Women during World War II took on the jobs that men worked at. For the men in the United States were off fighting in World War II. After the war though, that changed.
Women were fired from their jobs that they had during the war. So that men can have their jobs back. Even when women worked as teachers, secretaries, maids and other service orientated jobs they were not able to climb up the workforce ladder. Women during the 50's were to support the husband by being a stay-at-home mom. Also that women were pressured into getting married at 18 or 19 and have large families. The 50's was known as the Baby boom years. This would be known as the Nuclear family. Which would be seen as the perfect American family. |
Documents on a Woman's daily life
The Feminine Mystique by Betty FriedanBetty starts with, "The problem…was a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction, a yearning that women suffered in the middle of the twentieth century in the United States." She also adds, "Each suburban wife struggled with it alone," for it was not the thing back then to talk about hardships. Betty also adds, " Millions of women lived their lives in the image of those pretty pictures of the American suburban housewife," explaining how society forced women into a live they didn't want.
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Harper's Weekly, 1953In this magazine that was made in November 1953, shows how women would live their daily live and what was expected. It starts with "It is entirely a woman's day because virtually every male commutes," giving that stereo typical gender role. Later on in the document is reads, "This leaves the woman alone all day to cope with the needs of the children, her house-keeping and shopping," this is seen as the norm for many families during the 50's. However women that did work would most likely take the children to school before going to work. Another thing to add for the non-working women is that they would repeat the same thing over and over again.
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