https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f Made with a dash of wit en-us 2018-11-30 07:12:44 UTC 2023-02-17 14:54:35 UTC hello@padlet.com pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/309655879 2018-11-30 07:13:38 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/309655879 pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/309656495
The source below depicts a stereotypical 1950s Australian women washing up after a dinner she prepared. The 1950s is seen as a period of conformity, when both men and women followed strict gender roles and complied with society’s expectations.  The predominate role of women in 1950 society typically involved staying home and completing family and domestic duties. A women who maintained a job during WWII was expected to quit so men had employment opportunities when returning. This meant women had no choice but to stay home and complete domestic duties. These included cleaning, cooking and doing the laundry.  Women were expected to look after the children and their husbands. This concept of freedom and equality can be summarised by Charlotte Perkins Gilman who said "The labour of women in the house, certainly, enables men to produce more wealth than they otherwise could; and in this way women are economic factors in society. But so are horse." This demonstrates how the many sacrifices women made for men cost them their rights and freedom of speech.

Weebly (n.d.)Women during the 1950s. Retrieved on 10/12/2018 from http://australia-in-the1950s-tuna.weebly.com/women.html]]> 2018-11-30 07:18:05 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/309656495 pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317699580 Family composition in Australia was impacted on by external and internal factors. As well as social and economic factors. In the 1950s a modern Australian nuclear family consisted of a mother, father and two or three children. The father was the breadwinner, while the mothers responsibilities lied inside the household with the chores.  Children were taught to follow this structure at school. Boys prepared for a career, while girls prepared to marry and reproduce. A families' composition in the 1950s determined their class. If families had a single parent they were looked down upon by society. Especially if the family lacked a male presence. Intercourse before marriage was despised and if an unmarried women produced an illegitimate child she would be shunned. These children would most commonly be  put up for adoption. This Australian model of family composition remained almost entirely unchallenged until the worldwide wave of social  movements in 1960s and '70s. These movements challenged stereotypes and cultural values.

 The Age (26/02/2018) Family: it's all relative. Retrived on 5/12/2018 from
https://www.theage.com.au/education/family-its-all-relative-20030226-gdvahk.html ]]> 2019-01-06 21:17:24 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317699580 pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317703487 Society viewed divorce and family values through a black and white lens in the 1950s.  Especially in the divorce court where it was decided you were either guilty or non guilty of ruining a marraige. There were definitely no shades of grey.

In Australia during the 1950s there were only three main grounds for divorce. These included cruelty, desertion and adultery. In Victoria a women would only have to commit a single act of adultery to be considered blameworthy of a divorce. However a husband had to be accused and proven guilty of committing 'repeated acts of adultery.'  If both parties in a marriage wished to end it, they had to create elaborate stories. When it came to desertion, couples had to be separated for two to three years before applying for divorce. However, if you left with your partners consent it would not be counted as desertion. It was just as difficult to file a divorce for cruelty because you had to have recorded each event, when it occurred and have proof. One thing that was preposterous was that there was no rape within marriage. Courts did not see this as a red flag when brought up, despite the damaging physically and mentally effects it had on these poor women.

Nowadays divorce rates are much higher but that also means that there are much less miserable marriages and children.


Carrick Damien (9/12/2006)1956 and no-fault divorce. Retrieved on 20/12/2018 from https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/1956-and-no-fault-divorce/3347626 ]]> 2019-01-06 22:03:52 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317703487 pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317708115 2019-01-06 23:16:00 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317708115 pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317708525 For hundreds of years in Australia, single mothers have been described as harlots, strumpets and fallen women. Between the 1950s and 70s this disdain was evident, resulting in 150,000 women having their children forcefully removed by Australian adoption services. It was recorded that many women were tricked into signing documents or even had their signatures forged. However if mothers managed to keep their child, it was frowned upon by society. Single mother had barely any support as families often refused to help, there was no financial aid and the child was identified as a bastard. These mothers were seen as 'unfit' and the families 'dysfunctional.' Many amongst Australian society believed that sole parents didn't give children what they needed and teenage parents (a small percentage of single parents) were only in it for the money. In the unlikely scenario that Single parents were less loving, cutting off all financial aid and health benefits was not a way to improve this.

 Peel Mark (n.d.)Australian Family Histories: Introduction. Retrieved on 21/12/2018 from https://cv.vic.gov.au/stories/a-diverse-state/the-australian-family/austraiian-family-histories-introduction/]]> 2019-01-06 23:23:17 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317708525 pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317709221 2019-01-06 23:36:44 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317709221 pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317709658 2019-01-06 23:43:57 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317709658 pollyplum13 https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317733108
As Australia was such a young country in the 1950s, it was heavily impacted by traditional European cultures and values. These confined females to the household  and put extreme pressure on them to meet societies expectations. It was extremely rare to see a women in the workforce and many viewed working women in a negative light. It was also virtually impossible for females to get a divorce and they were expected to remain quiet and let the man run the house. According to surveys on societies expectations of women, many believe women were expected to be "beautiful all the time" and "motherly. " Nowadays women remain held down by double standards; working a stable job whilst managing household duties.

However for men in the 1950s life was rather different. They were the source of income for the family and took pride in working. Men were expected to be strong, courageous and their wife was mearley an accessory.


Weebly (n.d.) Australia and Gender Roles. Retrieved on 19/12/2018 from https://taoismvsaustralia.weebly.com/australia-and-gender-roles.html]]> 2019-01-07 04:20:46 UTC https://padlet.com/pollyplum13/3096n5z9hw3f/wish/317733108