Oppression Of Women In The 1950's Society

Throughout the 1950s in the United States, the population as a whole changed to become a society that relies heavily on each person fitting to form what is now considered a modern society. Each person became more and more alike due to an intense need to fit in, but also partially die to the rising of the middle class. As the concept of suburbia rose, so did the idea that all women should avoid the workforce and to raise children. The essay Fifties Society by Alan Brinkley supports the idea that women were educated and intelligent, but were forced by society to rely on their husbands and live solely as servants to their husband and children. The widespread videos from the 1950s A Word to The Wives, The Relaxed Wife, and Are You Popular? show the views imposed on women and how the concept of fitting in had confined each person into a small standard that would have to be met or else they would be considered an outcast. The video A Word to The Wives showed the intelligence of women and how their intelligence was being put to use. The video portrayed women as still intelligent, but wasting it on useless things that if they were allowed to be …show more content…
shows the need to fit in and the double standards placed upon women. The video showed a girl entering a school and being accepted by the popular students. Another girl was at one point somewhat accepted that each boy in the group had gone and “Parked in cars with her at night” causing her to be seen as shameful while the men were viewed as to have done nothing wrong while they too had “Parked in a car” with her. The video showed the Do’s and Don’ts of popularity at the time and showed double standards with the men being allowed to date as many women as they pleased while the women were shamed for doing the same. The essay talks about the narrowing of diversity in the United States showing the sense that society had forced others to want to fit in more and more and listen to the advice given to