Women in New York - Essay Example

Women in New York The Great Depression era reflects the darkest age of American history, a time when millions of Americans were forced to live in poverty, deprived of the basic necessities of life. Along with economic troubles, Great Depression brought hard times to almost all the segments of the society. Middle class workers, army men, entrepreneurs etc. were made to look for jobs that did not match their competency levels. Major economic indicators went down to an all time low, as unemployment reached 25% from 3%, wages earned by people who still had jobs went down 42%, GDP decreased to nearly 50% and prices for commodities went down 10% due to low demand. Suicide rates of 12% per 100,000 people before the depression went up to an alarming 19%.1 Throughout this struggle for survival, women of New York were equal contributors alongside men and during 1930s due to social taboos women were considered as the inactive part of the American society whereas the reality was that most of them were contributing in maintaining household income although they faced gender bias which resulted in limited opportunities and income. Most men abandoned financial and moral support to their families, which made women strive not only for their own survival but for their dependents as well. The decade long struggle of women in New York during Great Depression illustrates the strength and potential of women as they survived the economic recession, earning livelihood and maintaining the household even in the absence of men. In October 1929, the stock market crashed as a result of which billions of dollars accumulated through savings and investments were sunk making millions of Americans deprived of their hard-earned money2. Historical analysis would reveal that men were considered as the main bread earners of the house but women were not far behind in making their contributions towards family income and maintenance of house hold.3 In 1920s, the concept of ‘new woman’ gathered importance, projecting women as a sophisticated, educated, fashionable and functional segment of society. Independent and career-oriented women emerged during this era which changed the overall landscape of society all across the globe. This new woman faced many hardships and difficulties in getting herself accepted as a contributor to the society. She struggled hard to gain acceptance in various roles other than just a domestic housewife. However, these hardships increased to a greater extent with the arrival of the Great Depression as women in New York, who were making up their identity as educated individuals worthy of jobs, were now once again, made to put their plans and ambitions on the backburner.4 Since most of the educated women were employed in the service industries i.e. hotels and restaurants which were now considered as luxuries as well as in clerical and educationist roles, they were laid off as the organizations had either shut down their operations or downsized their workforce. Even those organizations that were still operating exhibited a certain degree of bias in hiring women and if women were selected for a position, they were offered lesser remuneration as compared to men. This increased bias gave rise to a general concept that women are mere burdens on families and economy and in these desperate times, they were incapable of making substantial contribution to earning livelihood for their families. Despite this discrimination, women in New York tried to acquire jobs even at lower remunerations and earn their living. In addition to that, those who decided to take care of the house instead of getting jobs were made to live under stressful living conditions where they were made to make the ends meet without sufficient resources. Lack of emotional support from their men and responsibility of children levied extra burden on women of New York. Since due to scarcity of jobs, many of the families had to migrate; some of the major sufferers were women since they were made to wander on roads without any substantial guarantee of future security. In these desperate times, many weddings were put on hold as men could not afford to offer raise families. The divorce rate also lowered down since some of the families learnt to support each other whereas the others were abandoned by the men leaving wives to live alone with children; statistics show that more than 1.5 million men abandoned their families during the great depression.5 Letters flooded from all across the US into President’s office sharing their problems and seeking for help. One of the letter received by the first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt (''Dear Ladie'') from a sharecropper's wife facing eviction stated: ''its aful to have to get out and no place to have a roof over your sick child and nothing to eat.”6 As a result of these hardships, women were forced to live in desperate situations and take over the role of the man of the house. In 1930s, many young, unmarried women opted to leave their families since the family ties were weakened and travelled to other cities that had job vacancies. Many women flooded into employment offices looking for a job. Most of them found themselves waiting for charities in front of trusts and soup kitchens. Elderly women were in the worst condition since they