The Ideal Woman Analysis

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The period of 1950s was the golden age of America. Economy expanded after end of World War II. With lower unemployment rate. Income of everyone rose substantially. Americans in 1950s era were living better life than their parents. As mentioned in the 1950s Culture Document Packet, “Leisure activities, not work or politics, would henceforth be the happy hunting ground for the independent spirits” (262). When people has higher standards of living, more money to spend, free time that they can spend to enjoy their life is possible and highly predictable and inevitable. Clark Kerr and three other scholars presented the concept of the modern Industrial Society. They discussed in the article about what this Industrial Society will offer to individual. …show more content…

After World War II, families moved to suburbs, buying a house and wanted to live a happy life together. It nurtured a baby boom during this period. As per the author, Jennifer Holt “Women were considered domestic caregivers, with sole responsibility for the home and child rearing, while men brought home the bacon.” Gender based roles are followed through the world in some form. In Asia till today, women’s primary role is to take care of the house, children and family needs. This caregiver role is as important as the role of the men to earn money. Family is the corner stone, pillar of the community. If pillar collapses, it affects society and community since the most affected are the children of the family. So, to strengthen society, make it stronger, the first step is to make family stringer and women along with the help and support from husband plays a very important, crucial role in making family happier and healthier. Our society plays a role in defining gender roles and identity for example selection of toys, cloths, friends, rewards, punishments and activities. Children take this gender role as they see it and getting used to it in their surrounding environment. As mentioned in the article, “Studies of postwar culture found that government propaganda, popular magazines, and films reinforced traditional concepts of femininity and instructed women to subordinate their interests to those of returning male veterans” (Meyerowitz, 1994). This environment was created post World War II to justify the discrimination practices against women. In this period, due to cultural pressure and from society, women were constrained and accepted the role as a caregiver. This environment changed during 1960s where women were educated at a higher rate, birth control was also become available which increased out of home career option available to women. Jennifer Holt mentioned about

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