Laura
McCaffrey
Registered User
(2/20/03 4:46:33 pm)
|
Sorry I just
can't resist
Hey all -
Polishing off my American History degree) If I remember correctly, while the myth of the housewife and the feminine ideal was strong in the 50's, women still entered the workforce outside the home in increasing numbers throughout the decade. Somewhere in this pile of books I could find the stats, I'm sure, but I'm a bit too tired tonight to do it. However, to bring this back to beliefs of the folk, this stat, to me, demonstrates the power of the pop culture/myth/society. Women were increasingly working outside the home, even if often in "pink collar" jobs. But that wasn't the ideal to aspire to. Work outside the home was considered appropriate to earn "pin money" before one was married - pre reaching the pinnacle of womanhood, marriage and motherhood. Like so much of the 50's, this seems so ambivalent and contradictory. (And I guess, while I'm on my 50's kick, I have to mention Some Like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe. Talk about strange cultural messages.)
Laura Mc
Edited by: Laura McCaffrey at: 2/20/03 4:47:28 pm
|
