Women+and+Families+in+the+1950s

"Learn History - USA A Divided Union - Women in the Fifties." //Learnhistory//. Web. Fall 2010. . “Although the number of women at work did continue to rise after the war, female workers and career-women were viewed with suspicion by many.” “The traditional idea that a woman’s role was a homemaker raising her family was very influential in 1950s USA.” “The average age at which women were married was 20 – the youngest for 60 years.” “Newspaper and magazine articles encouraged women to //return to the home.//” “Popular TV shows such as 'I Love Lucy' and 'Father Knows Best' carried this message into homes.” “A very influential book was ‘Modern Women: the Lost Sex’ by Maryinia Farnham and Ferdinand Lundgren.” “It claimed that most of society’s problems – alcoholism, teenage hooliganism and even war – were because of women following careers instead of being housewives and mothers.” “Kitchen and cleaning appliances like washing machines, fridges and Hoovers were advertised as being ‘every woman’s dream’.” “The suburbs developed in the 1950s. Middle-class families left the cities to live in new houses in large suburban estates.” “The husband would drive to work in his car and the wife would stay at home and bake apple pies.” “The only companionship women could look forward to was weekly ‘Tupperware Parties’ where neighbours would gather to have coffee and buy plastic kitchen products.” “Many women decided there was more to life than babies, dishes and happy husbands.” “They felt that their contribution to the war effort had been forgotten. In the 1960s thousands joined **NOW** – the National Organisation for Women.” “A book was published in 1963 which changed the world. **Betty Friedan**, a Communist, wrote **‘The Feminist Mystique’**. ”

“It said that women had been brainwashed by men into being their servants. ”

“She called upon women to educate themselves and become //partners// with their men rather than second-class citizens. ”

“This book helped launched the later Women’s Movement. ”

“ ** homemaker - ** a traditional role for a housewife ”

“ ** suburbs, suburbia - ** modern housing estates on the outskirts of towns and cities e.g. Coulsdon. ”

“ ** Tupperware - ** a brand of plastic kitchen stuff like sandwich boxes which are sold through home parties ”

“ ** Communist - ** someone who believes in equality for all people and a big change in the way we live.”