III. Men
Gender in the Twenties
Guiding Question
• Were the Twenties an era of progress for white women?
I. Progress
• Women experienced a large degree of social and political liberation during the twenties.
I. Progress
• Political Liberation– Suffrage granted in 1920 via the Nineteenth
Amendment.
– Despite fears it would radically alter American politics, it did not have a significant impact.
I. Progress
• Flappers– Characteristics of Flappers:
• Shunned some traditional gender roles• Sexually liberated
– Represented Flapper Slang:• "I have to go see a man about a dog" • "handcuff" • “Speakeasy”
II. Reaction
• For most women, it was NOT a time of progress, and even middle class women were still largely dominated by male expectations.
II. Reaction
• Organized feminism was divided.
• League of Women Voters – Women had a “special” role as women,
should focus on humanitarian reform.
• National Women’s Party– Men still oppress women, demanded passage
of the Equal Rights Amendment.
II. Reaction
• Failure of the ERA– The ERA was opposed by many, especially
by groups representing women laborers (think Muller v. Oregon).
– Though, the ERA vanished until the 1970s.
II. Reaction
• Flappers were only a small portion of society (middle, upper middle, upper class).
• Immigrant laborers, not to mention African American laborers, were still doubly burdened.
II. Reaction
• Flappers, while perhaps more liberated, were NOT politically oriented.
• Some even rejected old style feminism.
• Body image?
III. Men
• During the Twenties, both heterosexuals and homosexuals patronized gay clubs, known as “Panzy Clubs.”
• While never officially and widely accepted, homosexuals were more tolerated than ever before.
Review
• Did the roles of women really change in the 1920s?