were unable of earning for themselves or sharing responsibilities in household. With exhausted savings and unemployment, many women were made to adopt a traditional role of a homemaker. In addition to several problems brought by economic recession, malnutrition in family was one of the major problems that women faced leading them into an extreme despair.7 The situation was even worse for African American women in New York. The white women were made to struggle against the social bias and discrimination in the form of unemployment or jobs with lower wages, black women had a new war to fight against racial discrimination too. While white women remained unrecognized by the male workforce, men at home, labor unions and government agencies, colored women faced a much higher rate of unemployment and economic disparity. With racial discrimination, black women were pushed to take over the old roles of house-maids and servants and waitresses since their earlier lower paying jobs were now taken over by the white segment willing to work at minimum wages. This helplessness paved the way for entrepreneurs who started their own small businesses. The educated segment in black women started their businesses in the beauty industry while a substantial number of homeless women, both black and white took the jobs of domestic helpers, factory workers, nurses and opted for other professions offering minimum wages. Some of the black women even chose to enter into Negro slave markets, the plethora from which they got liberty only few decades back. This new role made them neglect their own domestic responsibilities and serve their new owners round the clock. With immigration from other cities, situation became worse for women in New York as black women were made to attend separate unemployment offices which made them confined to the vicinity of Harlem. Harlem was a hub of black community in that era and was crowded by many African American residents. Most families had to lose their houses due to unaffordable mortgages and other debts, women being the nucleus of the family had to suffer the most. From the comfort of the home, they were made to stay in emergency relief homes only if they had children in their family. The ‘new woman’ was amazed at how the landscape changed for her in few months, from a fundamental contributor to a society she was made to struggle for a least-paying job, eat from soup kitchens and charities, sell her belongings and make an effort to restore the family bond as she was a housewife and that was her responsibility.8 Many public reforms were introduced after President Roosevelt was elected to the office. Some of them were intended to recruit youth wandering on the streets and roads to build infrastructure whereas others were meant to provide social assistance to educated individuals that were unemployed. Most of these policies had a structure which supported employment mostly for men, further strengthened the notion that women are meant for household work only. These policies also neglected women who had no man to take care of them and were the sole earners of their families. In addition to inadequate policy structure, increased prices due to dust storm and drought also made situation worse. The introduced employment programs meant for educated individuals provided jobs to women but the share was comparatively lower than jobs acquired by men. With the changed landscape and uncertainty, women developed a mechanism of coping with this distressful situation. Most of them who had their men with them opted for the role of housewife that had a responsibility of running errands and keeping the family together. Some of them chose to make monetary contributions in family income apart from playing their traditional roles as well. It is important to note that these women were still considered as the housewives despite their share in family earnings. Other than that, some of the young women also selected to part their ways from their families and find a decent living for themselves while doing odd jobs; same jobs as men but at much lower wages and with greater employment uncertainty. Some of the women chose not to marry if they were single in order to avoid any family responsibilities. There were also more than 1.5 million families who were abandoned by their male earners and were inherent responsibility of the women of the house. Even in such situations, women took over the role of family’s bread earner despite being called a house wife in regular terms. Women who were previously working in clerical jobs in offices and had reasonable education were found working in white collar roles earning minimum wage.9 Along with getting jobs, women in New York also formed strategic alliances in the form of unions and councils to help them. According to Schulte, “in order to cope with economic downturns, poor women and struggling mothers built networks to barter with neighbors while also protesting against the high cost of food.10 As Orleck writes, “From New York to Seattle, poor wives and mothers staged food boycotts and anti-eviction demonstrations, created large-scale barter networks, and lobbied for food and rent price controls. Militant and angry, they demanded a better quality of life for themselves and children”.11 Other than joining hands at urban levels, these women especially in