What We Really Miss About the 1950's by: Stephanie Coontz

This was a great article written by Stephanie Coontz. Since I never lived in the 1950’s, I had to ask the same question; what do we miss about the 1950’s? Until I read this article I would have given an answer somewhere along the lines of; Elvis Presley, Rock and Roll, fast cars, high school girls in “poodle skirts”, and malts at the local ice cream shop and candy store. Due to my lack of personal experience relating to this time period, I would have draw my conclusions based on stories I have been told, and things I have read about or seen in a movie. I remember a fifth grade production my class put together for our families. This play depicted many of the popular songs and trends of the 1950’s. As fifth grade school plays go, it was all about the music, the social life, and clothing styles of the time.
This article shed a new light on these times. To coin a phrase, the traditional family was “booming”. Then, why wouldn’t it be? Many of the programs Roosevelt started during the New Deal were still in effect. The government was still spending large amounts of money to help people acquire jobs, stay employed, and continue moving forward financially. It was intriguing to learn that somebody could drop out of high school and obtain a job which was supplemented by the government. The job paid a minimum wage of $1.40 an hour and the person could still remain above the poverty level for that time. There was a large emphasis on the importance of marriage. Even when women became pregnant prior to marriage, the vast majority were married prior to the baby’s birth.
Corporations and employees valued each other. The employee would remain loyal to the company their entire career. The companies valued their employees and did what they could to retain them. The entire corporate make up was one of cohesiveness. With the growth of unions, employees attained higher salaries, and the opportunities to obtain a college education soared.
With the various programs sponsored by the government, and the creation of new financial institutions to facilitate home loans, more and more people were able to live the American dream of owning a home. Down payments were low and in some places a man would only have to work one day in a factory to earn enough money for a down payment. These were just a few of the highlights mentioned. During this time period, even Hollywood was promoting family life through an array of family oriented television shows. With all of this going for the American Family, who would want anything else?
This article did a good job at showing all of the areas people seem to look at when they think about the 1950’s. It also brought out several points that aren’t mentioned very often when we refer to this time period in U.S. History.
I completed a U.S. History class this last semester. Despite everything I thought I learned, I never realized that most of this blissful data came from a specific demographic. I had learned about the discrimination against women, blacks, immigrants, and those of differing faiths and social beliefs. But for some reason I didn’t comprehend the scope of the issue. During this class I had to do an essay on the murder of Emmitt Till. I was appalled at the gruesome events surrounding this incident in our history. As shocking as this event was to me, it was just one incident in my mind. I never recognized how wide or how sever the discrimination problem really reached.
I was awed at the other statics relating to the 1950’s that aren’t readily mentioned. It was interesting to see that even though there were numerous avenues to keep people above the poverty level; poverty was still higher through the 1950’s than in the early 1990’s. Women’s rights were not the only thing discriminated against; their life style and life choices were practically dictated to them by society. Their roles and responsibilities relating to the family were clearly outlined and deviation was heavily frowned upon.
The 1950’s will always be viewed as a unique period in history. This was a time of prosperity and growth for this nation. There are a vast number of people who have a right to look back at this period of time and reflect on the good times they enjoyed. As with everything in this life, nothing is perfect. Along with the great times, come hard times. The great times will always be remembered and sought after. The hard times are such; some do what they can to erase these memories from their mind. Others look at these times as a catalyst for change and are grateful for the lessons learned.