Title: The 1900s Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview | Encyclopedia.com
Headings: The 1900s Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview
The 1900s Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview
The 1900s Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview

Content: The business sector encountered its own struggles as labor unions fought to receive better wages and benefits from employers who were unaccustomed to negotiating with workers. Women made many advances during the century's first decade, as they built upon the accomplishments of those who had demanded more equal treatment during the 1800s. In the 1900s, women were increasingly joining the workforce at all levels. Immigrant and working-class females began to be employed outside the home as opportunities in manufacturing and retailing expanded. Educated women made greater advances in both the academic and professional spheres as they joined the ranks of doctors, lawyers, and professors who had previously been all male. By 1910, nearly 40 percent of America's undergraduates were female. Women were also greatly involved in social work and religious causes. Jane Addams inspired generations of women into action through her efforts at Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago that educated and helped immigrants. Many women, such as Carry Nation, joined the Temperance Movement (a movement to limit alcohol consumption) and rallied for the prohibition of alcohol. Another social concern that drew the attention of many women was suffrage, or the right to vote.