Fences by https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences Cultural and Historical Context en-us 2018-04-18 18:10:48 UTC 2023-04-25 19:17:38 UTC hello@padlet.com Education for African Americans- Haley https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253145163 "The main issue that the terrible schooling system generated was that it was nearly impossible for blacks to fit in with society, because without an education, they were lost, without a decent paying job."]]> 2018-04-18 18:14:25 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253145163 August Wilson's education - Karin https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253145537 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-august-wilsonbiography-and-career-timeline/3683/
- Had difficulties in school life due to his skin color.
- Dropped out of high school during his early teens. 
- Self educated himself at Carnage Library of Pittsburgh.
- His mother was unaware of him dropping out of high school. ]]> 2018-04-18 18:15:12 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253145537 Sports Illustrated Magazine, July 22, 1957 and June 3, 19570 -Mackenzie https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146091  -Sports Illustrated Magazine featured only white baseball athletes in 1957.
- Despite the different sports portrayed, only white male athletes are pictured on the covers.
https://www.si.com/vault/issue/42605/1/1
]]> 2018-04-18 18:16:13 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146091 Women in Labor https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146552 https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/26364/PDF/1/play/
During the 1920s, women of color were not allowed in hospitals to give birth. Most women were forced to use midwives in order to birth their children and this even counted during the 1960s. Due to the use of midwives which would be in home in comparison to a clean hospital, the survival rate of African -American offspring was low. Although black women were finally allowed the right to give birth in hospitals, it had to b in blacks only sections. Even then, doctors would not prioritize their needs and health.]]> 2018-04-18 18:17:03 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146552 Early Life - Sawyer https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146806 https://www.biography.com/people/august-wilson-9533583

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/03/theater/newsandfeatures/august-wilson-theaters-poet-of-black-america-is-dead-at-60.html

-Born Frederick August Kittel Jr. (later wrote under his mother's surname)
-Born in a poor neighborhood that was predominantly black
-After his parents divorced, his family moved to a predominantly white neighborhood (much discrimination)
-Wanted to be a writer - his mom wanted him to be a lawyer

-]]> 2018-04-18 18:17:36 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146806 Mental Illness https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146817 Lobotomies were a popular practice in the 1940-50's. It consisted of surgically cutting or removing the connections between the prefrontal cortex and frontal lobes of the brain. The procedure could be completed in five minutes. Some patients experienced improvement of symptoms; however, this was often at the cost of introducing other impairments. The procedure was largely discontinued after the mid-1950s with the introduction of the first psychiatric medications.]]> 2018-04-18 18:17:37 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146817 Gabe's Metal Plate (Maddie) https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146906 There is no clinical record that suggests racial inequality in the military healthcare system during the early and mid 1900's. Any relationship between race and health must be seen at theoretical ]]> 2018-04-18 18:17:46 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253146906 The Rest of His Life- September https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253147199 - Wilson married three times and and had two daughters through his marriages. 
- Wrote a total of 16 plays, 10 of which became famous from each decade of the 20th century. 
-Fences premiered in 1987
- Wilson died of liver cancer in 2005]]> 2018-04-18 18:18:13 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253147199 Family roles/life -Lianna https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253147600 -Most children left school early (most started working at 14), and didn't have the privilege of furthering their education.
-Men were responsible for working and providing for their family (money wise)
-Women were the homemakers, and were responsible for cleaning, cooking, raising children, etc. 
-The effects of WWII were still ongoing (sugar and meat were rationed) 
-Families had little spare money for treats or extra expenditures
-People spent their free time reading newspapers, playing board games, etc. 
-Housework was much more difficult, and they often had to do things by hand (ex: dishes, laundry)]]> 2018-04-18 18:18:55 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253147600 Acceptance of African Americans in sports - Kinsey https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253148300 - Sports were among the first high profile space to accept African Americans as equals 
- African Americans still excluded from MLB but allowed to form their own professional teams 
- "barnstorming": African American teams would play in different towns every day. ]]> 2018-04-18 18:20:18 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253148300 Social Class https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253148705 Social status in 1957 was handed to children by their family. Rarely was it possible for individuals to move from an ascribed social class to an achieved one, and doing so was known as vertical mobility. Levels within these classes varied geographically, but were fairly consistent with culture and boundaries. Education was a primary factor in vertical mobility, and a majority of lower-class educated children moved to middle-class jobs. Upper-class families were especially isolated at this time, acting rather pompously and irreverently towards other classes. Lower-classes were often ignored or pushed down by higher classes, making vertical mobility immensely difficult. In addition, social class was based on the family more than an individual, so a family containing several poor members and one rich person would still be considered lower-class. Heritage is immensely important, as is reputation. ]]> 2018-04-18 18:20:59 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253148705 Responsibility to Children https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253148776 Choosing to not have a child in the 50s was very heavily stigmatized and reflected a failure of adulthood and responsibility. Adults without children were casually dismissed as shallow and self-absorbed. When parents did have children, they were encouraged to become independent and many began work at the age of 14. The ideals of hard work were hard-wired into their minds because parents wanted their children to succeed. Children would be discouraged from straying from tradition for the sake of stability and security.]]> 2018-04-18 18:21:08 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253148776 Child Discipline https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253148819 There are three aspects to disciplinary action used by parents on children. The first is power assertion, which refers to a parent's use of power and authority over the child. The second is love withdrawal, which is expressions of direct but non-physical anger or disapproval. The third is induction, which is a parent focusing on the consequences of a child's actions on others. In a Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, they found moral development in children corresponded with infrequent power assertion and frequent use of induction. Love withdrawal had no obvious effect.

