The 50s Housewives

I really enjoyed our last class meeting because it was surprisingly informative. Usually when I hear I will be watching documentaries and films during a class I think 'Great, now I'll have to try a stay awake through this.' However, I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting the documentary and movie were and how well they held my attention.

Getting a better understanding of a 50s housewife from the History Channel documentary really helped to lay the framework for the film, "Mona Lisa's Smile." I had never seen the film before we watched it in class, and now that I have, I am surprised I never did before now. Besides the outstanding cast of actors, (Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, ect.) I felt like it was simply a movie every woman should see. The thought of some of the most brilliant female minds in this country choosing to be a housewife instead of pursuing their career goals of being lawyers and doctors would seem ludicrous today - or would it?

Being from a small town, I've grown up seeing similar choices from women older than me as well as from my female peers. Instead of college, they become housewives and take care of the babies while their husbands are at work. Now, I want to make clear right now that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If being a housewife and a mother is what makes a woman happy and fulfilled, than I truly think that's what she should be doing. At the same turn, it makes one stop and think about how far women have really come in the last 60 years. I mean, I would expect that in 60 years women would be at least making the same amount of money that men do for doing the same jobs...but the stats would say otherwise. And, the top jobs for women in the 50s compared to 2012 sadly haven't changed much. They are the stereotypical "woman" jobs such as nurses, teachers, secretaries, ect. Don't get me wrong, we have come a long way, but facts are facts people...to say that women are offered all the same career opportunities and positions as a men would be, excuse me for being frank but, idiotic.

It simply seems that society and our culture keep most women from fulfilling their career ambitions once they are married, because at that point they are no longer independent-thinkers in terms of their careers. They are expected to put everyone's happiness before their own, attend PTA meetings, clean everyone's clothes and have dinner on the table by 6. Who would have room for a career? Being a housewife or a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job (and one that doesn't pay at that). And that is why someone has to do it. But while these roles are expected of women, their male counterparts can get married, even have kids and simply continue working everyday toward their next big promotion without getting any slack from anyone about being a "bad parent" or "neglecting the housework" or "not picking the kids up from school and driving them to soccer practice."

I don't think of myself as a feminist (although the definition of that is different according to who you're talking to), but as a woman who cares about the double standard that still exists in society. And if you don't think there is one anymore, simply do the research. Or consider how many female CEOs of major corporations there are compared to male ones...it's not many.

I'll put it this way: I know most women (and men for that matter) want to get married and have a family, and I agree that there could be nothing better in this life than that. I want those things too eventually. But our whole lives while we're growing up and going to school we are told we can do anything we set our minds to and if we work hard enough we can accomplish our biggest goals. Is it fair that girls are taught to think that until they get married and then be expected to give up on every endeavor they've worked their whole lives for just because society "says so?" Meanwhile, men can go on and keep pursuing their dreams. In many ways marriage is looked at as a boost for men in the workplace because they then seem more stable and reliable.

My advice to women: If you have any little inclination to accomplish something in your professional life - do it. Some of you will be able to do it while you are happily married and taking care of a family (the rest of us will call you Superwomen), but everyone else may have to take some time to grow up past the age of 25 before getting married -imagine that- in order to establish yourself in a job you truly want.

You can do it!