The 1950s and Now

Abstract
Whether the 1950s were adequate in some area or whether recent years are inadequate is still a very hotly debated topic. However, of importance is the fact that both are different and had to offer unique characteristics. As times change so does the world. Each new day we live in the end becomes a memory. Looking and comparing life today to the 1950s makes, us realise how much things have changed. However, not all has changed. We still share a few common
things. Part of things that have taken drastic changes are the state of finances and the cost of life, the life of the children in terms of morals. In general, the family-friendly social environment is of significant focus when we look back at the 1950s. The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast the period of 1950’s and the time we live in today.










THE 1950s AND NOW; A Comparison between the Two Periods
Most people today confess that life is a bit out of balance. They however still yearn for something different, something new (Coontz, 2008). Polls taken have indicated strongly that the 1950s were a preferable decade mainly for children to grow up. The nostalgia that people feel for the 1950s should be taken seriously. However even the same people who desire to go back to this period confess that it is not just the family arrangement that they miss (Coontz, 2008). It is not also, how the women were treated. Research has shown that women today agree that they would not be happy living their mother did, the husbands, on the other hand, rejected the role models that their father provided (Coontz, 2008). Therefore, this begs the question what is so different between the times we live in now and the 1950s that makes us miss this period that much.
The first thing that differentiates the 1950s and today is the economic and social environment that this time provided for the family. According to Coontz (2008) this time offered an environment to bring up children on the straight and narrow. Greater optimism existed even among the unfortunate in the society. This was mainly from the comparison between a rough past engulfed in world wars, child labour, income insecurity, access to education and most of the entire family breadwinner. Previously the fathers were held up in war. As Coontz (2008) notes, it is the 1950s that provided the first time majority of Americans could dream of creating and securing a start with their families. Despite the numerous opportunities for children to be raised in better situations today, the community is not optimistic. Children no longer get the best that the society has to offer.
The 1950s was also a period of many political witch-hunts. For example being with the wrong friend at the wrong time or even belonging to particular or any suspicious organisation could ruin your reputation or career (Coontz, 2008). The 1950s, therefore, provided a period of renewed focus in the family institution (Coontz, 2008). This period formed a period of experimentation in the family system. The divorce rates that had been skyrocketing in the previous period dropped drastically with slightly more than one in four marriages ending in divorce. The marriage age also fell to the lowest it has ever been.  As women left the World War jobs they had, they became pregnant so did they focus on childbearing (Coontz, 2008). This led to the increased dependence of women. This is is different to situations in the 21st century where women are more independent. This was an unexpected turn of events. Even if young men were away for the war, there were young families everywhere. This however affected the children born then because they had to grow up without father figures in their lives. The women had no choice but to take up roles meant for the men in the family.
The 1950s also comprised of the most number of families with over 90% of all household being a family. This percentage has over the past reduced to less than 70% after the 1990s. Furthermore compared to almost 90% of children that lived in two-parent homes compared to less than 70% now live in a single-family household. Furthermore, children in most of these homes lived with both their parents a figure that has dropped nowadays with children living with stepparents and single parent homes. The rate of divorces today has been so high that most scholars in social sciences are seeking to find out the course.
Another point of comparison was the importance placed on friendships, neighbourhood, ethnicity and voluntary organisations. In the 1950s period and up to now the importance placed on these relationships has reduced (Coontz, 2008). With the destruction of old cities and the movement to suburbs and the popularity of automobiles, these ties have grown weaker and less important. There has also been the emergence of sociologist and marriage counsellors such as Edward Strecker who was of the view that “Modern ‘mothers’ placed their parents their parents in nursing homes and poured all their energies into the nuclear family.” (Coontz, 2008)
These women were even discouraged from maintaining friendships. Also, there was the trend that grew from the 1950s, and that is widely spread today. Advice from the new specialists the marriage counsellors, for example, magazines and television. Another defining factor of the 1950s that is still present today is the racism. The people who were defined as ‘others’ fought this repression. Racial classes were rampant in this era as much as they are today (Coontz, 2008).
However, in contrast, poverty levels have fallen. The 1950s was characterised by almost 70% of the population having incomes below the poverty of the day. Very few had an income that would categorise them as middle-income earners (Coontz, 2008). The age of the first intercourse was higher than it is today. Surprisingly, the number of teenage births, was greater in the 1950s as they are now. In a twist, these high teen births did not affect their life prospect in terms of not completing schools it does today (Coontz, 2008). As a result, however, the 1950s witnessed lower graduation rates compared to today. Besides, the 1950s dropouts had access to jobs that are not the case for today's dropouts (Coontz, 2008).
About taxes, corporation paid 23% of federal income taxes compared to less than 10% nowadays (Coontz, 2008). Also, these firms rarely relocated in search of cheap labor and raw material the way they do today. Instead, they stuck with the employee’s and communities in which they were. They did not continually hire as much as they do today. In terms of working hours (Coontz, 2008) notes that compared to the average American worker today, his counterpart in the 1950s worked a shorter day. African Americans are a bit sceptical to refer the 1950s as a golden age. As Coontz (2008) asserts that almost 50% of married-couple Africa American were poor compared to today.
The court system was also different than it is today. Women, for example, were excluded from juries. Divorce was also not as much accepted as it is today, and therefore women were forced to stick to unhappy marriages. Women in the society were viewed down upon and were humiliated by the constant messages they received, for example, there was a rule to girls in the 1950s that “He criticizes your hairdo-go to the beauty shop” (Coontz, 2008).
Compared to the 1950s when women were abandoning their jobs for their families and children the period after changed. There was an increased percentage of women with jobs, and working mothers was one of the fastest growing component of the labour force (Coontz, 2008). Education wise recent times are different from the 1950s. For example children now have more access to education opportunities including the females who were in the 1950s instilled with an ambition to be something of a homemaker (Coontz, 2008).
The civil rights arm of the government also underwent a transformation compared to the 1950s. For example, there was an extension of civil rights to minorities, women and children. There was also a rejection of property rights imposed on children and women by parents and by husbands (Coontz, 2008). This is the same with the situation today where women are allowed to own property as much as the men are. Finally is the growth of individualism compared to the 1950s. The 1950s were characterised by collectiveness with strong bonds among people. However, to today the growth of me-first individualism is very evident (Coontz, 2008).
It is clear that life has evolved, and there have been changes. Some aspects have however not changed. For example, there is still racism in the society. Other transformation that differentiate the time now and the 1950s are the transformations of the family structure. Besides, the societal values have changed. Change is a part of the society and instead of wishing that we could go back to this era we should instead accept the changes as well as uphold the values we held in the 1950s.

















References
Coontz, S. (2008). The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families. Basic Books.