The Role of Women in The 1920's Essay Example

During the 1920’s, America experienced a turning point in the way society functioned. Traditional gender roles were challenged, laws were changed, and different ethnic groups of people found new ways of expressing their cultures. At the start of this decade, many women began to question and disregard the pre-established expectations of their roles in society as the homemakers and caregivers. They wanted a change from the way society expected them dress and behave and soon began to experiment with their own idea of individuality. Because of this attitude, women created the eccentric persona known as the “flapper girl”. A flapper girl was a woman who dressed and behaved in a modern fashion, as they usually sported short, styled, bob cuts and short, loose skirts. This look was a contrast from the old-fashioned look of long hair and modest dresses.  In addition to appearances, many laws were either changed or adjourned . A popular law still discussed today was the Prohibition Law, legislated in January,1920. This law banned the production and distribution of alcohol, though it was not illegal to consume it.  This law was quickly redacted in less than twenty years, though, having little to no effect on the many illicit alcohol dealers and who ignored this regulation. Though certain laws were implanted it hardly discouraged the growing influence that different cultures had exemplified during this time. For example, African Americans kickstarted a new era of music, arts, and literature called the “Harlem Renaissance”, which represented black culture in a newfound that Americans of all ethnicities could appreciate With all these changes, it is no surprise historians enthusiastically discuss this period of American history. However, while “The Roaring Twenties” in America is still one of the most reviewed topics about this era, other countries experienced exponential change and influence that would mold them into the countries known today. One country in particular, Japan, underwent immense transformations and defied ultra conservative practices, from the equal rights for women to taking control of governmental abuse. Though Japan’s history is vast, this era proved to be a major turning point in Japan’s history. 

In a similar manner to America, Japan underwent a powerful surge in feminism and female empowerment during the 1920’s. Having always been a country with strong conservative views, this movement would have most likely stirred sizeable amounts of conflict if Japan was not already being occupied from a previous war that left their economy and society unstable. Traditionally, women were supposed to be submissive and obedient to their husbands, cultivating the children they produced as the new residents of Japan.  Long established gender roles were now questioned, as women were now fending for themselves in result of the men’s wartime absence. After significant deliberating, women began to operate more self-sufficiently by organizing and demanding the right to vote, as they felt if they were a citizen of Japan as well as a wife. With this, women felt their right to vote went hand in hand with their specific roles in society. Then, akin to the American “flapper girl” symbol, came the emergence of the Japanese “New Girl” and the “Modern Girl”. The New Girl was a woman who was educated and politically active, though they received the most substantial criticism. They also believed and participated in romantic love, and their partner’s gender could male or a female.  The Modern Girl, though, was the pinnacle of social freedom for a woman, as they were usually young, sexually active, and part of the consumer culture. Being apart of the consumer culture especially important to the Modern Girl because they now could spend and save their money how they pleased, considering they could not do this before. By the early 1920’s, the Modern Girls fought for the ability to able to work, explore sexuality, and participate in consumer consumption, they found themselves doing just that. This led to professionalization of women and the new right to earn and spend their own income. The feminists of this time thought the ancient ideology of being the “good wife” and the “wise mother” were limiting to their political and social potential, and with the rising support and encouragement the women across Japan expressed toward their cause, these feminists fought to exploit and destroy the age- old traditions and expectations that held them back and kept them out of Japanese affairs.  

Comparably to America, the Japanese government’s emerging challenges became the focus of their energy and efforts, as equal rights for women were only a fraction of the nationwide developments Japan underwent. At the expense of a war with neighboring countries, their capricious government experienced sporadic and tumultuous consequences for the citizens.  After years of pending, the two-party political system developing in Japan was finally enacted following World War Ⅱ.  In 1918, Hara Takashi became the first person devoid of royal blood or descent to be made prime minster around this system, and he took advantage of the solid relationships he created with the other members in the government. However, being a person in a position of power does not always go without problems, as Takashi had to deal with inflation, adjusting the unstable Japanese economy, the incursion of foreign concepts, and the surfacing labor movement. Comparably to America, the Japanese government’s emerging challenges became the focus of their energy and efforts, as they had poorly applied prewar solutions to post war problems in the past. Hara combatted this ineffective method by encouraging new election laws, electoral redistricting, and initiating major government-funded work programs. For Japan, this proved to be highly innovative for their formerly unpredictable job and welfare system. Unfortunately, because of the lasting negative feedback to their growing national debt and the frenzy of new election laws, the general public grew restless and violent amongst themselves and toward the government. Because of this, Takashi was unfortunately assassinated in 1921. With Hara gone, so was the short-lived period of peace and progress Japan had managed to momentarily construct. Once again, this situation is comparable to America, as their time of prosperity and originality ended abruptly with the emergence of the Great Depression in 1929. Nonetheless, the Japanese were able to experience a brief form of economic stability that boosted their confidence as a community, society, and country, all the while helping ease their financial crisis and civil unrest.