Introduction
During World War II, sexual harassment and violence were not limited to the conflicts overseas. It is important to prepare students and share the purpose of examining sexual health and safety issues women faced on the US home front. Learning from historical sources on these issues can help us to better understand how men’s routine discrimination against women in the US affects sexual violence in the US, both past and present.
This lesson can be taught as part of a unit on World War II, the home front, public health issues, and/or women and gender studies issues. The lesson has two readings (one secondary background reading and one primary source) along with two activity choices and an optional extension.
Grade Level Adapted For
Grades 9-12
Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to...
1.
Describe issues of sexual health and safety of home front women by using details from primary and secondary sources.
2.
Make connections between wartime propaganda and media and the influence it had on stereotypes and women’s well-being.
3. Critically analyze historical artifacts through the modern lens of gender bias and discrimination.
Essential Question
What factors impacted women's sexual health and safety on the US home front?
Background Readings
The primary and secondary readings below will introduce students to the complex history of women's sexual health and safety on the American World War II Home Front.
Reading Responses
Considering Readings 1 & 2, answer the following. You may use both readings to support your answers to some questions.
1.
In what ways were women portrayed in home front messaging and propaganda?
2.
Why may we idolize “Rosie the Riveter" when thinking about women on the home front? Did this imagery represent all women?
3.
In the newspaper article, who does the author blame for loose morals and the increase of sexually transmitted disease?
4.
Do you think most felt the same way as the newspaper author in describing the military’s role (see “Invoke Military Aid")? Why, or why not?
5.
What do you think were the leading causes of increased unwanted sexual advances and behavior toward women?
6.
How do narratives and messaging differ from today? Are there similarities?
7.
Summarize your learning by answering the essential question: What factors impacted women’s sexual health and safety on the US home front?
Activities
These activities are optional and can be assigned as homework or used as extensions.
1. Women in Comics and Cartoons
Propaganda in the form of posters and TV/movies weren’t the only source of communicating ideas about women during the war. Another source of imagery that had the ability to perpetuate stereotypes or hyper sexualize women were comic strips.
Examine this strip from the syndicated comic Etta Kett, published Wednesday, May 14, 1941.
* What does the comic convey?
* Compare the comic to the readings in this lesson. Do you believe women benefited from the increased presence of service men in their communities? Why or why not?
2. 'Fight Syphilis': Public Health Film (1942)
Teacher tip: The full video runs about nine minutes. You may choose to watch a pre-selected section of the video that depicts women (ex. the woman’s leg wearing heels as a place where diseases begin, referring to “pick-ups").
Student prompt:
Watch the following video that was produced to inform, and warn, against the dangers of syphilis in 1942: Fight Syphilis video (9 min): National Library of Medicine
Discuss (as a class, or with a partner):
* What was the intended message of the video? The intended audience?
* What tactics (imagery, voiced information) was used to convey this message?
* When and how were women depicted in the video?
* Compare the themes in this video to those seen in printed posters about venereal disease, like shared in this lesson.
This lesson was written by Sarah Nestor Lane, an educator and consultant serving the National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education. This lesson was funded by the National Council on Public History's cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service