New York, also used ethnicity to create bonding amongst them, which further facilitated the development of women unions and councils.12 This urban unionization in New York gave women a forum to join hands and help themselves and their families. Orleck writes that New York United Council of Working Class Women was one of the most active and successful urban housewives groups in US at the time of Great Depression.13 Many women especially urban housewives ran for electoral offices in the elections during Great Depression while some even won the elections on the platforms that called for government regulation of food prices, housing and utility cost. This reign of power allowed women to make difference in the society without leaving their houses. This attempt of women during the Great Depression illustrates that women had shown their acceptance for tradition discrimination in hiring of labor but found it impossible to accept their helplessness; rather they decide to make the difference. Trying to gain access to the offices of the government showed that women were just not trying to combat the effects of the Great Depression but were attempting to change the system responsible for it.14 Another major attempt from women trying to overcome the impacts of Great Depression was the Wisconsin milk strike. The strike was called by New York state farm women and was intended to increase the milk prices during the Great Depression although many other groups formed alliances with the main farmers’ body i.e. the radical dairy group but these alliances could not prolong for too long. These strikes were called thrice in eight months time and caused an overall loss of over USD 10 million. Women who were part of these strikes not only faced opposition of various other farmer groups but also political bodies. However, these were one of the lengthiest strikes during the Great Depression.15 The situation got better for women in New York after some years of election of Roosevelt when the economic reforms started brining stability to overall American economy. With this gradual betterment, US faced a threat of World War II in late 1930s. As a result, majority of men were recruited in army and in other departments for infrastructure building. With this new development, many jobs were left for women besides the role of housewife which had a much better definition as a sole care taker of the house instead of a burden on the family. Technically speaking, it was the war that saved the lives of women in New York and made them acquire their earlier respectful status. Great Depression was a time of disappointment and distress. Lack of employment and monetary resources gave rise to a great disturbance in overall American society. Where many families broke their bond, some managed to stay together with increased affinity for each other. In these desperate times when everyone was trying to make their ends meet, women were the most stressed segment of American society. In a previously glamorous city where women were emerging with a renewed character and a symbol of independence and intellect, the wave of economic depression pushed them back into their previous roles, wiping out all the effects of the struggle continued over decades. However, careful analysis would reveal that women struggled along with men during great depression, as they faced unemployment, social bias, inadequate working conditions, lower remuneration, lack of living facilities and above all, lack of recognition for their efforts. Despite these distressful conditions, most American women through their patience and strong will power and courage, managed to stay afloat during those devastating times. Bibliography Abelson, Elaine, S. “Women Who Have No Men to Work for Them: Gender and Homelessness in the Great Depression, 1930-1934”. Feminist Studies, 29, no. 1 (2003): 104-127. Accessed November 29, 2012. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3178478?uid=3738832&uid=2129&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21101498814237 Boyd, Robert. L. “Race, Labor Market Disadvantage, and Survivalist Entrepreneurship: Black Women in the Urban North During the Great Depression”. Sociological Forum 15, no. 4 (2000): 647-670. Accessed November 29, 2012, doi: 10.1023/A:1007563016120 Ford, Linda G. “Another Double Burden: Farm Women and Agrarian Activism in Depression Era New York State.” New York History 75, no. 4 (1994): 373-98. McElvaine, Robert S. Down and Out in the Great Depression: Letters from the Forgotten Man. The University of North Carolina Press, 2007. Orleck, Annelise. “We are That Mythical Thing Called the Public": Militant Housewives Houses during the Great Depression.” Feminist Studies 19, no. 1(1993): 147-172. Schulte, Terraine K.Grassroots at the Water's Edge: The League of Women Voters and the Struggle to Save Lake Erie, 1956—1970. ProQuest, 2006. Swanson, Joseph and Williamson, Samuel. "Estimates of national product and income for the United States economy, 1919–1941.” Explorations in Economic History 10 (1972): 53–73. Taylor, Nick. “A Short History of the Great Depression.” nytimes.com. Last modified 2008. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/great_depression_1930s/index.html. “The Great Depression.” USHistory.org. Last modified November, 2012. http://www.ushistory.org/us/48.asp Read More