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Flapper

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previously associated with men. Before the 1920’s the women found in saloon were often referred to as prostitutes (Clement, 176) Flappers tried to break these assumptions by setting aside some of their most distinctive traits and competing with men along his own lines (Hirshbein, 120) This was done by having a strong presence in not only bars, but redefining the social conventions of calling. Courtship which had the purpose of leading to marriage, was replaced with dating which meant a newfound casualness that wasn’t found in the social norms associated with calling. This more relaxed approach to relationship also lead to a more relaxed attitude towards sex. In this way Flapper gained some social freedoms with their sexual interactions with men, however because this new look on courtship “took dating out of the female and family realm of the front parlor… and into cabarets and movie theaters of the new entertainment economy.”(Clement, 157) Women in particular flappers were often engaged in the concept of “treating”. The definition of this is the exchange of sexual favors for material goods. Although, the flapper symbolized the idea of the New Women, they were only able to slightly blur the gender boundaries present in the 1920’s. Although they started to embrace a newfound sexual liberation, they were met with challenges. Many preachers and politicians in dozens of states proposed laws to would prohibit women from exposing to much flesh” (Kallen 130). Although they felt like the gender lines were blurring the response to their behavior was not as socially accepted as they had hoped. The older generation in particular still believed that women were to be seen as homemakers and the symbol of the flapper was seen as a violation and destruction of both purity and spirituality. Although the flapper rebelled against the stereotypical roles of the 1920’s housewife.

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