This thesis examines women’s gender identity as present in BBC radio programmes aimed at housewives, specifically broadcasts that dealt with rationing and cooking. Broadcasts regularly emphasized women’s ingenuity and ability to cook nutritious meals using limited food options while also devaluing women’s existing knowledge. Men were frequently considered experts whether or not they were authority figures. Also, the association of meat with masculinity and sugar with femininity provided a redefinition of women’s identity but failed to challenge traditional gender norms or these gendered connections. Thus, traditional gender roles were maintained even while wartime conditions provided changing opportunities and an increased sense of national unity and equality.","abstract_html":"While British food policy during the Second World War was a resounding success, it relied on and reinforced traditional gender roles. An equal shares model for food control provided a sense of national solidarity, but housewives were still represented as inferior to men. <p>This thesis examines women’s gender identity as present in BBC radio programmes aimed at housewives, specifically broadcasts that dealt with rationing and cooking. Broadcasts regularly emphasized women’s ingenuity and ability to cook nutritious meals using limited food options while also devaluing women’s existing knowledge. Men were frequently considered experts whether or not they were authority figures. Also, the association of meat with masculinity and sugar with femininity provided a redefinition of women’s identity but failed to challenge traditional gender norms or these gendered connections. Thus, traditional gender roles were maintained even while wartime conditions provided changing opportunities and an increased sense of national unity and equality.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Rewinkel, Kimberly Erin"],"institution":"Bowling Green State University","degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"History","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Forsyth, Douglas"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-05-02","date_published":"2013-05-02","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:36:39Z","subjects":["History","Gender","British Broadcasting Corporation","radio","World War II","identity","housewife","women","The Kitchen Front","At Home Today","Wise Housekeeping","meat","vegetables","sugar","jam","rationing","food controls","Ministry of Food","cooking"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1363267060","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Forsyth, Douglas"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Rewinkel, Kimberly Erin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2013-05-02"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Bowling Green State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["History","Gender","British Broadcasting Corporation","radio","World War II","identity","housewife","women","The Kitchen Front","At Home Today","Wise Housekeeping","meat","vegetables","sugar","jam","rationing","food controls","Ministry of Food","cooking"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. 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This thesis examines women’s gender identity as present in BBC radio programmes aimed at housewives, specifically broadcasts that dealt with rationing and cooking. Broadcasts regularly emphasized women’s ingenuity and ability to cook nutritious meals using limited food options while also devaluing women’s existing knowledge. Men were frequently considered experts whether or not they were authority figures. Also, the association of meat with masculinity and sugar with femininity provided a redefinition of women’s identity but failed to challenge traditional gender norms or these gendered connections. Thus, traditional gender roles were maintained even while wartime conditions provided changing opportunities and an increased sense of national unity and equality."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf","p.74","481.4 KB"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Representations of Housewife Identity in BBC Home Front Radio Broadcasts, 1939-1945"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Forsyth, Douglas"],"dc:creator":["Rewinkel, Kimberly Erin"],"dc:date":["2013-05-02"],"dc:description":["While British food policy during the Second World War was a resounding success, it relied on and reinforced traditional gender roles. An equal shares model for food control provided a sense of national solidarity, but housewives were still represented as inferior to men.
This thesis examines women’s gender identity as present in BBC radio programmes aimed at housewives, specifically broadcasts that dealt with rationing and cooking. Broadcasts regularly emphasized women’s ingenuity and ability to cook nutritious meals using limited food options while also devaluing women’s existing knowledge. Men were frequently considered experts whether or not they were authority figures. Also, the association of meat with masculinity and sugar with femininity provided a redefinition of women’s identity but failed to challenge traditional gender norms or these gendered connections. Thus, traditional gender roles were maintained even while wartime conditions provided changing opportunities and an increased sense of national unity and equality."],"dc:format":["application/pdf","p.74","481.4 KB"],"dc:identifier":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1363267060"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK"],"dc:rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"dc:subject":["History","Gender","British Broadcasting Corporation","radio","World War II","identity","housewife","women","The Kitchen Front","At Home Today","Wise Housekeeping","meat","vegetables","sugar","jam","rationing","food controls","Ministry of Food","cooking"],"dc:title":["Representations of Housewife Identity in BBC Home Front Radio Broadcasts, 1939-1945"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Bowling Green State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:36:39Z"}