Qualified encouragement and conditional acceptance: Advertising directed at women during World War Two.

Abstract

This thesis is an analysis of advertising directed at Canadian women that appeared in Canadian publications during World War Two. The reaction advertisers had to women's new wartime roles reveals much about what they believed was appropriate for women. Wartime advertisements often appeared quite progressive in their portrayal of women at first glance. However, a closer look reveals that many advertisements contained ideas about women that were quite traditional, even if the surface image seemed progressive. Commercial and government advertisements have been analysed separately and this separate analysis reveals several differences between the two. Commercial advertisements encouraged consumption and presented it as an aid to women doing war work and to help them stay feminine while government advertisements stressed thrift and portrayed women as capable participants in the war effort. Despite this reliance on the traditional, much that is positive can be seen in advertising's wartime portrayal of women.