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Women During Ww2

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Wartimes serve as catalysts for major shifts in cultural and societal structures. World War II proved to be a turning point for women. The population of men decreased as they were shipped over to Europe, leaving an array of jobs available to women that had been previously closed. In addition, the 1940’s proved to be a pivot point for married women’s labor-force participation, resulting in significant economic and social changes. The decade of the 1940s saw the largest increase in female labor force participation during the twentieth century.
The wartime economy nearly doubled the participation rate of women in the workforce. The war caused a robust flourishment in the number of women working in the United States; from 10.8 million in March, …show more content…
The years following 1947 indicated that women continued to work in greater numbers, presumably because employment during the war changed their “preferences, opportunities, and information,” which provided them with greater flexibility in the availability of work (Acemoglu, 2004). These social changes brought about more favorable working conditions for women. By 1949, the size of the military was at peacetime levels, male labor force participation slightly exceeded pre-war levels, and the wartime labor supply shock had decreased (Acemoglu, 2004). This trend signifies that a gradual increase in the representation of women in the labor force was a result of the labor supply shock from the war. The resumption of peacetime conditions reflected an increase of female representation; female labor force participation was 5.1 percentage points higher in 1950 than in 1940 (Acemoglu, 2004). These statistics reflect a slight change in social views towards women: an increase in female labor force participation indicates that women could potentially replace men in the work place. Changing attitudes towards the ability of women would continue to spark a change in their social …show more content…
A husband’s absence meant that women maintained less responsibility within the house and that the family’s labor income dropped considerably; other women viewed working as a patriotic duty which was reason enough to join the war effort (Goldin, 2003). In addition, the shift in women’s economic role after World War II was partially to an increase in education. During wartime, male college enrollment and representation declined as young men joined the services, which resulted in an increase in demand for women in both undergraduate and graduate programs (Folland, 2002). Male teachers also left to participate in the wartime efforts. This opened up new opportunities for women to receive a college degree and enter

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