The Victorian Legacy: A Social Historical Analysis of Attitudes Toward Women in the Canadian Forces,
Abstract
This paper presents a research proposal for social-historical analysis of women's military participation in Canada during WWII. Women serving in the corps of the armed forces during this period were the objects of a 'whispering campaign' which focussed on alleged promiscuity among servicewomen. The research will attempt to examine the 'factual basis' for the widespread perception that women in uniform were 'loose women'. The reasons advanced for the apparent fall of servicewomen into promiscuity will be analyzed in terms of the prevailing cultural ideology which was based on middle-class Victorian definitions of women's proper sphere' and perceptions of 'femininity'. It is suggested that explanation based on these notions does not adequately explain societal opposition to women's military participation. Rather, it is suggested that prevailing middle-class Victorian values and attitudes served to reinforce the status quo of the dominant political ideology. The relevance of such research for our understanding of current attempts to integrate women into non-traditional military roles will be addressed. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADP001416
Entities
People
- Diane G. Forestell