Hegel’s text, published in the early 19th century, discusses the master-slave dialectic. This is the idea that man establishes his “self-consciousness” by identifying those apart from him as the “other” or “non-I”. De Beauvoir’s text, published in 1949, takes this dialectic and applies it to male and female relationships. Therefore, I will discuss such relationships in the time period of De Beauvoir’s text (specifically 1930s and 40s) in order to provide context.
In the early 1930s and prior to, a “real man” was typically seen as a person with pure authority and power, who was tasked with decision making for women (Encyclopedia.com), while women were seen as domestic and the primary caretaker. However, the Depression (1929-1939) brought about a change in this dynamic with the increased dependence on women. Many of the “pink collar” jobs were impacted less by the Depression than jobs in the heavy industry, which men typically took on (Encyclopedia.com). Still, women and men were placed in completely different categories, with women still facing harsh restrictions. Many men during this time felt threatened and shamed by their “lost masculinity” and increasing dependence on women. Due to this, many films which highlight naive and domestic women, such as the famous Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938), emerged (Maslin). It’s important to note that such films attempted to reverse the reality for men in the Depression by offering a woman who was dependent on a man.
Image of Snow White from the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
WWII (1939-1945) changed gender roles in several ways. As more men were deployed in the war, the need for labor from women at the homefront increased. One of the most popular war icons was Rosie the Riveter. She represented a strong, assertive woman who worked during WWII. Although many women still worked “pink collar” jobs, WWII opened up job opportunities in areas previously designated to men, such as the heavy industry and wartime production plants (The National WWII Museum ). Still, employers attempted to maintain pre-war gender roles by separating females and males in the workplace and paying women lower wages. After the war, many women were pushed out of their previous, higher wage jobs into less secure, “pink collar” jobs in an attempt to give men back their jobs (May). Nonetheless, it is undeniable that there was a change in and questioning of previously set gender roles during the time of De Beauvoir’s text.
“We Can Do It!” Poster closely associated with Rosie the Riveter
Citations:
Beauvoir, Simone de, and Caroline Toy. The Second Sex.
“Gender on the Home Front.” The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, The National World War II Museum, www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/gender-home-front.
“Gender Roles and Sexual Relations, Impact of the Great Depression on .” Encyclopedia of the Great Depression. . Encyclopedia.com. 16 Aug. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
Kojève, Alexandre, and Raymond Queneau. Introduction to the Reading of Hegel: Lectures on the Phenomenology of Spirit. New York: Basic Books, 1969
Maslin, Janet. “Snow White Is No Feminist.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 July 1987, www.nytimes.com/1987/07/19/movies/film-view-snow-white-is-no-feminist.html.
May, Elaine Tyler. “How Did World War II Change Women’s Employment Possibilities?” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tupperwaremay/#:~:text=How%20did%20World%20War%20II,been%20previously%20closed%20to%20women.
Sharpsteen, Ben, et al. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. RKO Radio Pictures, 1937.
“‘We Can Do It!”.” National Museum of American History, americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_538122.
Hello,
This was very interesting to read. I learned many things here, but something that stood out to me was the correlation between certain media, such as the Snow White movie, during this time. I never considered the connection between that movie and societal gender roles, as women were now starting to be seen as a more integral part of society. I would like to learn more about other media including writings and movies that highlighted the changes in gender roles during this time period, and I wonder what the general reaction of box offices and movie critics was. Were men being offended by women now sharing the theater spotlight? I assume so, but I think it would be interesting to look more into this.
Hi! This was very intriguing as well as informative! I enjoyed how there was not only a focus on the problem of the master and slave, but evidence of its change. Discussing Rosie the Riveter was a great aspect to discuss but it also speaks a lot in several ways. Although her image brought light to the gender roles in society, This image should not have been a surprise or a teaching into society, instead it should have been expected or normal. This light on women’s roles just brings light to how much less emphasis there is on the power of the woman. I enjoy the film and societal examples you brought into this discussion. By relating it to everyday or popular examples it helps bring attention and understanding. Growing up we only viewed films fantasying over the dependency on men, where it became our reality. This exposed us to stereotypes and what acted as the “dorm,” and did not seem wrong. But as we grow we realize the wrong. It would be interesting to learn more about what else in society goes unnoticed and taught. This is acting upon female characters representing the “non-i” characters as men are the “i” characters.
Hi, I have not yet read Beauvoir’s text, but I found that it was very thought-provoking applying Hegel’s Master-slave dialectic to man vs. woman relationships. As a child, I have always been told that for a marriage to work, the man and the woman must make a great team (which I assumed meant equals team members). From your research, I can see that the man-woman relationship was not always that way and was facing its changes during the depression and WWII. I didn’t think that the shift in the roles started to happen that early in history. Previously, I thought that it happened in the later 20th century. Thank you for the enlightenment on this topic.
