[Limerence;]

My USHistory teacher is practically on crack, and he`s not sharing -__-

We have a 7 page essay due next Monday,
and a debate on Tuesday, May 20.
Full scale debate, 150 test points.
(It is assigned today.)

Anyway, for our debate. . .
Our topic is:
"Did World War II liberate American Women?"
Our stance is:
CON .


We will lose. Because I do believe that WWII did liberate American Women; because, it gave them more freedom and a more vital role in society than they had preWWII.
This is definitely not a good sign, I wouldn`t be able to hold a strong argument if I believe my stance is wrong in the first place. Aggh!

To be able to get a good grade, we must defend our position.
The only thing my partner, Jake, and I can conjure up is that when the fighting stopped, the war machine, which had mobilized millions of women to work, ceased.
There is no need for women to leave their children to work 8 hours in a factory, they could stay home and take care of their families. (credit to Jake&I`s googling skills -___-)

So any of you cool cats & pro-debaters out there, care to help out a poor soul?
Tips, hints, suggestions, knowledge?
Any small thought counts, THANK YOU VERY MUCH <33


-- yuna;

[lemming]

after ww2 and especially in the 50s if you remember it was the time of conformity, where women, especially in the middle class stayed at home and did mother stuff while the man was the bread winner

[Childlike Faith]

I guess it's kind of similar, but World War II created a baby boom, so... women had to stay at home?
Or argue that it only liberated them temporarily... that their liberation was some kind of thing they couldn't really reach.

[byuntae]

Is it a formal debate with allotted time for opening statements, rebuttals, etc or more of an open debate?

[Limerence;]

^ definitely formal .
speech , rebuttals , cross-examination , Q&A . then a free debate in the end, full scale spar i suppose.

so basically I have to negate the affirmative speech .
idk how liable i can oppose their position,
they can bring up the fact that women had experienced new opportunities, a sense of independence, and were experiencing their own individuality
The war allowed women to make decisions, and it gave them a chance to fight for their rights.
Anyone know how I should oppose this matter ??!

Man I shoulda went Pro.
If only I had a choice -_____-


Childlike Faith ; I momentarily forgot about the baby boom!
Of course that will have an immense effect on women and their obligation to stay home & play housewife.
THANK YOU M`DEAR! <3

[cavil.]

As the negative position, you really do not have to do much for the negative side of the debate. It is a lot easier to criticize one's position rather than have the burden of proof of proving one's position. I say you are about 25% ready already to debate them. Also, how are they defining the word 'liberate' and 'WWII' might be key as well. Since they can define WWII as the WWII-era, which encompasses a lot in itself in the United States.

I think if anything, you have to resort to the social and economic conditions of WWII. You have to show how women were not liberated economically, socially, or politically at all during WWII.

WWII, factory workings and replacement of men as workers particularly
After the war, men come back take the jobs and just exemplifies how women are useless compared to men

Also, look deeper into the hourly wages that were spent on women while they were working compared to the wages of men. They earned incredibly less compared to males. Economically, women were sub par labor with meager earnings. Socially, women were put in terrible working conditions as well.

Plus, you are going to have to risk looking like a feminist (as if it's a bad thing), and invoke the 'gender/sex system' of how gender-roles were re-enforced during WWII where women were put in gender stereotypical roles such as nurses, food service, and etc. It only created an atmosphere of gender role stereotypes (insert picture of women in Red Cross). You can stretch that out to the baby boom generation as well with the whole 1950s suburbia atmosphere, but I think that is pushing it out of the time-frame.

Again, your rebuttal is the strongest suit here. Anticipate what they would say, like you said, you would be on their position. Think of criticisms towards your positions.

Factory workers and women being involved in the economy (measure the standard of working and what happened after WWII was over, with women being kicked out of jobs)
In addition, women were suppose to readjusted to life again back at home.

I think you have the stronger position as negative.

they can bring up the fact that women had experienced new opportunities, a sense of independence, and were experiencing their own individuality
The war allowed women to make decisions, and it gave them a chance to fight for their rights.
Anyone know how I should oppose this matter ??!

They experience this "individuality" and are kicked out to the curb. There was no 'independence' feeling. It was a united feeling for the war effort. What 'rights'?

[dohee]

I dont know if this will help but here i go.

The fact is that WWII didnt liberate women OF the WWII era. As the person above said, they were merely given jobs due to the lack of a male labor force. They weren't really suddenly perceived as the human beings that they were. Right after the war ends, life goes back to how it always had been, perhaps even more fundamental. Post WWII the focus on family life fuels the growth of suburbia and the baby boom (yay the wars over, lets be happy with our family and have more babies - women you can take care of them cant you?) with it the reinforcement of the domestic roles of women. Vital role in society only beacuse men werent there (since theyre off actually fighting in the war), once the men return, the women, more or less, return to their lives at home. There is NO i repeat NOOOOOOOOOOO sense of "individuality" and "freedom" in the WWII, post WWII era (think the onset of Cold War --> conformity).

As my history teacher last year put it, it was the daughters of the WWII women that had the "liberation" effects as their mothers basically showed them what would happen if they DIDNT step up.