Analyze the changing roles of women in 1950s American society; identify the impact of factors such as economics, family structure, home life, and the media on women’s lives; evaluate the impact of stereotyping and conformity on individuals and groups.

With the end of World War II, many American women who had joined the workforce at the start of the war returned to the home, previously their main sphere of influence. Society had clearly defined roles for women in the 1950s, and surging postwar birth and marriage rates compelled women to refocus on the traditional roles of wife and mother. Television and women’s magazines reinforced a stereotype of womanhood defined by children, family, and the home. However, some women resisted these messages. Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique noted dissatisfaction among many American women of the era. Friedan protested the idea that homemaking should be a woman’s primary source of fulfillment. Eleanor Roosevelt lauded the opinion that working outside of the home provided self-esteem. Although surviving on a single income was still possible for many families, women increasingly chose to find outside work. Consequently, the proportion of married women who worked outside the home doubled between 1940 and 1960.

• CA  11.10: 7; 11.11: 3 Historical Interpretation: 3
• TX  113.32(21): d; 113.38(1): b
• FL  SS.A.5.4: 8
• NCSS  IV(HS): c, f, g; V(HS): a, b, d

2 class periods

• Activity Sheet, American Women in the 1950s
• Timeline, Daily Life in the United States, 1940-1959 
• Graphic Organizer, Main Idea and Details Chart
• Research Report Rubric

Use the instructions below to guide students in writing a Research Report.

What factors shaped American women’s lives in the 1950s?

Cause and Effect Students will write a Research Report in which they explore the factors that shaped American women’s lives in the 1950s. Students will research how and why women’s roles and expectations changed in postwar America.

Have students research the topic using the provided links. Encourage them to use the suggested graphic organizer as they read the articles.

“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.”

To start students thinking about American women’s lives in the 1950s, have them examine the quote.

Key questions students should answer are:

• 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?

Distribute the Student Activity Sheet. Tell students that their Research Report should discuss the factors that shaped women’s lives in the 1950s, including a changing society and political sphere. Tell students that they will research the following topics, reminding them to consider the impact of each on women’s lives.

• Economics
• Family Life
• Access to Education
• The Home and Suburbia
• Popular Culture
• Concerns of African-Americans

Remind students that their Research Report will need to include specific details about each of these subjects from their readings.

Use the Research Report Rubric to assess students’ performance.

Have students reflect on their performance and use the list of expectations to judge how well they met the criteria.

Ask students: Which aspect of 1950s life imposed the greatest influence on restricting women’s roles?

Journal Have students use Daily Life through History to conduct research and write a journal entry in which they assume the point of view of an individual in the 1950s.

Critical Thinking: APPLY