Under the Corset:
An Applied History of America’s High-Heeled Hell Raisers
Abstract:
“Under the Corset: An Applied History of America’s High-Heeled Hell Raisers” is an examination of women’s actions throughout three 20th Century war periods: WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War. The author argues that the increased autonomy women experienced during these periods translated into the main goals of 2nd wave feminism. Themes examined include workforce engagement and motherhood/marriage. These topics were of major import during 2nd wave feminism, thus bolstering the claim that women’s ‘seemingly apolitical’ actions during the 20th century translated into outwardly political goals in the form of 2nd wave feminism. The author generated the terminology ‘seemingly apolitical’ for the purpose of this project. The term refers to actions that are not taken with any inherent political motive, but over time can be seen as impactful in the wider scheme of American history. The claim is made that actions without political motive translated into political goals due to increased independence during 20th century war periods.