Question

Postwar realities changed the American family during the 1950s. Women especially were impacted by these changes. Describe the stereotypical 1950s family, the changes, and explain why those changes took place. What have been the long-term impacts of the changing family?

Answer 1

Families in the 1950s saw lower divorce rates as compared to any of the times later. After the war, there had been changed in the way that people started looking at marriage and the way child bearing was perceived, had changed. In the 1950s, the women were expected to concentrate more on family and building a home rather than concentrating outside. By the end of the war, people had become so tired, that they wanted to find peace in family and themselves. This led t the concept of families that are close knit and women began to be contained in the domestic arena.

Following the concept of families, there was an increase in the gender bias seen in that period, prior to the war, due to the Great Depression, there was a situation where there would be two breadwinners. This changed after the war, where the roles of women began to be more confined. These changes occurred since,out of two viewpoints, the one in which male members would help in household job and in being the only breadwinner, the society chose males over females. This further defined female se-xuality as being domesticated with local slangs being made in the name of dimension who would be seen doing outside work. This led to the formation of the patriarchal family style. The family with children was known to be the accepted format.

That was the decade when children would be made to attend the church every week along with performing homework and daily activities. Also, discipline was of utmost importance and any disrespect that would be done to elders would be treated in a serious manner. Girls would now stay at their parental homes and after they would get married they would stay at their husbands homes. This was followed by women seen majorly as housewives for a few successive generations.