What were the main social developments

in the USA from 1945 – 2000?

Summary Chapter 3
a) What were the key developments in
popular culture?
b) How did youth culture change?
c) What were the key features of the
student movement?
d) How did the role of women in the USA
change in the years after 1945?

Do now:
What were the key developments in popular
culture in the USA from 1945 – 2000? (4 marks)

Ext: How did youth culture change?

How did the role of women in the USA
change in the years after 1945?

Film

Music
Cars
Key
Features
Popular
Culture
Youth TV

ICT
 How did the role of women in the USA
change in the years after 1945?
Learning Objectives:
Some to be able to analyse several reasons to create a judgement
on the impact of the feminist movement on American social
history.
Most to be able to explain several reasons why there was a
change in the role of women in the years after 1945.
All to be able to describe a few key features of the feminist
movement.
Starter: Source A
What can you learn from source A
about the traditional role of women of
1930s America?

Ext: Can you predict the impact that

the Second World War would make on
the traditional role of women?
How did the role of women in the USA change in
the years after 1945?
There were important changes in the position of women
in US society in the second half of the twentieth century.

The impact of the Second World War

• WW2 increased employment opportunities for
women: 6 million women entered factories in the
traditional ‘male’ jobs as machinists and toolmakers;
300,000 joined the armed forces.
• After the war the majority of women gave up their
wartime jobs and returned to their roles as mothers
and wives, or to their traditional ‘female’ jobs in
teaching, nursing and secretarial work.
1. So were you right? Did the Second World War
impact women’s lives significantly?
How did the role of women in the USA change in
the years after 1945?

The 1950s
• The media exerted influence in encouraging women to
adopt their traditional family role.
• Boredom with the domestic routine and increased
freedom due to labour saving devices encouraged
some women to seek paid employment, although their
choice of career was very limited.
 How did the role of women in the USA change in
the years after 1945?

Stereotypical image of
a suburban housewife
of the 1950s

Tip! Remember
In this type of question you need to
to spell out the identify a ‘change’ or a ‘lack of
change and the change’, making direct reference to
the information in both sources
reasons for it linked to your knowledge of this
topic area.

Woman of the 1960s breaking

out of the housewife mould
and taking up careers outside
the family home.
How did the role of women in the USA change in
the years after 1945?
The growth of the feminist movement – the 1960s and 70s.

Do you recognise this individual? What makes her

significant in US and world history?
How did the role of women in the USA change in
the years after 1945?
The growth of the feminist movement – the 1960s and 70s.

- 1950 29% ♀ work (1963) ♀ earned

50% of ♂ wages in
- 1960 50% ♀ work equal jobs

(1963) 95%
Betty Friedan called
managers, 93%
doctors and 96% for progress in ♀
opportunities
lawyers were ♂ Feminist
A person who
believes in
Feminists burnt equal social,
1966 National
their bras and economic and
Organisation for
picketed beauty political rights
women set up
pageants for women.
 How did the role of women in the USA change in
the years after 1945?
What does Source G show you about the Women’s Liberation
Movement?.

Click image:
1970 Miss World protest
Duration: 03:04
Footage from the 1970
Miss World competition
which was disrupted by
protestors from a
women's group who
opposed the
competition.

Source G Members of the Women’s Liberation Movement hold

protest signs outside the Miss America pageant (contest) in Atlantic
city, 7th September 1968.
How did the role of women in the USA change in
the years after 1945?
The growth of the feminist movement – the 1980s - 2000. During the
last two decades of the twentieth century women broke into
traditionally male dominated careers.

1981 Sandra Day In 1983 Dr Sally Ride

O’Connor became the became the first woman
first ♀ to be appointed to enter space on the
to the US supreme court shuttle Challenger

However, many of these

By 1995, 70% ♀ working
age were in
employment, compared
with only 38% in 1955.
jobs were in traditional
♀ occupations and by
1998 earnings were 75%
of ♂
 How did the role of women in the USA
change in the years after 1945?
Learning Objectives:
Some to be able to analyse several reasons to create a
judgement on the impact of the feminist movement on
American social history.
Most to be able to explain several reasons why there was a
change in the role of women in the years after 1945.
All to be able to describe a few key features of the feminist
movement.

