Gender Role and

Expectations
Gender Roles in the 1950s

You can pretty much blame TV for the way that gender roles panned out for both men, and
women, in American society in the 1950s. Expanding families and young children were raised in
a TV generation, where the ideal societal families on TV were what every family strived to be.
The patriarchal sentiment was strong throughout the dedicate, where men were seen as not
only the provider for the family, but ultimately, the ruler of the family.

Its important to consider this alongside our text. Single parent (female), male child, no stable
father figure, no major breadwinner. What effect does that have on a boy looking to define
himself as a man within a society?

WOMENS ROLES IN THE 1950S
During the 1950s, the role of homemaker and
mother was glorified in popular magazines,
movies and television.
Caring mothers, diligent spouses, obedient
partners, and "good" wives. They were
expected to carry out her man's every order
and agree with him on everything. A good wife
always knew her place.
Being a single woman in the 1950s wasnt
exactly ideal. Divorced/separated women
suffered immensely and their economic
prospects were pretty poor. There was a
distinct lack of well-paying jobs for women,
and realistically, their best chance for
employment was in traditionally accepted
womens jobs, like secretarial work, teaching,
nursing etc. There was an economic incentive
to get married and stay married for many
women in the 1950s.
Well-Defined Gender Roles
The ideal modern woman married, cooked and
cared for her family, and kept herself busy by joining the local
PTA and leading a troop of Campfire Girls. She entertained
guests in her familys suburban house and worked out on the
trampoline to keep her size 12 figure.
-- Life magazine, 1956
Marilyn
Monroe
The ideal 1950s man was the provider, protector,
and the boss of the house. -- Life magazine, 1955
1956 William H. Whyte, Jr. The
Organization Man
A a middle-class, white suburban
male is the ideal.
Mens roles in the 1950s.
Its important to remember that as restrictive and prescribed as womens gender roles were in the
1950s, men too experienced similar and harmful levels of restriction as well.
While girls were expected to play with Barbie, men were expected to play with GI Joes. These toys
represented everything than a male should be courageous, strong, ready to fight for his country at
any opportunity. This was an action figure and that is what boys should want to be, a man of action.
Men were only considered to be real men if they were the strong and silent type, or the tough,
aggressive, street type, with the ducks-ass hair style, and a packet of smoked rolled up into their t-
shirt. There were no other considerations for what being a man entailed.
These real men played sports, avoided arts, avoided culture. They loved manual labour and hated
any kind of desk job. They drank heavily, drove manual cars and dodged commitments, especially
marriage, until the very last minute. They had brief, domineering courtships where they would control
the women and were sexually aggressive.
A man in uniform who had been on active uniform was seen as the perfect man. Women were
brainwashed to love a man in uniform, and all others in society were meant to revere him.
While not as restrictive or as damaging as the female gender role, men who did not fit this mould, or
had no-one to guide them towards this mould, struggled to find a place in society. (like Jack)

Mens roles in the 1950s.
As the head of the family, the man is expected to be the bread winner, the one
who works hard to earn a wage, so that he can financially support his family. In
the 1950s, most husbands had attended college or vocational training. Their
educational background afforded them the opportunity to find a job.
Men had a great deal of pressure on them to ensure that they supported and
protected their families, needing to demonstrate wisdom, strength, bravery and
unemotional detachment almost on demand.
Just as the women were bombarded with images in which they were supposed to
live up to, the men were expected to be a blend of the classic American Cowboy,
the American War Hero, the wise and steady Father (think Atticus Finch). Finally,
men were expected to keep an orderly household, a wife or child that does not
behave in socially acceptable ways reflects badly on him and his ability to
discipline them.

How is this explored in This Boys Life?
The fact that a girl shared the name Tobias caused them both scalding
humiliation p7
I was subject to fits of feeling myself unworthy, somehow deeply at fault
Toby has an inferiority complex, linked to his perceived need to wield
power and demonstrate masculinity p.9
Roy only partially fulfils gender expectations, Roy didnt workp11, but he
is a military veteran and a proficient hunter. Also, in his own way, does a
socially acceptable job of teaching Toby to be manly pp11-12.
As a 10yr old boy, I thought Roy was what a man should be p12.
Power can only be enjoyed when it is recognised and feared p21
Dwights insistence on getting drunk at the tavern and then driving
dangerously home when his masculinity is threatened after the rifle club
competition (pp109 -113), while he is courting Rosemary (pp74-76, 83)