Office Work In The 1920s

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The 1920s were known as the Roaring Twenties. It was a time after the Great War had ended and the economy started growing. After gaining the right to vote, women continued to break barriers by entering and staying in the workforce. Women were expected to give up their jobs in the office and go back to their traditional job or home. In the 1920s careers for women like office work, teaching, and entertainment was empowering yet unfulfilling. Though traditional office work was performed by men, women found themselves able to complete the job but struggled to gain respect. “Along with nursing and teaching, office work was one of those jobs were a female worker was assumed.”(Fine) “Employers assumed that women would leave their jobs as soon as…show more content…
“Teachers at school within the same district, or even teachers within the same school, received widely divergent pay despite similar or identical qualifications; the criteria were solely those of the Principal's whim.”(“1920s: The Condition”) Teachers were not hired based on experience or qualifications. “Friends and relatives of school board members and administrators commonly gained teaching jobs ahead of more qualified applicants.”(“1920s: The Condition”) If the school could find someone to teach for less pay, they would make room for that person. “Older teachers were often released, and younger teachers, presumably willing to accept less pay, were hired to replace them.”(“1920s: The Condition”) Although teaching was not the best job to have as a women in the ‘20s the entertainment career gave them some light at the end of tunnel for a…show more content…
“Many studios had prominent female directors, and female screenwriters created some of the most popular movies of the period, while female editors exercised creative control over the visual appearance of film.”(“Women in Early”) The film industry had many male actors but it was the female face that most people wanted. “More popular than their male counterparts, early female stars helped make Hollywood a booming commercial venture thanks to their intense popularity with audiences.”(“Women in Early”) All of this was made possible by organizations like National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. “It has been a driving force behind significant national legislation, such as the War Classification Act (1923), the Equal Pay Act (1963), the Civil Rights Act (1964), the Federal Jury Selection and Service Act (1968), the Educational Equity Act (1974), and the Retirement Equity Act (1983).”(“National Federation”) Today women are still facing some of the same issues as they faced in the ‘20s, however they manage to climb the corporate ladder with determination, dedication, and

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