People have been dreaming of a traditional family life that was established in the 1950’s. Although, an author suggested that the so-called lifestyle may not have ever existed.
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Stephanie Coontz explained in her 1992 book, “The Way We Never Were: American Families and The Nostalgia Trap,” that the image of a traditional family in the 50’s was the opposite of reality.
As a result of the Great Depression and World War II, the world was quite somber, and there was a shortage of housings, which forced extended families to live together in one home.
In worse cases, even two different families had to live together in a single house.
Such dispositions prove that the family life depicted in movies and sitcoms never existed in real life.
Coontz quoted one child who grew up during the Depression era and said, "It wasn't a big family sitting around a table radio and everybody saying good night while Bing Crosby crooned 'Pennies from Heaven.'"
As soon as peace was brought back to the nation, the people aimed to do all the things they were unable to do during the war.
For years, they waited to get married, have children, own a car, and even purchase their own home without having to live with extended family members.
After the war, the rate of people earning a middle-class income increased to almost 60 percent compared to the 31 percent rate before the Great Depression, which was so-called a prosperous period at the time.
More things improved by the 60’s. More families owned televisions and cars. Even the average age of marriage and motherhood dropped, as well as the rate of divorce. By then, women have learned more and more that they have their own voice.
In the past, women were portrayed by advertisers as people who consider housework as a way to show their femininity.
Also, in the 50’s, their meaning of marriage was different than how we see it now.
"In fact, the most common purpose of marriage in history was not to ensure children access to both their mother and father, but to acquire advantageous in-laws and expand the family labor force," said Coontz in the New Republic.
A social psychology professor and relationship expert named Dr. Eli Finkel further explained Coontz’s words on the Curiosity Podcast.
He said, "The idea that there would be a man who kissed his wife and then went off to the office and a woman who said 'love you, honey, see you when you're back' and took care of the home ... that was an eye blink in history.”
He explained that prior to the industrial revolution, people had their own businesses and didn’t have to depend on being employed by companies to make ends meet.
“Both men and women contributed hugely to economic production, and it wasn't until industrialization and this specialization that you got these highly gendered social roles. So that was unusual right from the start," continued Finkel.
Indeed, people had very different definitions of what a family should be like in the past. We also see things differently now in the present.
Now, the society has been grieving the loss of “traditional family values.” Despite the thought that people might be lamenting for a time that never existed, they also fail to see how things are much better now than before.
Compared to the 50’s, women, ethnic groups, and other minorities get to voice out their opinions more in the present.
As Coontz suggested, there is no need to be saddened over losing the good old days because in the first place, it never indeed existed.
In 2012, a good chunk of Americans claimed that they are more open-minded than their parents. They said they could adapt to change better.
For instance, some issues like homosexuality, pre-marital sex, and having a child out of wedlock had been accepted more today than a ten years ago.