Gendering the Nation Online Museum Exhibit
Created by the class of HIST 465 (Topics in Women's History) 2015-16
Queens University, Canada
War: a time of upheaval, when everything changes- out of necessity. The French Revolution brought about huge societal changes and women were able to use revolutionary sentiment to push themselves into the public sphere. Similarly, women during the First World War took advantage of the vacant positions in factories, farms, and industries to take on roles that had previously been inaccessible.
Gender and War
“Women who stepped up were measured as citizens of the nation, not as women…this was a peoples war and everyone was in it.”
– Kernel Oveta Culp Hobby
The French Revolution
Eighteenth-century France was filled with hardship, hunger and social change for the majority of men and women. The corruption of the France’s societal and political structure, combined with the secularization brought about by the Enlightenment, provided the perfect scene for a complete societal reform.
The First World War
This exhibit showcases the incredible contributions made by the women of the Allied nations during the First World War. With millions of men mobilized between the years of 1914 and 1918, women were left to fill the positions in factories, businesses, and agricultural settings left vacant by soldiers.
The Second World War in America
WPrior to World War II, American women were expected to fulfill domestic roles as wives and mothers, seldom venturing outside of home duties. Relegated to the private sphere and socially subordinated to their male counterparts, most women did not have the opportunity to gain public experience in politics, education, or the labour force.
The Second World War in the Netherlands
Women were sometimes the only people left in desolate villages, required to look after children, homes, and farms. The everyday resourcefulness of these women is often forgotten in the face of brave fights against the enemy. Many women kept their families alive and thriving thanks to networks of women in their families and communities.
The Cold War
The emergence of the Cold War in the U.S. saw mass culture and consumption dominate American life. With this new era of mass consumption and culture, there was an emphasis on distinct gender roles for women to purchase and consume only the best products for their households.
