Misogynistic In The 1950's

A common saying people have embedded in our minds is that the past between 1950s and 1960s is considered as “The Good Ol’ Days” or “The Golden Age.” These assumptions were made due to the prosperity and growth of the nation however the truth is that many Americans felt disadvantaged. After WWII women became confined to the home where they were expected to care for the family. Many housewives did not like these conditions because they felt as though they were slaves in their own little worlds by losing rights they had gained during the war. The only work women were wanted for was for cooking, cleaning, laundering, sewing, taking care of children, etc. Many women became discouraged due to the fact they no longer felt important in society.

How often do you hear your friends, family, or acquaintances say they would like to go back to simpler times such as the 1950s - the era where you could wear fancy poodle skirts, drive big cars, eat at your favorite diner, or catch a movie at the drive in. Americans tend to think of the positive aspects of the 1950’s. Unfortunately during that era women were treated unfairly. Even though women had rights, they were still unequal to men. Fortunately feminism has progressed since then. Today, women comprise over 50% of the workforce. Nonetheless, men still cling to stereotypes that should have been destroyed long ago, whether in the workplace, at home, or in society.

How often do you hear your friends, family or acquaintances say they would like to go back to simpler times, the 1950’s? The era where you could wear fancy poodle skirts, drive the elaborate bright cars, eat at your favorite diner, or catch a movie at the drive in. That sounds pleasant, right? The United States has a tendency to think of the lovely aspects that come from the 1950’s. Unfortunately during this era women were treated unfairly. Women obtained rights, but were still not equal to men. Femininity has come a long way since then. Women work “masculine jobs” today. In the 1950’s, job employers would have turned the female away. Although femininity has seen drastic changes throughout the past decades, society still grasps feminine roots that should have been lost long ago. During the course of this essay you will see how femininity has changed and how it has not since the 1950’s. Whether it be in the workplace, at home, or in society, women have roles to play.

During the 1950’s- 1960’s men and women followed strict gender roles that complied with society’s expectation at the time. Women played domestic roles in which it was implied they were only useful in the kitchen and taking care of their husbands. Throughout this time period it was more important for women marry a man than it was to attend college and be educated. Some women had college degrees and still chose to be housewives. At the time even secondary schools prepared young girls for this type of role; lessons were given in cookery, household management, darning, sewing and even how to iron a shirt properly. Women were prepared to take on the housewife role both at school and at home; housewives did not have a career so they depended on their husband. Sexism was rampant during this era; the attitude carried over into advertising, which did little to advance gender roles and ran advertisements that implied women were idiots who cared mostly about pleasing their men.

The roles and expectations for women in the 1950s differed in many ways from today’s society. “Society placed high importance and many expectations on behavior at home as well as in public” (Colorado.edu). In the 1950s women were considered “housewives”. Women’s sole purpose was to maintain the home, take care of the children, provide meals, and be obedient wives. “Good wives” listened to their

The women of the 1920’s were first introduced to society as a generation that spent most of their time cleaning, cooking, and nurturing their children. However, as the “Roaring 20s” came to impact the

Advertisements in the 50s started to glamorize being a house wife sending out the message that a woman’s role was in the home smiling, arms loaded with cooked food or women cleaning the house and portraying that the women in the advertisements were happy and content with this role in the home (Google Books, 2017)). A smiling house wife who was cooking and cleaning was a “Normal American Women’(1950s.weebly.com, 2017)) women in the 1950s were perceived as nothing more than the homemaker. It was quite unheard for a woman to go to college and receive an education, they were expected to be a stay at home wife and nothing more, they were seen as dedicated housewives who’s only goal in life were that of pleasing their husband. Society in the 1950s believed that women should not work as this would involve leaving the house and not placing attention on her family((Google Books, 2017)). Men in the 1950s had complete control over their wives with the

In order to answer the question, the role and impact of print and television during the time period will be studied and evaluated. Advertisements from the 1950’s played an important role in making young women feel that if one did not get married, one was unlovable. A comparison between marketing strategies from the 1930’s and 1940’s will be made to those from the 1950’s. Magazine article content also changed from current events and education to cosmetics, fashion, and marriage advice. The significance behind this change is analyzed along with the profound impact of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan on women stuck in the suburbs. Interviews from wives during the 1950’s will be assessed and secondary sources will be used in order to provide an outside perspective on the argument.

Aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other relatives moved into their own dwellings as the model for family became focused on a husband, wife, and their mutual children. Gender roles also changed. Women, who had enjoyed wartime jobs and a relative amount of independence while the men were away at war, were now encouraged to find their identity in caring for their families and homes. “The belief in family as the center of one’s life dictated that women accept their domestic role as the true expression of their womanhood (Larson 3).” Being a wife, and a mother, was all that a 1950s woman should desire. Women spent their days doting on their husbands and children, and doing housework. Despite the innovation of labor-saving appliances such as the washing machine or dishwasher, women spent more time doing chores than women of previous decades ever had. This was partially due to the increasingly demanding standards for cooking and cleaning, but also due to the recent lack of household help in 1950s homes. In the past, especially the Victorian era, many women had maids or nannies to lighten the burden of homemaking, but during the 50s housewives found themselves in charge of caring for both the family and the home (Larson

Even though men want women to still depend on them, the 1920's were the time of change for women. Throughout the past 100 years, men were the breadwinner of the family. While the men were working, women stayed home to clean, make sure the kids was ready for school/ activities, and cooked meals. Over time, women began to start independent. Women decided to go after their education, working for themselves, and even changed their style.(Thesis

In the 1950’s, the inequality of gender conflicted women in the United States. A woman’s goal in life was to get married, have children, and to primarily take care of the house. An article by Christina Catalano called Shaping the American Woman: Feminism and Advertising in the 1950’s states that women were known for being, “...Stupid, submissive, purely domestic creatures.”(Catalano 45). Men on the other hand are viewed as the more superior gender. The life of a man consist of getting married and working. Although this may seem very little, men are free to do whatever they desire and are more free spirited during the 50’s whereas women are more cautious in what they do. A woman’s main goal is to attract a husband because if they

In the 1950’s some people in American society lived a life of affluent status. They were suppose to conform to the environment around them. Many people watch television shows that portrayed a fairytale life. In some of these shows women managed the household, raised the children, cleaned, cooked and was a support system for their working husbands. They were able to afford special appliances and other expensive household items. This was time of prosperity for the upper middle-class of people. Women dressed a certain during these times. They were the same attire as all the other women in this class of people. The husband went to work daily and was the breadwinner for the family. Many husband made all of the major decisions for the family. They worked so that heir family could lived in the house with the tow car garage and white picket fence. They climbed up the corporate ladder into more prestigious position within the companies they worked for. Many of these high achievers did not live long and some died of heart attacks and strokes. However, there were some people who was not in the upper middle class of people and struggle financially. They lived from pay check to the next pay check. Many times they did not have enough money to pay their bills. There also was a segment of the population who decided they did not want to conform to social norms. Some people rebelled against the

The 1950’s can be glorified as such an amazing time period that so many people especially younger generations would love to go back in time to. As great as it may be portrayed as it was not as great for everyone especially women. In the 1950’s women had to follow strict gender roles. Their lives revolved around their families. They did all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, taking care of the children and taking care of their husbands.

Feminine ideals have been constantly changing, and they still are since female empowerment and gender equality issues have transpired. Back in the 1950’s when women were expected to be good housewives and raise the kids. In this day and age women are pushed to go into fields of study that used to be men only. Media and how they portray women have influenced this evolution in American society.

The 1950’s was an amazing time to be alive, especially with the invention of electrical goods and appliances, such as the washer and dryer, toaster, and even the television. The United States during the 1950’s was a utopia, there were many great thing happening, which made the United States the power we are today. After World War II, America was popular, while men were off at war women where working providing for their families, but once World War II ended men and women were forced back to their traditional roles. Men were expected to bring home the cash; however women, even when they worked, many assumed their proper place was at home. During the 1950’s life was simple and great, but with the end of World War II women faced many challenges.