What is the stereotype of the role of women in 1950s Britain? Women in 1950s Britain were expected to be housewives- they stayed at home, did housework, cooked meals and looked after children. It was extremely rare to see a woman in a position of power. They generally relied on the husband and women were seen as weaker and less clever than men. It was the norm to have children and to be a 'good wife' . If women did work, they had jobs such as; nurses, teachers, secretaries/PAs and factory workers. It wasn't normal for women to be in higher jobs that involved leadership, management or higher education. Advertisements targeted towards women were often adverts for household products- washing machines and powder, irons etc.- things to make the jobs at home easier This stereotype is very different to media representations of men and women today. It is now normal to see women in high paying, professional jobs and generally men and women are seen as equal. Women no longer rely on men for income or money- emancipation. Additionally, it is normal for women to not get married or not to have children and most women go to university or college. Many men and women share housework between themselves and some men even stay at home and look after children while the wife works. Advertisements targeted towards women nowadays are a range of items from clothing, to perfume/makeup and a lot of adverts don't target any gender in specific- technology adverts. This shows that women have a lot more disposable income to spend since the 1950s since they are no longer relying on men. |
galaxy chocolate advert- audrey hepburn
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