In the play, Troy enforces a strict use of power assertion on Cory. He frequently uses his power and authority to intimidate or punish. According to this study, among others, this strongly suggests Troy is having a negative effect on Cory and his moral development. ]]> 2018-04-18 18:21:12 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253148819 Inflation and cost of living- Kaitlin https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253149024  
1950 living 
few common items from 1950:
The average family income:        $3,300
The average car cost:                     $1,510
The median home price:               $7,354 

2014 Living:
 The average family income:        $51,017
The average car cost:                     $31,252
The median home price:               $188,900 
In the 1950's something as simple as a car was half the family's yearly income.
]]> 2018-04-18 18:21:33 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253149024 Presence of POC in the military (Abby) https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253149941 October of 1951: The all-black 24th Infantry Regiment was officially disbanded.  This eradicated any structural practices of segregation in the Army. African American men were now included in all major-combat missions and operations.
- While structurally, treatment of POC was fair, that doesn't mean the attitudes and individual actions of soldiers changed with the structure of the Army.
https://www.army.mil/africanamericans/timeline.html

]]> 2018-04-18 18:23:08 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253149941 Picture - Sawyer https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150206  
 ]]> 2018-04-18 18:23:32 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150206 African Americans in baseball- Kristina https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150211 In  1947 Jackie Robinson was the first black player in the MLB. By 1957 11-12 % of the MLB was African American. There is also a lack of African American managers in the MLB, and most sports during this time.]]> 2018-04-18 18:23:33 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150211 Marriage & Divorce Rates https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150268 - Marriage rates fell in the 1950's and kept declining
- Numbers of married white and black women were roughly the same in the 1950's
- African american women are half as likely to remain married when compared to white women and twice as likely to divorce
- African-american divorces in the 1950's and 60's were most often informal agreements
- Separation is about 4 times more common among African Americans]]> 2018-04-18 18:23:39 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150268 Interview - Karin https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150296 https://billmoyers.com/story/august-wilson-on-writing-about-black-america/
- Although he had a white father, he was more attracted to black culture because it was the environment he was surrounded by during his childhood.
- Fences focuses on black families, however he says that the commonalities of the play are the same for all cultures.
- Expresses that different social groups have different way of interacting with people.
- " BILL MOYERS: So you’ve answered my question. I was going to ask you, don’t you grow weary of thinking black, writing black, being asked questions about blackness?

AUGUST WILSON: Well, how could one grow weary of that? I mean, you never transcend who you are." 

]]> 2018-04-18 18:23:42 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150296 Awards - Sawyer https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150977 2018-04-18 18:24:54 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253150977 Unemployment Rates- Haley https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253152318 "In 1954, the earliest year for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics has consistent unemployment data by race, the white rate averaged 5% and the black rate averaged 9.9%. Last month, the jobless rate among whites was 6.6%; among blacks, 12.6%. Over that time, the unemployment rate for blacks has averaged about 2.2 times that for whites."]]> 2018-04-18 18:27:11 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253152318 Other Awards - Sawyer https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253152447 https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/03/theater/newsandfeatures/august-wilson-theaters-poet-of-black-america-is-dead-at-60.html

-The  Broadway Virginia Theater was renamed the August Wilson Theater (1st broadway theater named after a black man)]]> 2018-04-18 18:27:23 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253152447 Fun Facts!- September https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253153621 -  15 of the plays are set in the Hill District in Pittsburg, the other 1 is in Chicago
- The 4 blues singers that influenced Wilson were referred to as the 4 B's because their names all started with B
http://www.thegreenespace.org/story/312026-11-things-you-should-know-about-august-wilson/]]> 2018-04-18 18:29:30 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253153621 Family life for Whites- Haley https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253155306 - Two parent household (mom and dad). 
- Divorce rates were very low due to the stigma it carries.
- Single moms prospects were very grim.
- A "proper" fella had a wife and kids.
- People got married young and had kids very young (baby boomers).
- House boom. ]]> 2018-04-18 18:32:57 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253155306 Jackie Robinson- Kinsey https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253155665 - 1st black athlete to play MLB in the 20th century 
- Faced racism from opposing teams, fans, and his own teammates 
- Awarded 1st Rookie of the Year award in his first season
- 1949: awarded National Leagues most Valuable Player 
- 1950: Dodger's most paid player 

