Following World War II, gender equality returned to the forefront of the urinal and its march through history. As women were beginning to filter into the American workforce in greater numbers, the object became a symbol of the glass ceiling to be broken, as male bathrooms became a site of water cooler privilege to which women were denied access.
Urinals for women were experimented with during this time period, although due to awkwardness of use, the potential obstruction of certain clothing items and the lack of a marketing campaign, this technology never achieved popularity. After 50 years of controversy, this initiative had, finally achieved support from the President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. The amendment initially enjoyed substantial traction, with 30 of the requisite 38 states voting for acceptance in the first two years of the seven-year ratification window.
However, criticism against the ERA began to intensify, and only five more states approved the amendment before the deadline, leading to the defeat of the initiative The History Behind the Equal Rights Amendment , The Equal Rights Amendment. However, some positions highlighted the blurring of the genders. One argument used by detractors, such as Phyllis Schlafly, to erode support for the ERA amongst both men and women involved the alleged mandatory construction of unisex bathrooms, which would not employ urinals Because Constitutional Equality is so Retro , Feministing , 29 March Cultural codes of privacy and gender division were too engrained with regard to the public restroom, and in the threat of unisex bathrooms opponents of the ERA found a wedge issue that resonated with both genders.
The pace of change in urinal function and design has only increased in the last thirty years, with the manufacturers of this device responding to a variety of cultural shifts and societal pressures.
The increased tendency of children to accompany their parents to various sites of public consumption restaurants, theaters, etc necessitated the manufacture of smaller urinals for children. Larger than normal urinals were subsequently created for taller people; indeed, in very large public restrooms in airports and other areas with high volumes of daily use, it is not uncommon to see urinals set at three different heights.
Airports have also been at the cutting edge of no-touch technology when it comes to the public restroom, not just with urinals but also traditional sit-down toilets, in addition to soap, water, and paper towel dispensers. The no-touch urinal, which utilizes an infrared motion proximity sensor to activate the flushing mechanism Urinal , was a direct reflection of growing concerns over globalism and the ability to rapidly move from one part of the world to another. Cheaper, faster travel meant more people would be traveling from one region to another, exponentially increasing the potential for germs and diseases to be spread into areas with little or no natural resistance.
As the hubs of international travel in ascendant globalism, airports were among the first institutions to employ new innovations seeking to minimize human contact with germs. The most recent substantive change in American culture that has been reflected in changing urinal models is the greening of America, where resources such as water are much more closely monitored, and wasteful practices are discouraged.
In the past decade, water-free urinals have been introduced widely across the United States. Although these models are still vastly outnumbered by more traditional flush urinals, this latest innovation will only become more and more popular with the water shortages that are predicted to become a growing feature in certain parts of the United States over the next 50 years. Who knows whether the water-free model will become a regional feature in areas that experience such shortages; one thing is certain, however.
American culture will continue to evolve, and these modifications will be reflected in the changing face of the urinal. Skip to content Search for:.
TAGS american history marcel duchamp urinal. Contributed by Waterless Co. Urinals are not something we think about very often - women, probably never - but the truth is that urinals have a long and storied history and women have played a role in its evolution.
The urinal dates back to the 9th century. Factories hired hundreds of men, which meant large areas of the factory floor had to be designated for restrooms. By installing urinals, less restroom space was necessary.
Many men believed standing up symbolically elevated them above women seeking equal rights so they preferred using urinals. Pissoirs were introduced in Paris in the s.
Meant to be a target for optimum use. Often cited as an example in lectures on user-centred design. The inventor of the etched target has even been traced: it apparently came from Jos van Bedaf , manager of the cleaning department at Schiphol airport in the Netherlands.
The pleasure of watching ice dissolving under the steady flow of urine now seems to be all but extinct. Not so, says a Kenyan friend. This question is taken up by a Capetonian remember the Cape Town drought? At my Virgin Active gym in Cape Town there is a sign encouraging patrons not to flush. Maybe the Pretoria sign is aimed at visitors from Cape Town?
The idea that we would talk while we pee? This is a ritual conducted in strict silence.
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