Hi, this post was very interesting to read. The inclusion of the master and slave compared to the men and women relationship was very shocking because this ties into the point that as women get more involved and become more important to society, men feel less superior like during the great depression. As slaves started becoming illegal, masters did not accept this and started feeling a loss since these people were no longer just a “non-I” compared to the master. Along with this I find it very interesting that even though the depression brought about a change to the dynamic between men and women, women still faced harsh restrictions and even with these restrictions, men felt incredibly threatened. This just shows how backwards society was not even that long ago.
De Beauvoir fused together two really important aspects of society and you did a really good job explaining their relationship. I learned something new about Snow White today, and now wonder if other Disney characters, especially princesses, have implicit meaning connected to the era in which they were made. Your inclusion of the phrase “increased dependence on women” is my favorite aspect of your post because it demonstrates how women were only called upon in critical circumstances instead of having their value recognized beforehand and given the opportunity to earn the positions in society they deserved based on the knowledge and skills acquired from their experiences. It’s so funny to me how the feelings of men were a priority over the feelings of women given there is a statement about men feeling threatened and shamed around the 1930s but I have yet to find an explanation of how women felt in a piece of writing from this time period.
I have not yet read De Beauvoir’s text, but this blog post has sparked my interest in seeing how it compares with his words as well as how I then relate this post to what he says.
Looking back over the years, I feel as though there was definitely a pattern of going back and forth about women’s roles and what is appropriate and what challenged men’s societal “norms”. Even today I feel there is still some speculation to a degree.. maybe not as straightforward as in earlier times, but it is definitely still existing in our societies, just in a more hidden manner. For example, though it is normal for women to do “manly jobs” (construction, etc) and not just be housewives, working women in majority professions are paid significantly less and even treated differently simply because they are women- even if they are more qualified than their male colleagues.
I enjoyed reading your post, as you made several thought-provoking points. First, I believe that the film industry greatly reflects the current societal ways, which is why we can clearly see these ideas throughout movies produced at the time. Your reference that was made to Snow White is very fitting to the overall point that is being made. I had not previously considered this, however, Snow White is a perfect portrayal of the idea that women were not seen equal to men. Rather, women were more often seen for their physical qualities or their ability to be a caretaker. Furthermore, women were only used for “male” jobs when they were absolutely needed. While it is challenging to picture a world where women are treated so harshly and denied opportunities, these teachings highlight the progress and reformation that has occurred since.
Hello,
Your post aligns with history. Prior to the early 1930’s, there are many examples of what a “real man” was. One example is when Pilgrims colonized America in 1620. There weren’t enough seats for every Pilgrim family member so only the fathers were able to have a seat while the women and children were to stand up while eating. Another example is during the times of the Roman Empire. Any womens’ testimonies were considered worthless in the first century because women weren’t regarded equal to men in the Roman law.
Change in gender roles certainly happened after the 1930s. You mentioned that women are starting to take more jobs and positions that men used to do in World War II. Back in the Roman Empire there were no women politicians and today there are plenty of women politicians. However, there are still problems. For instance, men still usually get paid higher wages compared to women when working in the same jobs even with the Equal Pay Act. Although many problems with males and females still exist, many problems in the past got resolved as well.
One thing that I didn’t know was the correlation between Snow White and the societal pressures that existed at the time the movie was released (I thought it was just a regular Disney movie). I do find it interesting, as people have mentioned, is how the gender roles were changing throughout the 1930s, but then seemed to revert back to the old roles after the war had ended. The biggest impact on the family life I can think of would be how this affected the kids of those whose fathers had went away to war, and then had to rely on their mothers for everything.
Hi!
I really liked the information in your Context Research Presentation. This post really helped me to understand the information from the readings this week in an accessible way. Snow White is an excellent example of gender roles according the master slave dialectic, as “white, implying innocence and purity, is fully in her name. She also is innocent and submissive looking, tying into the theme. Overall, I enjoyed learning more about gender roles from this post.
Hello, love the topic! Firstly, I have never heard of the phrase “pink collar” until now, all you hear is “blue collar” at least in my generation. Rosie the Riveter is one of my favorite people especially for this specific topic. She is very empowering and is a legend for her poster shown in this presentation. I had never thought about Snow White like you described which is an interesting connection for gender roles. Thank you for a great presentation!
I thought it was interesting how you compared gender roles to the “Master Slave Dialect” especially when you stated that during the depression many men felt ashamed that they lost their masculinity because they were becoming more dependent on women. Furthermore, many aspects of society are dependent on each other. The excerpt and both of these context presentations prove how nothing is independent, in some way it relies on another thing, object, or idea. The Slave and the Master are dependent on each other, just like the two consciousnesses are dependent on each other.
Hello Zari! Great post…I loved the connection you made between movies such as Snow White and De Beauvoir’s text. I never really made that connection when I was reading De Beauvoir’s text, it puts a great perspective on the time period as a whole and how women were seeking new opportunities in the workplace. For me that was a very interesting and unique learning point. I would even begin to think certain aspects of De Beauvoir and Rose the Riveter’s impact can relate to the power of women in society today. Women such as Kamala Harris have taken charge in earning their way to a power position in the United States. It’s an inspiration to women in today’s age to see someone like them to have that great of an impact. Just as it was for women to see Rosie the Riveter and Snow White have that much of an impact in the 1930s and 1940s.
