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Did women’s contributions to the First World War significantly affect constructions of gender at the time, and in the inter-war period?
Member rating: No Rating | Words: 2618 | Submitted: Sat Nov 24 2007
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Did women's contributions to the First World War significantly affect constructions of gender at the time, and in the inter-war period? 2618 Gender divisions satisfied the justification of war through the explanation that it could release male bloodlust, which was unsatisfied by civilised society. It was a role that allowed men to be able to protect women from "foreign" contamination. As such it can be argued that war "gendered society" as it portrayed an exaggerated stereotype, especially with men. "Masculine identity was synonymous with war. To be a soldier is to be 'a man'; to be anything else, no matter how involved in the combat, is to be the 'other'. There is no need to extrapolate masculinity from man-in a soldier they become one."1 It can be argued then that men needed a war to perpetuate their masculinity and the traditional identity it epitomised. Whilst feminists argued against this, stating that men were not...
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