’s, proving important for the investigation by giving actual examples of the new social change that the women were
experiencing.
Although the two sources provide differing accounts for women during the 1920’s both were valuable to the investigation in determining the extent of social equality for women. Spivack’s information regarding women joining the workforce proved more useful to help form the argument for change of women by standing with the data found regarding women in the workforce.
527
Section 2: Investigation During the 1920’s a new woman was created, a woman that cuts her hair, smoked, joined the workforce, drove cars, attended college and danced. This woman was the flapper. (Spivack 2) Many Historians agree that the emergence of the flapper affected woman, changing their traditional appearance, roles and education. The extent of this change is debated, based off of the lack of the lasting effect of the new found equality. According to William H. Chafe, an esteemed professor at Duke University, “Instead of changing radically, then, traditional conceptions of the woman’s “place” in the first part of the twentieth century simply expanded to incorporate new elements.” (Chafe 33) The emergence of the flapper led to the change of social equality for women, changing the stereotypical role that the woman typically held. The beginning of social freedom for woman began with the suffrage for women. Carolyn Kitch, a professor at Temple University, said, “The foremost symbol of a woman’s increasing influence in the American 1920’s, [was] her right to vote” (Kitch 9). Susan B. Anthony, a strong leader in the woman’s suffrage movement, led women to fight for their right to vote. The Supreme Court ruled that the 14th amendment included women, but revoked the right by stating that the amendment did not extend to all citizens. With a new president in favor of women’s suffrage the 19th amendment passed in 1919, allowing women the right to vote. Dorothy M. Brown, a professor at Georgetown University, says the flapper with political power was “a wholesome loveable creature with surprising bad manners. She has gone to college, and when she graduates, she is going to earn her own living. She declines to be dependent upon a father and mother amply able to support her. She will do settlement work; she won’t go to church; she has views upon marriage and the birth-rate, and she utters them calmly” (Brown 31). Brown goes on to talk about how the mother would be surprised that her daughter actually held a viewpoint, further proving the difference between the past and the ever-changing present. This change becomes a normality in the 1920’s with the new form of women, the flapper. The flapper, emerging in the 1920’s, is a woman different than any previous ones. Women began to shorten their skirts, cut their hair, smoke cigarettes and enjoy greater sexual freedom. Very important to the flapper era is the freeing sexuality, women are no longer required to be pure and innocent (Spivack 2). In the beginning of the 1920’s a “new awareness of contraceptive devices” and an “increased recognition of female sexuality signified an important expansion of sexual freedom” (Chafe 119) leading to the promiscuous behavior of the flapper. On the other hand, in the late twentieth century women began to view the flapper’s new morals and manners with distaste and disgust, showing although a large leap was made in the social situation of the female, the changes made were not permanent in the history of the woman (Spivack 4). But overall, the flapper created a new woman that expanded what the previous role of woman was thought to be, breaking the cult of domesticity. Not only is the flapper acting as a symbol for sexual freedom and rebellion; the flapper created social equality by increasing education and opportunities for women and girls. Schools were now places of living for women, but created strict rules that women had to follow regarding clothing choices. Although taking away some social liberty with rules regarding dress, schools also empowered women by allowing them the education and knowledge that was previously thought to be just for men (Brown 133). According to Brown, “In 1900, 85,000 women were in college; in 1920, the number increased to 431,000… 43.7 percent of the total college population” (Brown 248). In twenty years the amount of women in school multiplied by 5, proving women were facing social equality through education and will soon be able to join the work force alongside of the men. President of Smith College, William Allan Neilson observed, “the path blazed by the nineteenth-century pioneers had become a highway” (Neilson 539-40). Brown also went on to say, “By 1920, the generations of women who had hungered for education had fought for it were succeeded by a generation that took it for granted” (Brown 248), proving that the flapper women of the 1920’s were fighting and succeeding for social equality but, the extent of the social change for future women without the flapper was not guaranteed. The new social role and freedom from the flapper led to the woman holding a powerful role in economic life too. The concern of appearance was higher for women, causing them to become the main subject of advertising. Ads included clothing, beauty products and household appliances that guaranteed