Gender and WWI: The Deconstruction of a Social Construct (Essay Sample)

In the early twentieth century, before World War I, society’s gender structures pushed women into their homes and men into work and battle. World War I, unlike any war before, was so large and brutal that it required all men of a certain age to be recruited to fight. Men had to leave their homes, wives, and families opening opportunities in the workplace for women due to the lack of workers and the increase in demand for supply. World War I did not entirely challenge gender roles, as the war reinforced men’s traditional roles in society, but women experienced changes that brought them increased independence, challenging the typical pre-war gender roles that restricted women to the household.

Before World War I, women were held to social standards that defined their central purpose as mothers and wives, limiting their social power and respect. There was a stark polarity between feminine and masculine. The difference between the two genders allowed for the common stereotypes that, “women acted emotionally, and men acted rationally; women resided in the domestic sphere” and, “men resided in the public sphere; women acted as nurturers, and men acted as warriors; women gave life, and men took life.” The polarity between the two stereotypes allowed for ideas that gave men and masculinity a sense of superiority over women. Society only valued women who had “a chance for a husband, a home, and a family.” By attaching the idea that a good woman is someone who was capable of being married and having a family, society pushed away from the idea that women could have careers. For example, a letter from Jean Chatanay to his wife talked about “bringing up the girls” and how “[he was] not anxious.” Although this could be his way of comforting his wife and preparing her for the possibility of his death, it also describes how he thought his wife was capable of bringing up this family He does not state that he is calm about anything else, such as how she was going to make money, probably because Chatanay trusted his wife’s maternal instincts above anything else and because she was a woman and women’s purpose in life was to raise children. Another way in which women were forced into their households was the construction of gender and how it “gave femininity a cultural meaning diametrically opposed to masculinity.” This meant that whatever society said a man was, which in this case was strong and independent a woman was the opposite; meaning that women were weak and dependent.

Pushing away from the old stereotypes of what women were capable of, the new style of clothing and hair that women popularized reflected a new sense of self-worth that came from the opportunities for work and the new attention to their social lives. Some noticeable changes in appearance for women happened when they, “[raised] their skirts and [left] off corsets” and when “women began to ‘bob’ their hair- not only cutting it but cutting it short.” By rebelling against something as simple as what the traditional female attire was, women were able to try to break down the idea of being “ladylike” and modified how they appeared to the public, changing their demeanor from kind and gentle to a more masculine, less fussy approach. Without the distraction of long hair, and uncomfortable clothing such as long skirts and corsets, women were able to work much more efficiently. This change was also seen through the shift in the attitude of women in public. It was especially different when “women and girls frequented the nightclubs that had sprung up during the war, and single women dined in restaurants without escorts” and when they “began to smoke in public, and their drinking increased.” These were important changes because they proved that through their newfound independence women enjoyed more typically masculine actions such as drinking and smoking, and women were able to show that they had many things in common with men and were much more similar than society had originally thought. Changing their looks and attitudes to reflect their new mindset allowed women to push back against the restrictive stereotypes from before the war and proved their independence. 

Another important change for women from the war was that they were able to get jobs proving their capabilities were not just keeping a tidy and organized household but that they were capable of doing difficult labor. For example, because men had to leave for the war, “the German machine [industry’s] women workers increased from 75,000 in 1913 to nearly 500,000 in 1918.” This entry into the workforce allowed many more women to get their first paying job and for them to show that they had a purpose and could help with the war effort even if they were not on the battlefields. Becoming employed was an important change for women as women were finally able to get some recognition for all of the work that they did from not only their peers but the media as well. For example, one of many posters that showed women in the workforce (See Figure A) during World War I showed women who worked in a metal factory where they could be seen in pants, which were a popular style. The poster also showed that women were doing difficult work with metals, which demonstrated that women were more than just mothers and wives. By utilizing the media, getting jobs, and changing their overall appearances, the women were able to push back against the stereotypes that confined women to their homes.  

Before World War I, the standard for successful men was to be hardworking and strong which was only reinforced by the war due to the active presence men had in the military. Society often linked the idea of masculinity to physical strength, hard labor and fighting, making men believe that they had the responsibility to be leaders and that men were the more capable gender. Men’s role in society did not significantly change whether it was how they treated women or their sense of themselves and personality. In a recruitment poster created by the British army, (See figure C) a man is shown in uniform holding a gun protecting a village. The man is large and stands out, making it easy to see that he is pointing at the village as if it’s the thing that he wants to protect and that you should want to protect it as well. The idea that a man, not a woman, was needed to protect the village ties back to the idea that men were strong and capable. Another way that men showed their sense of superiority is how they treated women. As a man said, “[women] were the objects of war, often as sexual conquests or rewards of war” and that “soldiers frequently visited brothels and employed prostitutes during World War I” whether they were “older or younger, married or single.” By objectifying women and viewing all women to someone in a sexual role, he diminished all of the hard work and labor that women had done for the war effort. 

World War I created many opportunities for change for both men and women, but only women’s roles had really changed. Men before and after the war were viewed as strong and powerful, whereas women were able to utilize the men’s absence to prove their worth and capabilities. Because men’s roles did not change, and they were seen as the more capable gender, many more jobs were taken from women and given to men after the war ended and men returned home. Although women lost many of their jobs, their changes in appearance and attitudes stayed. Women then fought and received voting rights which ultimately allowed them to gain some social power. Although not entirely successful in creating equality, World War I brought women more rights even though the gender standards for men remained the same.