Usual Roles for Men and Women Raising Families in the 1950s after World War II
Background of researched generation or individual, historical and present
The 1950s epoch is often perceived as an era of conformity, during which both genders adhered to their stringent roles and acted following the society's expectations. After the damage and devastation caused by the Great Depression and the Second World War, numerous people in the society chose to build a society that is both peaceful and successful. Even though it was expected that women would identify themselves fundamentally as wives and mothers and to steer clear of work outside the home setting, women continued to constitute a substantial percentage of the post-World War II labor force. The culmination of the war instigated significant changes. Notably, working women were supplanted by the soldiers who were returning home after the war. The communications relayed in popular culture, as well as mass media, prompted women to forego their jobs and quietly go back to domestic life.
Furthermore, in the 1950s, there was a significant increase in marriages and also rates of homeownership. Consequently, this resulted in a substantial increase in premarital sex and also birthed rates. It is in this period that the baby boomers were born. This period and demographic inclination buttressed women's identities as mothers and wives, whereas men to be the providers (Khan Academy, 2020).
During the Second World War period, as men went on to the battlefield to guarantee protection and success, the women joined the workforce, and during this period, women had ceased being just housewives as initially was. However, when the war came to an end, there was a complete reversal in these roles, with the women playing the housewife role in taking care of the family and bearing children, whereas the men took up the role of going to work and providing for the family. The age group of 65 years and above is a progressively increasing population. The cohort is referred to as Baby Boomers and encompasses the persons that are born between 1946 and 1964. Notably, this age cohort will be the largest population to get to late old-age in the present time. In the United States, it is expected that this population will get to 70 million...
Westerns soon developed into a staple of TV land. The independence and strength of the characters epitomized the ideals that made America so unique. Families sat down with their TV dinners to watch such shows as " Gunsmoke," the Lone Ranger," the Rifleman," Have Gun, Will Travel," and " Maverick." You were not anybody unless you could sing the theme songs of each show. Moviegoers were also being drawn into the
Another important area of change relates to sexual norms and values in the family. Studies show that there has a definite growth in more permissive attitudes towards sex and particularly premarital sex. The number of people who see sex between an unmarried man and woman as "wrong" dropped from 36% in 1972 to 24% in 1996. (the Emerging 21st Century American Family) These statistics indicate a change for the earlier view
Gender Studies -- the World Split Open Why were American women unhappy? In building her case regarding the unhappiness that women in America experienced in the 1950s, the author of The World Split Open: How the Modern Women's Movement Changed America -- Ruth Rosen -- goes into great detail. On page 13 Rosen points out that after WWII in the American culture, women getting pregnant and having babies, was extremely common
It was necessary for the returning men to feel that they were coming home to resume their pre-war social roles. Roles that were governed by the rules of a patriarchal society that had changed by way of the roles women assumed in American society while men were away at war. Women became the decision makers, the bread winners, and the family mangers in a way that is portrayed as
Another historian notes, "Economically, baby boomers experienced unprecedented national affluence throughout their childhood. During the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. economy expanded greatly, raising the living standards of most American families" (Clydesdale 606). Religion played less of a role in society by the 1990s, as church attendance and membership began to decline in the 60s. Historian Clydesdale continues, "When the cultural challenges of the 1960's disestablished this religious ethos,
Multimedia History Women Primary source videos a rich source information a historical time period, portray assumptions minutia daily life a text . This true Hollywood films footage actual events. This essay discusses with regard to women during and consequent to the Second World War. The essay relates to a series of videos and interviews in an attempt to shed more light on the role of women during this period. By emphasizing
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now