Life in 1950s America held clearly defined roles for women. After World War II, women left wartime jobs en masse and returned to the home, pressured by society to embrace the traditional roles of housewife and mother. Leaders such as journalist Betty Friedan and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt questioned the idea that homemaking should be women’s only source of fulfillment. By the end of the decade, the number of women in the work force was on the rise.

You will be assigned topics that reflect the issues surrounding the lives of American women in the 1950s. Use what you have learned to write a Research Report in which you evaluate the factors that influenced the societal roles of women. To prepare for your report, you will research the impact of social norms, economics, and popular culture, among other topics.

Look at the quote below. Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

“Above all, we reject the assumption that women’s problems are the unique responsibility of each individual woman rather than a basic social dilemma which society must solve.”

• Who do you think is the speaker of this quote? Why?
• Why do women’s problems constitute a dilemma that must be addressed by society as a whole?

Use the Daily Life through History articles listed on the right to research the lives of American women in the 1950s. Examine the Timeline. As you read, keep your assigned topic in mind. Remember that your arguments will need to be backed by specific facts from your readings.

Use the Main Idea and Details Chart to organize your information. In the large box, write one or two sentences that summarize women’s roles in the 1950s. In the smaller boxes, write details about the factors that shaped these roles, such as loss of wartime jobs or media influence.

Write your report. You should address factors such as family life, access to education, popular culture, and economics. Remember to also consider the impact of wartime employment on women’s evolving expectations and sense of identify.

Your teacher will use these questions to assess your performance:

• Did you present a clear and logical thesis?
• Did you support your thesis with factual details from the readings?
• Did you ensure that your report was well-organized?
• Did you follow rules of grammar and style?