Use your evidence to create a conclusion

1. What were the key features of the feminist movement

2. Why was the movement a turning point in social
history?
 How did the role of women in the USA
change in the years after 1945?
Use Sources A and B and your own knowledge to explain
why life had changed for some American women by the
1970s.
Source A: A description of the ideal woman
in Life magazine, 1956.

A 32 year-old pretty and popular suburban

housewife, mother of four, who had married
at the age of sixteen, an excellent wife,
mother, hostess, voluteer and home
manager, who makes her own clothes and,
hosts dozens of dinner parties each year,
sings in church chior, and is devoted to her
husband. In her daily round she attends club Source B: Members of the Women’s
or charity meetings, drives the children to Liberation Movement demonstrating in
school, and does the weekly grocery August 1970
shopping. Of all the accomplishments of the
American woman the one she brings off Read the student responses.
with most spectacular success is having Which gets the most marks and
babies, why?
 How did the role of women in the USA
change in the years after 1945?
The lives of many American women had changed
considerably by the 1970s. In the 1950s many women
were housewives, and concentrated their time upon
looking after the home and bringing up children. They
were expected to be a good mother and good wife. This
was the life of the ideal suburban housewife. By the
1970s however, things had changed. The 1960s had
seen the growth of the feminist movement and many
became involved in the fight for equal rights and sexual
equality. More women were entering university and the
professions. Attitudes had changed and through their
campaigns were now playing a more active part in
society and the work place.
 How did the role of women in the USA
change in the years after 1945?
Source A describes the position of women in the 1950s as given in ‘life’
magazine in 1956 and suggests that the stereotypical picture of a woman
was that of a suburban housewife. The source says that women were
expected to be good housewife's, spending their time looking after the home,
bringing up the home, being a good mother and a supportive wife.
Source B contrasts sharply with source A and shows that this lifestyle had
changed by the 1970s. The 1960s saw the growth of female liberation
organisations, and more women began to enter the workplace in search of
careers. Source B, shows members of the women's’ Liberation Movement,
demonstrating in August 1970. The banners the women are carrying call
for equal rights for women. Women were now demanding equal rights and
sexual equality. Many were spending longer in education, going to
university and getting good jobs in the professions.
These two sources show the change in attitude towards women that took
place between the 1950as and the 19760s. As a result of the growth of the
feminist movement shown in source B women gained in status in society
and advanced in the work place. This was very different from the position
of the suburban housewife shown in source A.
How did the role of women in the Green Pen Check 1:
Technical Accuracy
USA change in the years after
I have read my work
1945? aloud to ensure that
it is written clearly.

I have divided my
Complete your green pen check work into sentences
separated by full stops
and have used capital
letters correctly.
 Check your writing is logically organised and
appropriately detailed. I have started a
new paragraph when
 Read each sentence carefully, looking for technical the time, place or
subject changes.
errors.
I have not missed out
Tips: any words.

 start with the final sentence and work your way I have used a dictionary
back to the start, so you really do read each to check that my
spelling is accurate.
sentence separately and aren’t tempted to jump
forward in the text; it’s also worth I have put speech
remembering that your last sentence is the last marks around the
words that people
thing the examiner reads before you get your say.
mark. Make it count.
I have used tenses
 read your work ‘aloud’ to identify incomplete correctly
sentences or missing punctuation. I have asked my critical
friend to double
 Make a list of the sort of mistakes you know you check my work.
often make and look just for one of those each
time you read the sentence.
 How did the role of women in the USA
change in the years after 1945?
Learning Objectives:
Some to be able to analyse several reasons to create a
judgement on the impact of the feminist movement on
American social history.
Most to be able to explain several reasons why there was a
change in the role of women in the years after 1945.
All to be able to describe a few key features of the feminist
movement.

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