Transcript Women’s Roles in the 1940’s to 1950’s


Write down why you think that there was such
a change in women’s roles between the 1940’s
and 1950’s

How does this compare to what we learned
yesterday?
1947
•With the end of the war,
almost all war industry shut
down
•The GI’s return home
•Potential conflict
•Men
•After
v. Women for jobs
war most women felt
they had to step down for the
men to take the jobs.
•They knew their work was
just while the men were gone.
•They
moved into service
industry jobs
•Ex.
teachers, nurses,
librarians, bank tellers, etc.
•The
number of workers
declined but not to prewar
levels
• -OR- Women went home
to be housewives again
Women In the Work Force 1940-1950
WWII Ends
20
19
18
Women In the
Work Force
1940-1950
17
16
15
14
1940
1941
1942
US Enters WWII
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
•Dr.
Spock- Common Sense
Books of Baby and Child
Care
•Believed that mothers
should not work outside the
home unless they had to
•Devote life to children
•Avoid
job or hobby as it
could damage a young child
•Mass
media supported this
•TV
showed women as housewives
•“Leave
it to Beaver”
•The
mother is asked who should her son marry and says:
“Oh, some sensible girl from a nice family… who’s a good cook and
can keep a nice house and see that he’s happy”
•“Father
•The
Knows Best”
dad says this to his tomboy daughter:
“The worst thing you can do is try to beat a man at his own game”
“Listen to him. You may have a dozen
important things to tell him, but the
moment of his arrival is not the time. Let
him talk first- remember, his topics of
conversations are more important than
yours.”
“A good wife always knows her place”
“Don’t ask him questions about his
actions or question his judgment or
integrity. Remember, his the master of
the house and as such will always
exercise his will with fairness and
truthfulness. You have no right to
question him”
•College
enrollment
dropped.
•Girls left to get married
or got married right out
of college.
•A new degree was put
in place for wives
•“Ph.T.”
Putting
Husband Through