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Research Paper: Primary Source Analysis
Chapter 28: Cold War America, 1950-1959
After World War II the economy began to improve and residential construction became
huge, creating a movement of families moving to suburbia and a huge increase in consumer
goods consumption. The consumer culture was prominent in the suburbs where, by this time, one
third of the population resided. Consumers with homes in the suburbs were able to have access
and space for new technology such as electric refrigerators, dishwashers, radios, television sets,
and more. As we saw from previous chapters, women’s role in society has gone from domestic to
working industrial jobs and now back to domesticity with the stereotypical middle class
housewife image; a mother/wife is expected to drive the kids around and cook meals as her
husband is at work providing financially for the family.
As economic prosperity was prevalent and families moved to suburban homes, women’s
roles in the workforce weren’t what they were when the men were away at war. Although
women were working more, the jobs that they had previously held were no longer available as
their husbands came back to take back over and the baby boom generation was beginning as
couples were expanding their families. The role for the suburban woman seemed to go back to
more conventional and stereotypical ideas that the woman should be the homemaker and take
care of the children, tend to chores, keep the house tidy, and cook for their families. The first
document I looked at was entitled “Busy Wife’s Achievements (1956)” which was an article
printed by LIFE Magazine, one of the most popular postwar era magazines. This article looked at
the (stereo)typical middle class suburban housewife in America, specifically Marjorie Sutton of
Los Angeles, “a home manager, mother, hostess, and useful civic worker.” This document
compares the two roles that Marge balances; the housewife and the civic worker, who share the
same workspace at her kitchen counter. Although she has a full time maid that does much of the
housework, Marge still manages to stay incredibly busy between grocery shopping, cooking,
entertaining around 1500 guests a year, making clothes for her four children, singing in a church
choir, serving on the P.T.A. as well as many other civic organizations. The housewife stereotype
is so much more than people may think. Mrs. Sutton stays incredibly busy and spends her entire
day helping others and taking care of her family. This idea that the wife doesn’t leave the house
much and rarely does “real” work is not accurate in this postwar era, in fact housewives are
doing a lot, especially those involved in progressive civic work and activism, much like Marge
is. The society that Marge is coming from expects a lot from her; between her husband expecting
her to be home when he stops by for lunch everyday and her children relying on her for clothes,
rides, and food, not to mention all of the board members, church members, and others that are
