Rosie the Riveter Pittsburgh Style: The Representation and Experiences of Pittsburgh Working Women During the Second World War

The advent of the second world war created a huge national demand for industrial products, munitions, and manpower. The draft removed men i from the workforce creating a gap that American women were called upon to fill. This situation was complex due to cultural ideology about women, the previous period of economic depression, and an immense need for workers. Government and industry leaders manipulated notions about gendered work in order to find a solution to the problem without creating social upheaval. In comparison to national tendencies, Pittsburgh's story is interesting because of the strict gender roles, division of labor, and industrial capabilities that characterized the city. I will explore Pittsburgh working women's experiences and media representation of them, focusing in part on how they were called into action, the ideology and propaganda forced on them, and the conditions they faced during the war effort.