Hello, I thought this post was very insightful and provided deep, detailed context and background information to what women in the workforce went through in the 1930s and 1940s. Personally, the biggest realization I had from your post is what happened to women in high-paying jobs after the war. That being the fact that they were pushed out so men could get those jobs back. Looking back on history, I was fully aware that women began to take over the highest paying industries at this time. What I had not given much thought to was the idea that men began to push them out of those jobs once they came back. I think this is a concept that isn’t addressed enough when discussing this time period, and one that is important to understand, for just because women took over those jobs, it doesn’t mean they were given the respect that they deserve. Another idea that came to mind after reading your post would be what would’ve happened to those high-paying jobs if the depression and war never happened? How much longer would it have taken for women to no longer be wrongfully kept from those industries. I think this only highlights the significance of that time period, for it is hard to say how long the mistreatment would’ve gone on. Overall, I took away a lot from your post and it only opened up my thoughts even more so to how that period of time changed history forever.
Hey Zari, this was a great post highlighting the issues that the US was(and still is) facing concerning how women were being treated not only in the workplace but in society as a whole. It’s disappointing to see how the women who took up new roles during WW2 in order to support their country, ended up being casted out simply for helping their nations war efforts. I feel like the constant deprivation of opportunities for women combined with the reinforcement by men about what a woman “should be”, created a climate toxic to any woman who dared to speak against the social norm during this time. That’s why de Beauvoir’s writing really highlights the strength she showed, as producing a book like this during said time period put her at great risk. de Beauvoir definitely played a role in the uplifting of the status of women in American society, and although it has come a long way since the 1930s-40s, there are still instances where inequality is shown. But I think it’s important to look back on times where things were different, and understand what the situation was at the time in order to gain a greater appreciation of the text.
Hey Zari, This was really well put together. Additionaly i never heard of the term “Pink Collar” and i just went down a little rabitt hole reading about those. Your point about WWII really highlights just how much that war changed America. It showed that woman are more than just house wives. while womens rights have always been a pressing issue WWII really boosted up womans mentallity and made them realize they dont have to have the slave mind set any more, they are capible of being masters.
As harsh as is it may sound, without WWII and the change in roles and beliefs, who knows where we would be. There is still a problem concerning women’s rights in the US today, but the big turning point was WWII. Women are not the “slave” or house wife anymore. I really enjoyed reading what you said. Thank you Zari.
This presentation context was very informative. I like the fact how you showed how women were strong and held the home front down by making more money to provide. Women to this day still are having issues with women’s rights in the work place. Many women are indeed making strides to the fact that they are making more money than men and running fortune 500 companies.
I have never heard of the term “pink collar” until now which I believe gauges how far we have come from times like the 30s and 40s. It is interesting that as most men came back from war that women’s “usefulness” had essentially “run its course” in the eyes of society. I do not believe in the upcoming decades that women’s rights and women’s suffrage would have been a mainstream conversation without all of the help of strong women during WWII with all of the responsibility they took upon themselves. This was a great read, thank you Zari!
Hello! Thank you for the very informative post this week, Zari. It was a very interesting read, because we still see issues in the workforce today against women’s rights. Especially in terms of pay rate. I have never heard of “pink collar”, so that was something new to consider when thinking of the 30s and 40s. It provided much needed context to why women took over the workforce during WWII, and subsequently returned to the jobs they had pre-World War. Not only that, but the post provided a greater insight to how the women in the 30s and 40s impacted the conversation that we are still having today about women’s rights.
Hi! After reading your post, I realized how much these ideas about male superiority were implemented into our heads. The children’s movies we watched, the jobs women were offered, and even in war propaganda. I was surprised to hear about how often women were fed these ideas. I found the part about men being mad about women working and wanted to claim their jobs back was the craziest part. I can’t believe that they felt so superior in this world that they felt that they could sweep these jobs out from under the women’s feet. I had never heard the term “pink collar” till now, but it is truly sad to think that there was jobs set aside for just women. Women are just as tough as men and I hope one day everyone realizes that because this is still somewhat an issue in 2021.
Gender roles are one of my favorite topics to discuss especially after all of the change that has occurred over the years with these roles. Personally, I want to go into a primarily male-dominated role as an executive for a company, so reading about this post made me to excited to get rid of the term “pink collar” as one, it reinforces gender roles but also genders stereotypes using pink as the defining word for meaning “women dominated” jobs. I am glad that our society has come a long way from these terms, but women are still working to break the glass ceiling and achieve statuses more than being a “pink collar” workers.
As a child obviously none of this information ever crossed my mind, even as an adult i never read into the details or different perspective of things, such as gender roles. As a woman learning and reading about all of this its very interesting how you used snow white specifically because this is a huge representation on how a women’s role was behind and not equal to a man. While reading it made me understand that men and women to this day are not equal and if anything it would hurt men and they usually lash out if they felt emasculated. Thank you making “pink collar” more clear!