Article Analysis: Alternative Service and Alternative Gender Roles

Article Analysis: Alternative Service and Alternative Gender Roles

Introduction

            Marlene Epp wrote the article to be analyzed in 1995, and it explains more about how gender played a role in determining the duties men and women would have during World War II. The article has been set on a period when women’s rights were being violated. Gender equality was not the order of the day during the World War II, and this is seen with the way men are the ones allowed to take part in the war, while women are left at home. After reading the first paragraph of the article, it is clear that the author is well informed on what was happening during the World War II period. The author began by explaining a scenario of 1942 that proofed that one’s gender would determine their roles in society during World War II. According to Epp Clayton Burkholder, a young man from who was a military officer had been away from home and from his girlfriend for one year.

However, Epp gives a situation where men were expected to be tough and hardworking while their women were left at home to take care of the family. During this period of World War II, women were viewed as housewives, and they played the role of giving birth and raising the children. The author of the article is well informed because things got better for women during the women movements in the 1960s when gender equality became a topic that could be discussed by both men and women though it was not easy[1]. Women opinion did not count during the World War II period, and this was one of the reasons why after the War women were not allowed to practice their voting rights or even to be part of the military or hold a public office. Again men during World War II ear were considered for hard jobs, and this was why Clayton had participated in road construction while his girlfriend was at home.

Even though women rights movements became vibrant in the 1960s, Epp has not been able to link the article well with some women movements that had started in 1929. Epp tries to indicate that women were always left at home failing to realize that there were women like Margaret Sanger, Mary Bethune and among others who started fighting for women rights as early as 1921. Mary Bethune was a good example of some women who by 1935 organized the National Council of Negro Women, a movement that was aimed in fighting against any discrimination that was directed to the black women[2]. Besides, Epp has not connected well with such realities that had changed the position of women even though it was not happening in many parts of the United States of America.

However, as from the article, the author, at some point, explains more about how white women were given privileges that were not given to black women. Epp uses the example of Clayton’s girlfriend, Helen, who decided not to be left at home by her boyfriend. After going back to Vancouver, Helen got a job in Victoria, something that was rare with black women. Helen grew employment wise until she was able to be the primary breadwinner of her family, something that could not happen with Negro women. In this case, Helen becoming the breadwinner was against what had been happening to people from other races where women would not be allowed to be working. However, again, even though Epp has been able to come up with a well-written article, there is no full explanation of how white women were being treated differently from women from other races as expected.

Besides, for the article to be complete Epp would be required to address the issue of gender roles both in white people as well as other races for this would help in giving the real picture of what was happening in the US during the World War II[3]. Again Epp tries to create a scenario where the role of women was shifting from being housewives to breadwinners. After reading the part where Helen became the breadwinner, one is not able to capture the entire story on how things changed to such levels. One would expect that Epp would provide some details on what was happening that the role of women was changing. The explanation would make things a bit clear because the women movements of the 1960s were the ones that brought gender equality, where women were allowed to compete for every opportunity with men.

It is evident things were shifting politically, but masculinity ideology was used by men to subdue their women, as explained by Epp. Epp has revealed in a significant way how the shifting gender roles were happening and some of the factors that caused the shift. While comparing with Canadian women during the World War Epp expounds more on how they differed from women from the United States of America. According to Epp, Canadian women were supportive during the war, and this was a great research way of helping one understanding of how gender roles were different in different countries during World War II. This was a sign that women had started realizing they were able to defend their countries, and this explains the changes that came in the 1960s when women began joining the military. It is correct according to Epp that while playing their different roles during the war, men and women were trying to reclaim the gender role space. The happenings of World War II created a platform where women would come up with a strategy of claiming their rights.

The idea of Epp examining the roles the World War played on helping women fight for their rights shows a well-researched paper. The 1942 happenings were the ones that showed women that it was possible to work with men equally, and this was fully supported by Canada, as indicated in the article. However, Epp deciding to compare what was happening in Canada and the USA was of great help because it helps in understanding how the two countries differed in women rights. Again it will be noted that women in Canada were able to enjoy their right earlier than many parts of the US, and this is well explained by Epp, where women in Canada were playing roles in the World War II unlike in the US where men were the only ones expected to take part in the war as women stayed at home. Epp has done great in writing the article, and this is seen with how the author was able to use information from other scholars who have discussed the same topic a good example being Cynthia Enloe.

While exploring the happenings of 1942, Epp brings out the idea that another reason why women got a lot of strength of fighting for their rights in 1942, was because they were getting support from peace movements. The peace movements helped women to have well-organized women movements in the 1960s because they had learnt more about how movements are lead through the peace movements of 1942. Even though gender equality has been realized in the modern world, the idea of Epp arguing that men were made for fighting and protecting their families has not changed. Women over the years have been able to get their rights through passing of bills, and this was the case in Canada in the 1940s when the National Resources Mobilization Act was passed. After learning that women rights are acquired through enacted of laws this explains why women who started movements as early as 1929 and in the 1960s made sure they worked closely with lawmakers for this was the only way to go, and this explains why Epp argued that changing gender roles was not easy but involved the passing of laws.

[1] Epp, Marlene. “ALTERNATIVE SERVICE AND ALTERNATIVE GENDER ROLES Conscientious Objectors in B.C. During World War II,” 1995, 139–58.

[2] Imbornoni, Ann-Marie. “Timeline: U.S. Women’s Rights, 1921 – 1979.” Infoplease. Infoplease, February 28, 2017. https://www.infoplease.com/history/womens-history/timeline-us-womens-rights-1921-1979.

[3] Milligan, Susan. “Stepping Through History.” U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, January 20, 2017. https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2017-01-20/timeline-the-womens-rights-movement-in-the-us.