Hidden Histories

In this essay, I argue  the role of women within families and societies alike as they evolved in the 1950s in the United States. In a more broad sense, it focuses on gender roles and the societal expectations that shaped these roles. The 1950s have been described throughout the three sources that I referenced thoroughly as a “pro family time”. With the renewed belief in the importance of family alongside the rise of new ideology, gender roles were morphed. For context, as World War Two ended, men started coming back from the battlefields. This prompted women to return to becoming homemakers as the men took on the financial responsibility. Although described as a time of “profamily”, a lot of these ideas were imposed on women by the media and society. The 1950s can furthermore be described as an age of conformity. Marriage became universally praised as divorce rates decreased to half of what they are today. Family was very much like the basic institution of society in the 1950s. A baby boom additionally arose. With more men coming back from war, the economic status of the United States improved. Both the working and middle class started moving out of cities. Consumer spending saw a huge rise as well. 

The 1950s prompted a rise in traditional families, more specifically, nuclear families. Nuclear families consist of two parents and two kids, this was almost the golden standard for families across the United States. Parents were also assigned traditional gender roles, when the men went out to work, the women were expected to stay home and take care of the kids. There became a heavy emphasis on catering to the needs of all family members and working through problems. In fact, Coontz’s book (1992), specified that  nuclear family separateness from extended family networks was in fact encouraged. This was due to suspicions that relations with the extended family could negatively impact the nuclear family. As a result, the majority of the young newlyweds moved into the suburbs to distance themselves from the older generation. Suburbs were almost depicted as the height of capitalism, an answer to communist threat. Suburbs provided an environment for economic accumulation throughout generations. Von Stumn’s article (2011) includes studies that showcased how men with higher intelligence and occupational status tended to get married faster, as these traits were a sign of evolutionary fitness. This showcases how capitalism influences people’s daily lives. Additionally, it paints an image of a “good life” under capitalism, with the nuclear family. However, the suburbs were “burying women alive” as History.com stated. 

Women were assigned the role of a homemaker and almost forced to conform. Housework became a medium for women to express femininity and individualism. The average amount of time doing housework increased exponentially as well as childcare time. Men were also encouraged to be important parental figures and the media used Hollywood stars as figures to inspire others. 

Apart from the changes in gender role in the 1950s, social changes also occurred. Ethnic and national discrimination remained prominent problems. In fact, TV and movies continued to ignore cultural diversity and casted white people in place of minorities. Even in everyday life, minorities were exempt from the privileges that white families had. This in a big part, was due to capitalism repurposing racism and race. Racism was seen as almost acceptable in order for companies to gain maximum profit. This didn’t mean that people stayed down and remained silent, however. The Civil Rights Movement started in the 1950s, featuring prominent figures such as Rosa Parks and her act of defiance in 1955.