to make housework for women quick and easy (Perry 62). But, once married women would drop their flapper act and begin the life of caring for their family, able to shop with their husband’s money women kept their economic advancement as well as their political advancement with the gained right to vote. But, unable to flaunt their sexuality or exclaim their rebellion through the flapper lifestyle women lost some social rights (Latham 49). Historian Preston W. Slosson states that while acting as a flapper, a woman would “care little for approval or disapproval and went about her act…a marathon dancing contest, driving an automobile at seventy miles an hour, a Channel swim, a political campaign or a social-service settlement” (Slosson 157), while “eventually … [women] settled down in a four-room kitchenette apartment to raise two children, another “younger generation” to thrust them back to the stage among the old fogies” (Slosson 157). Although seen as being restrained by marriage, women who were married did hold jobs. According to the Women’s Bureau of the US Department of Labor, employment records published in 1928, regarding a census from 1920 women that were married made up 23% of the working class women. While 23% is about one fourth of the working woman population, it is larger than in 1910, showing the advancement of social rights for married women. Rebecca Onion, an admired historian, observed the graphs saying, “The figures show that women’s work was, on the whole, segregated in familiar sectors: clerks, bookkeepers, stenographers, laundresses, and waitresses. “Professional” women were most often school teachers.” (Onion 12) Onion points out that while women were joining the workforce they possessed jobs that were seen as frivolous. Although not highly esteemed jobs women now had jobs which was a big step forward in the social equality of women. Overall, the flapper played a big part in altering the social role of the women by allowing women to be more sexually promiscuous, appearance oriented, educated, and hold an opinion about politics or current situations. A main influence to the social gains of women come from the empowered flapper women becoming a common part of the work force, according to Ole Reinsch of University of Cologne women in the work force were offered “a lower salary of 10 to 25% in comparison to men, and shorter professional life” but on the other hand had “increasingly better chances to gain employment”. The two contrasting points show that although women were not socially equal, the large gap between the two genders was closing, a success for the flapper and women of the 1920’s. Lastly, although the social rights of women drop when married, women still maintained a higher social status than before the 1920’s by being educated, keeping up appearances and holding jobs rather than just taking care of the home and being domestic.
.
1270
Section 3: Reflection
Throughout this investigation, I have been able to further understand the job of historians and the depths they have to go to when analyzing and developing ideas. While researching, historians have to observe sources from multiple points of view, analyzing different sources that may contain bias. During my investigation the source The 1920s, cited H.L. Mencken, a critic of culture and a scholar of American English. Mencken regarded the flapper to be “a young and somewhat foolish girl, full of wild surmises and inclined to revolt against… her elders” (Drowne 30). Mencken’s statement about the flapper is understandable based off of him being a critic of popular culture but, his statement contains major bias, something I had to take into account when gathering and analyzing historical data.
Also, I learned that obtaining the necessary documents and data for research is sometimes troublesome. Finding records of jobs for women was difficult, during my research I had to search for job records of women which were not very common in the early 1900’s. Because the record of woman working was not very important to the time the documents are sparse and possibly not done accurately. I was only able to come across Vintage Infographics: Were Women Worked in 1920, which gave me useful, but sparse data regarding married women in the work force. Through the process of selecting accurate data from the time period I was able to understand the struggle historians are having to face while searching for documents and records that may not exist, or be very reliable.
Finally, the investigation proved to me that all historian’s versions are acceptable when supported by accurate data, although some versions might be more accurate than others. For example, during my research I have encountered two differing views on flappers in the work force. One source, Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s argues that women’s role in the work force in nonexistent; whereas the other source, The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom argues that women held a very strong role in the workforce, taking jobs from men. Despite the two different accounts both sources are accredited because they both back up their claims with accurate data.
Overall, this research has allowed me to understand the job of historians and the problems that they have to face when gathering information for their research.