Gender and Consumerism in Postwar Canada Essay - 2341 Words

During the Second World War, both married and unmarried women worked in wartime industries and factories to take the place of men who joined the service. Although women didn’t play a significant role on the battlefields in Europe compared to males, it would be logical to conclude that women played an integral role in the participation and victory in WWII both at home and abroad. Yet when one considers their contribution, it is hard to imagine how much more they could have done given the conservative views of gender role at that time. In the context of traditional gender roles and boundaries, women conceivably maximized their wartime efforts by working in a variety of jobs including industry, volunteering, and serving as support staff for†¦show more content†¦At a time when labour unions were gaining in memberships, organization, and bargaining power, women in the workforce made marginal gains during this period considering the booming economy. Sociologically, a health y economy should in theory provide the framework for change. When citizens have low unemployment and more money in their pockets, time and attention is less directed at bread and butter issues like sustenance and poverty, and aimed at equality and social progress. For women unfortunately, this was not necessarily the case. Their battle with employers was still a struggle between classes than gender parity. Male union leadership would naturally further male worker interests first,8 and this shows a culture of sexism in the workplace that was clearly difficult for working women to overcome. Even union-dues paying women rarely openly questioned their subordination as a sex.9 They were most likely outnumbered and the consequences of being a whistle blower did not want to be entertained. In the mindset of women who worked however, was a developing identity as female wage earners and unionists.10 As the baby boom added to the reasons for women to stay or to return to domesticity, there we re other factors at work. Not only were there more children to increase their home-based responsibilities, but there were geographical reasons that separated women from men. The suburban explosion in the late 1940s and 1950s wasShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pages Smith’s fully global perspectives make clear that even though gender parity has rarely been attained in any society and there have been major setbacks or few advances in INTRODUCTION †¢ 5 many countries, the position of women worldwide has improved dramatically and has very often empowered a substantial portion of humanity in ways that would have been unthinkable a century ago. Jean Quataert’s contribution to gender shifts in the twentieth century focuses more narrowly on the variableRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 Pagesopportunities to grow. Pay will remain important, but workers will probably not be as focused on pay as in the past.33 These findings are consistent with the description of changing work values conveyed in the following: After a decade of excessive consumerism and blind ambition, American workers between the ages of 25 and 49 are beginning to emphasize public service and family life as measures of success . . .34 The trend toward greater interest in aspects of job satisfaction, such as autonomy and interestingRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagespower relations in organizations? . 16 Chapter 1 Introducing organization theory: what is it, and why does it matter? Ideas and perspectives The Corporation (2004) by Joel Bakan (a book and a film) Bakan, who is a professor of law in Canada, argues in his film and book that the corporation is now threatening the very society that created it. Whilst the corporation has come to dominate economic activity, it has simultaneously created through its operation a dangerously narrow and materialist