WGSS Final Essay Break Down

What did World War II mean for American women in the short-term and long-term? Thesis:

WWII expanded women’s opportunities but also reinforced gender and racial limits; its effects were both empowering and restrictive

What did World War II mean for American women in the short-term and long-term? Short-term (during war):  

• Women entered the workforce in record numbers (e.g. Rosie the Riveter)

• Military roles expanded (WACs, WAVES), but segregated and gendered

• Japanese American women interned 

What did World War II mean for American women in the short-term and long-term? Long-term (post-war):

• Many women pushed back into domestic roles → rise of suburban housewife ideals (e.g. GI Bill)  

• Frustration grew → laid groundwork for feminism   

• Black and Latina women stayed in the labor force longer due to fewer options

How does putting women at the center change the story of the Black Freedom Movement (1940s–1970s)? Thesis:

Centering women reveals how the Black Freedom Movement was built and led by grassroots female leaders with unique strategies and visions.

How does putting women at the center change the story of the Black Freedom Movement (1940s–1970s)? Key strategies:

• Community organizing, sit-ins, voter registration.  

• Use of nonviolence and self-defense (Gloria Richardson, Ella Baker).

How does putting women at the center change the story of the Black Freedom Movement (1940s–1970s)? Key figures: 

Rosa Parks (more than the bus), Gloria Richardson, Ella Baker  

How does putting women at the center change the story of the Black Freedom Movement (1940s–1970s)? Goals:

Dignity, education, political voice, not just desegregation

How does putting women at the center change the story of the Black Freedom Movement (1940s–1970s)? Impact: 

Women were the backbone of the movement; often erased in traditional narratives

Why did a new women’s movement emerge in the 1960s, what did it achieve, and why did it decline in the 1980s? Thesis:

The second-wave women’s movement emerged in the 1960s due to rising awareness of gender inequality, grew rapidly across diverse fronts, and declined due to internal divisions and political backlash

Why did a new women’s movement emerge in the 1960s, what did it achieve, and why did it decline in the 1980s? Why it emerged:  

• Inspired by civil rights and antiwar movements

• Workplace discrimination and suburban dissatisfaction (i.e. Title VII, Title IX)

Why did a new women’s movement emerge in the 1960s, what did it achieve, and why did it decline in the 1980s? Who joined:  

Middle-class white feminists, women of color (i.e. Chicana and Black feminists), lesbians, working-class women

Why did a new women’s movement emerge in the 1960s, what did it achieve, and why did it decline in the 1980s? Achievements:  

• Legal wins: Title IX, Roe v. Wade, expanded employment rights.  

• Institutions: NOW, feminist media (the Ladder), consciousness-raising.  

Why did a new women’s movement emerge in the 1960s, what did it achieve, and why did it decline in the 1980s? Why it declined: 

Internal rifts (race, sexuality, class), ERA failure, rise of New Right (Phyllis Schlafly)