School Life in the 1950s - 1574 Words

School Life in the 1950’s School Life in the 1950’s was harder than today because the facilities were few and inadequate. Teachers were stricter and corporal punishment was still in use. They had fewer subjects and wealth, discrimination, sexism and racism meant they could only do certain subjects. After World War 2 there was a baby boom and as a result in the 1950’s schools were quickly filling up as the children enrolled. The enrolments increased as much as 30% over the ‘baby-boomers’ decade. In the year 1950 there were 166 437 existing elementary and secondary schools in the USA to educate over 29 million students. As the amount of students increased, the schools and resources declined. It was reported by the Office of Education in 1953†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"They used the cane a lot, usually first resort not last. She said it was normal for girls to get the cane in front of all the class with skirt, or as it was for her, gymslip raised up. They could get 2, 3, 4 strokes in front of class, occasionally some got 6 strokes. But if it was thought serious they were sent to the headmaster. Always bare off headmaster, skirt up knickers down. Six minimum, could be up to 12. She said it was normal to see someone being caned† (http://www.experi enceproject.com/stories/Used-To-Get-The-Cane-At-School/2211915 16/08/2013). There was no appeal against that system of punishment and many parents believed the teacher was acting in the child’s best interests. Other methods of punishment were intimidation, strapping, removal from class, loss of privilege, writing lines and verbal put-downs were all regularly used. As stated before, the class numbers were increasing so teachers had to teach more students, meaning discipline was becoming more stringent as the teacher tried to keep the class in control. The 1950’s was the time of the cold war and there was a great tear of nuclear war. In certain areas of America the ‘fallout’ tests were being brought in where the students were required to go through a fake atomic bomb attack and they would find refuge under their desks (little did they know this wouldn’t protect them from radiation!). It was more for the teacher and parent’s piece of mind. Teachers of 1950 were sterner and moreShow MoreRelatedGender Role Is The Public Image Of Being A Particular Gender929 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual’s social life, work life, and home life. How much has gender roles altered since the 1950’s? In the 1950’s, women did not truly have a social life. Women’s lives were centered around their husband’s, their children, and their homes. At the time, it was socially unacceptable to be bored, so women would go to sewing or quilting clubs. The sewing and quilting clubs also was a way that women could do more for their families as well. In the 1950’s men did not really have a social life either howeverRead More1950s vs Today Essay680 Words   |  3 Pagesdramatically. Since the 1950’s, women have slowly but surely evolved into the individuals one sees today in public offices, law firms or even the five o’ clock news. However, this evolution did not occur over night. Although women in the 1950’s and today have dealt with similar stereotypes, today life has greatly improved because women aren’t as pressured to get married, are taken more seriously in the business world, and are even making as much or more money as men. One reason daily life has greatly improvedRead MoreMona Lisa Smile-Then and Now1000 Words   |  4 PagesBy watching Mona Lisa Smile, I noticed that life as a young adult during the 1950 s was similar and very different than how life is now in 2005. In the 1950 s birth control was unheard of and people made it out to be against the law whereas today, birth control is the most widely used drug to prevent pregnancy. Within a typical 1950 s household, the soul responsibility of a wife was taking care of her husband and kids and the husband’s role was working for his family and keeping them financiallyRead More 1950-1960 Essay1699 Words   |  7 Pages1950-1960 During the 1950s, the United States experienced great change with the end of World War II, making it difficult to label the busy decade. America was the most powerful nation in the world and it was a time of complacency. The United States accepted two new states, Hawaii and Alaska (www.fifties.com). The science world boomed with new inventions; televisions broadcast nationally; rock n roll was popular; commercial hotel and fast food chains became common; the car industry exploded;Read MoreThe Life Of The 1950 S Essay1202 Words   |  5 PagesThe 1950’s were considered to be a time where life was full of bliss, who wouldn’t want to be untroubled? Life in the 1950’s was simple and structured, and now it seems as though the â€Å"Happy days† have disappeared. The 1950’s are considered â€Å"The Happy Days† because life was so well put together back then and now, it seems, it has all fallen apart. The 1950 TV shows, like Leave it to Beaver, ha s the American society believing that life was â€Å"perfect†. Seeing the shows makes one imagine that the familyRead MoreReligious Revival of the 1950s1483 Words   |  6 PagesAfter Americans endured two decades of continuous depression, war and crisis through the 1930s and 40s, they sought a return to normalcy and longed to focus on the more private details of existence. Instead of national objectives, the public concentrated on family, home, and career, while becoming increasingly absorbed in religion. As the 1950s saw America in a state of national exhaustion, religion-in-general experienced a surge in popularity. Many critical views were silenced or ignored asRead MoreThe Conservative Values Of Their Parents1156 Words   |  5 Pagesreveal that the majority of teenagers retained conservative values. He seems naà ¯ve and out of touch with the true majority of the youth of the country during that time and only focuses on the values of college students to support his conclusion that 1950’s youth did not stray from the morals and values of their parents. His perspective seems to be written from the â€Å"white perspective† rather than an unbiased view. He continues to contradict himself when he concludes at the end of his piece that parentsRead MoreAnalysis Of Salinger s The Catcher Rye 972 Words   |  4 PagesCatcher in the Rye continues to be a popular book amongst Americans. Although The Catcher in the Rye has been banned in many public school settings in the U nited States it continues to stay atop some of the greatest books of all time lists. Whether people are in their teens or in their fifties they find themselves drawn to Holden Caulfield. At some point in their life they could relate to a sense of alienation, caused by money and wealth. Humans are wired to be jealous and want what others have. HoldenRead More1950s Nostalgia1298 Words   |  6 Pages1950s Nostalgia Real and Imagined Stephanie Coontz is a professor of Family History at the Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington. She is a nationally recognized expert on the family and an award winning writer. In her 1997 book â€Å"The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America’s Changing Families†, Stephanie Coontz wrote an essay entitled â€Å"What We Really Miss about the 1950s†. In Stephanie Coontz’s â€Å"What We Really Miss about the 1950s†, she argues that we asRead MoreThe 1950s Housewife: The Rise of the Modern Supermom Essay1433 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the 1950s, it was believed that creating a home and having children were one of the most important goals for most women. During their schooling years, most women attended college to get their M.r.s. degree, or the reason most women went to college was to get married and not to earn a real degree (PBS.org, 2001, para. 3). Women also started working again, though they did not have equal bene fits or pay to men. Women were also hired for jobs that tailored to their looks, not their skills (Coster