Subjective Factors
Groups and individuals who claimed that there was a
social problem that needed to be addressed or resolved.
After the first world war, the government strongly encouraged women to go back to life as mothers, and leave their temporary jobs filling in for the men. However, once the women had a glimpse of the manual labour professions, they were strongly aware of the social injustices between the two genders. The women started to form groups and organizations to fight for fairer legal and economic rights. One woman who did a lot of work in support of women suffrage was Nellie McClung. Nellie McClung made many advances in women's economic rights. Some examples include: fairer property rights for women in 1900, mother’s allowances (money given to women when they have children) in 1921, and rights of women to divorce their husband in 1925 13.
In 1893, the National Council of Women of Canada was formed. This organization was primarily formed to bring together different women’s groups across Canada and to provide a network for women to communicate their concerns and ideas across they country 14. In 1910, The National Council of Women of Canada decided to go public and share their views on women suffrage 15. This organization helped women realize and express there concerns. Women began to look for something more than the charitable societies, garden, music, literary clubs and the missionary societies. They were able to see the need for a change in society. This organization was a key factor that helped improve the status of women 16.
How the social problem was described by groups and individuals who claimed that there was a social problem that need to be addressed or resolved.
Although the war was a terrible time for all, women liked the new professions available to them during these years. An example of this was a woman who worked in a munitions factory during the war. She said, "The war gave a lot of people jobs. It led them to expect more than they had before. People's expectations, financially, spiritually, were raised. There was such a beautiful dream. We were gonna reach the end of the rainbow... I remember a woman saying on the bus that she hoped the war didn't end until she got her refrigerator paid for. An old man hit her over the head with an umbrella. He said, 'How dare you!' (Laughs.)" 17
As mentioned above, the government strongly encouraged women to go back to their domestic lives once the First World War had finished and the men had returned. But this return to the women's old way of life was not very well liked. It gave women a sense of confusion about what they should do with their lives. They had two options available: they could go back to being mothers and house cleaners, or they could stay in the industry world where they would face many challenges with pay and the hierarchy of the work force. One of the many women who noticed this dilemma was Louise McKinney. McKinney wrote an article titled "Where are Canadian Women Going - Back to Their Homes or Continue in Business Life?" in the Canadian Home Journal (Aug. 1919) 18. Many other women shared the same views as Louise McKinney. Nellie McClung said, "Can a Woman Raise a Family and Have a Career?” which was published in Maclean’s magazine in 1928 19.
Individuals or groups who were held responsible for the social problem by those who were claiming that a social problem existed.
Many men were not on par with the new integration of women in the labour force. Men thought that women should stay in the home, "where they belonged". Women were regarded in society as weak, and incapable of succesfully entering the work force. The people who were against women suffrage were often referred to as the "Antis". They had several main principles behind why they were against women getting the vote. Their main reasons are as followed: 1. Women would be corrupted by politics, and consequently chivalry would die out, meaning that men would lose reason to be polite to the women. 2. If women became involved in politics, they would stop getting married, having children and slowly the human race would die out and finally 3. Women were "emotional creatures" and they were incapable of making valid political decisions 20. Many of these reasons are also reflected in the economic rights of women, such as chivalry being lost because of the women and men working together at the same level of position, or if women were busy working and not caring for their children or concerned about marriage (because they could support themselves), the "human race would die out".
4. Slideshow
After the first world war, the government strongly encouraged women to go back to life as mothers, and leave their temporary jobs filling in for the men. However, once the women had a glimpse of the manual labour professions, they were strongly aware of the social injustices between the two genders. The women started to form groups and organizations to fight for fairer legal and economic rights. One woman who did a lot of work in support of women suffrage was Nellie McClung. Nellie McClung made many advances in women's economic rights. Some examples include: fairer property rights for women in 1900, mother’s allowances (money given to women when they have children) in 1921, and rights of women to divorce their husband in 1925 13.
In 1893, the National Council of Women of Canada was formed. This organization was primarily formed to bring together different women’s groups across Canada and to provide a network for women to communicate their concerns and ideas across they country 14. In 1910, The National Council of Women of Canada decided to go public and share their views on women suffrage 15. This organization helped women realize and express there concerns. Women began to look for something more than the charitable societies, garden, music, literary clubs and the missionary societies. They were able to see the need for a change in society. This organization was a key factor that helped improve the status of women 16.
How the social problem was described by groups and individuals who claimed that there was a social problem that need to be addressed or resolved.
Although the war was a terrible time for all, women liked the new professions available to them during these years. An example of this was a woman who worked in a munitions factory during the war. She said, "The war gave a lot of people jobs. It led them to expect more than they had before. People's expectations, financially, spiritually, were raised. There was such a beautiful dream. We were gonna reach the end of the rainbow... I remember a woman saying on the bus that she hoped the war didn't end until she got her refrigerator paid for. An old man hit her over the head with an umbrella. He said, 'How dare you!' (Laughs.)" 17
As mentioned above, the government strongly encouraged women to go back to their domestic lives once the First World War had finished and the men had returned. But this return to the women's old way of life was not very well liked. It gave women a sense of confusion about what they should do with their lives. They had two options available: they could go back to being mothers and house cleaners, or they could stay in the industry world where they would face many challenges with pay and the hierarchy of the work force. One of the many women who noticed this dilemma was Louise McKinney. McKinney wrote an article titled "Where are Canadian Women Going - Back to Their Homes or Continue in Business Life?" in the Canadian Home Journal (Aug. 1919) 18. Many other women shared the same views as Louise McKinney. Nellie McClung said, "Can a Woman Raise a Family and Have a Career?” which was published in Maclean’s magazine in 1928 19.
Individuals or groups who were held responsible for the social problem by those who were claiming that a social problem existed.
Many men were not on par with the new integration of women in the labour force. Men thought that women should stay in the home, "where they belonged". Women were regarded in society as weak, and incapable of succesfully entering the work force. The people who were against women suffrage were often referred to as the "Antis". They had several main principles behind why they were against women getting the vote. Their main reasons are as followed: 1. Women would be corrupted by politics, and consequently chivalry would die out, meaning that men would lose reason to be polite to the women. 2. If women became involved in politics, they would stop getting married, having children and slowly the human race would die out and finally 3. Women were "emotional creatures" and they were incapable of making valid political decisions 20. Many of these reasons are also reflected in the economic rights of women, such as chivalry being lost because of the women and men working together at the same level of position, or if women were busy working and not caring for their children or concerned about marriage (because they could support themselves), the "human race would die out".
4. Slideshow