World War II Culture

WWI and WWII Culture The World Wars affected the culture tremendously. The 20s and 40s had many big breakthroughs culture-wise. Music and fashion were both affected but not in the same way. The infamous war had some positive effects on the rights and confidence of women and African Americans. Music was vastly changed when the idea of having different kinds of music broke through. Post-World War I became known as the “Jazz Age” for the reason that Jazz music became very popular. As a result of the popularity of Jazz music, African Americans gained widespread popularity. Jazz music drew many people of all races together because of its unique rhythm and melodies (WWI and Roaring Twenties). Music helped African Americans and women have stronger confidence that helped them to voice their opinions about current issues in their area. Consequently, music helped to expand their political and cultural influence. In fact, in 1920, women were given the right to vote because of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. As a result, women were taken very seriously and were finally given real

Music of the 40s was swing, blues, country, but above all the sixteen piece big band. World War II may have been the focus of the decade, but music was the focus of the war. Songs ranged from patriotic songs to songs for fun and dancing such as the Rumba, mambo, cha-cha, and conga line. These South American dances became very popular during the 1940s especially among the women (Popular and Social Dance). The war was a very emotional period for everyone, not just the soldiers, so the music of the war tapped into a lot of emotions. The songs were made for people to help get through their rough times. The emotions ranged from hope and love to loneliness and heartbreak. Music was an ionic symbol of World War II. Music continues to affect the modern-day world in positive ways (Rose,