Housewives





In the 1950s, Spock's theory that women should not be focused on school, but be focused on being a housewife and mother, had most American women agreeing. During the 1950s, people had discouraged women from attending a college. According to a survey, most women found that most women found it natural to feel good about their husband's success, instead of having their own success. Most of the women would be responsible for the daily routine of the children, along with other household chores, while the father would go to work in the city. Media would usually portray women as a kind and outgoing housewife, instead of smart and career driven. Most schoolgirls would be encouraged to follow the footsteps of their mother, instead of being encouraged to go on to more schooling. Some women, however, did not feel completely satisfied with just being a housewife. The women who felt that way would usually be judged by society. During the war, many women had taken the jobs that the men would have, but when the war ended the women were told to quit their jobs and let a solider have the job, and to also return to the household. Though, some women, especially the women in the lower economic ranks, did not have the choice to stay home all day, many women couldn't afford to not work. During the 1950s, the rate of employment increased almost four times faster than the rate of employment for males, and the rate of working housewives had almost doubled from 17 percent (1940) to 32 percent (1960). media type="youtube" key="IVtgEgw15mQ" height="315" width="420" media type="youtube" key="J9SR7F8ySvk" height="315" width="420" align="center"

Today, there are a lot more working women, and not as many stay at home moms. Most families have to have both parents working because of the high price of living that the United States has today. There are now also some women that are more powerful, than men, in the workplace today. In the 1950s, most men dominated the workplace. Even though there women holding powerful positions in the United States, on average women only make 77 cents for every dollar men make for the same job. Most women in the United States today go on to more schooling after high school, also. There are also more single mothers today than there were in the 1950s.