Picture it: the 1940’s. There was a breath between one World War and the next. It was before the time of the electronic/technological boom. And it was a time where gender roles ran very, very strong. In the United States and many parts of Europe, women were… encouraged… to adhere to the gender roles society had in mine for them.
What about a job? Well, if you really wanted a job as a woman, you could get one. However, your options were limited. Some of the jobs you may have been encouraged to take were: receptionist, phone operator, nurse, or teacher. If your ambitions were higher, say, to be a doctor or engineer, the chances were you were strongly dissuaded by your school counselor, pastor, or parents. While this was common for that time, I implore you to talk to some of the women who grew up then (it can be a very sobering, yet enlightening experience).
Women who did not listen to authority would still have a battle. Higher education was a man’s world, and many a time it was known when women were not welcome. Women may have been heckled, demeaned, and devalued as an equal peer in universities. They may have faced discriminatory practices and biased professors. Still, these women were strong and determined, and carved their niche into the world. The niche they wanted.
What about a job? Well, if you really wanted a job as a woman, you could get one. However, your options were limited. Some of the jobs you may have been encouraged to take were: receptionist, phone operator, nurse, or teacher. If your ambitions were higher, say, to be a doctor or engineer, the chances were you were strongly dissuaded by your school counselor, pastor, or parents. While this was common for that time, I implore you to talk to some of the women who grew up then (it can be a very sobering, yet enlightening experience).
Women who did not listen to authority would still have a battle. Higher education was a man’s world, and many a time it was known when women were not welcome. Women may have been heckled, demeaned, and devalued as an equal peer in universities. They may have faced discriminatory practices and biased professors. Still, these women were strong and determined, and carved their niche into the world. The niche they wanted.
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