Feminist Looking Glass

I was reading an article in the Stanford Alumni Magazine about a panel discussion titled “When the World Changed: The Impact of WWII on Women at Stanford.”  Six women who were students at Stanford during World War II described some of their experiences.  I was struck by how different a female student’s life was at that time.

For example, one of the students was taking a history class taught by a Japanese-American professor.  On the day after Pearl Harbor, more than three times the normal number of students attended the class to hear what the professor would say.  But later, when the professor and his wife were sent to a Japanese internment camp, the student now recalls that students didn’t discuss the detention.  A similar lack of involvement is shown by one of the students who said: “I don’t think any of us knew what the Nazis were doing to the Jews in Europe. I don’t think that was common knowledge.”

With most of the male students and locals away at war, there were fewer classes available for the remaining students.  In addition, they were encouraged to do some kind of work related to the war effort.  For example, some worked as nurses aids at a local hospital and some worked as pin spotters at the local bowling alley.  Some traveled to California’s farm lands to harvest tomatoes and other crops, but that kind of work ended when the women’s parents objected to the poor living conditions in the fields.

I certainly don’t criticize any of the women.  After all, that was the way it was then in an even more patriarchal government and culture than today.  Things are much different today.  But what bothered me was what the women at the panel discussion had to say about men at that time.  On the surface at least, their comments make it seem as if they were defining themselves in terms of the men in their lives.  For example, they could not go to San Francisco for dances because gas coupons were not available for such activities.  The “dating pool” consisted largely of a limited number of soldier-students in an Army program, and the women were upset because of curfews imposed for being in their dorms.

The women were happy when the men eventually returned from the war.  “There were a tremendous, tremendous number of men.  It was a joyous time.”  Another female student, who then taught classes for the returning men, said: “I would stand on the platform and look at all these dreamy guys. Ten or 12 would come in for extra coaching. All the girls were so jealous.”

Again, I’m not criticizing anyone who lived through those days.  In the context of that time, everything really was framed by what men were doing and women’s lives, to a certain degree, revolved around men.  But even though there is a great amount of work still to be done to have gender equality, we (men and women) should be happy that those kinds of days are gone.  If I have any criticism, though, it’s that I know there are still many women today who define themselves in terms of the men in their lives.

Filed under: Feminism, Male Perspectives Tagged: | equality, Feminism, male feminists, sexism, women in the military, women's rights