]]> 2018-04-18 18:33:46 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253155665 Funner Facts!- September https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253156085 - Wilson changed his name from Kittel to honor his mother after his father's death
- Wilson was a poet and wrote poems for various black journals
- His last marriage was to a costume designer in 1994
http://biography.yourdictionary.com/august-wilson]]> 2018-04-18 18:34:43 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253156085 "Cool Pose" https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253156815 Black men adopt this "cool pose"(being or acting cool) in order to safeguard from mental or physical abuse, and from oppressive societies, thus creating more stress and being a cause of stress.]]> 2018-04-18 18:36:13 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253156815 Korean War (1950-1953) https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253159112 "In June 1950, almost 100,000 African-Americans were on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, equaling about 8 percent of total manpower. By the end of the war, probably more than 600,000 African-Americans had served in the military."
http://www.nj.gov/military/korea/factsheets/afroamer.html

]]> 2018-04-18 18:40:41 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253159112 Vietnam War (1959-1975) https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253159212 2018-04-18 18:40:52 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253159212 About the play https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253160187 http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2017/01/14/August-Wilson-and-the-building-of-Fences/stories/201701140047
- It is theorized that Troy was based off of Sam Bankhead, an American Baseball player.
- It shows that no matter what race someone is, they still find love in similar things.]]> 2018-04-18 18:42:39 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253160187 Wages- Kaitlin https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253160318 Due to the wages that were significantly less than those of white people, black women were often forced to work outside of the home in order to help keep the family financially stable. ]]> 2018-04-18 18:42:54 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253160318 Poverty -Lianna https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253161331 -In the late 1950s, the poverty rate was approximately 22 percent
-About 40 million Americans lived in poverty during this time.
-Impoverished people tend to have less education, greater health problems, and malnourished diets.
- High school graduation rates for African-American and Hispanic students are almost 20 percentage points lower than other ethnic groups 
-Poverty is strongly related to income (more poor people have higher mortality rates and risk of diseases)
-Those with a more advanced education are less likely to be poor
-Poor people have less access to a balanced diet consisting of fruits, veggies, or whole grains; and often have to settle for cheap, junk food.]]> 2018-04-18 18:44:42 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253161331 Decline in Marriages - Chloe & Seth https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253162445 - In the early 20th century, black men were more likely to be employed and black women were more likely to get married than white people
- As the rates of black employment declined around 1960, marriage rates also declined
- The decline in marriage rates didn't affect the desire to be married]]> 2018-04-18 18:46:59 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253162445 Baseball Integration -Mackenzie https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253162993 -The addition of black baseball players in the major leagues added immeasurable talent and made the game more competitive.
- In the mid 1950s, black integration increased dramatically
-The addition of black players aided the morality and ethical aspects of how the general public treated black people.]]> 2018-04-18 18:48:11 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253162993 Fence. https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253166834 Fence.]]> 2018-04-18 18:55:43 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253166834 Fence. addisonknies https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167114 Fence.]]> 2018-04-18 18:56:18 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167114 Middle-class fence. https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167495 2018-04-18 18:57:06 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167495 Fence? https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167605   ]]> 2018-04-18 18:57:24 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167605 Fence. addisonknies https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167942 Scary fence.]]> 2018-04-18 18:58:08 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167942 Dog Fence https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167971 2018-04-18 18:58:14 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253167971 Pencils https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253168364   ]]> 2018-04-18 18:59:02 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253168364 Trump Fence https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253168778 2018-04-18 19:00:02 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253168778 https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253169479   ]]> 2018-04-18 19:01:48 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253169479 Fence https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253169707 2018-04-18 19:02:25 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253169707 Pence. addisonknies https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253169865 2018-04-18 19:02:51 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253169865 A rare fence troll https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253170191 2018-04-18 19:03:41 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253170191 Adultery Rates https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253170207 - between ages 18 & 29, women are more likely to cheat but after age 30, men are more likely to cheat.
-  At the time of this study, 22% of African-Americans have cheated on their spouse
- 53% of marriages stay intact after a partner cheats]]> 2018-04-18 19:03:43 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253170207 Innocent puppy trapped by massive fence https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253170548 2018-04-18 19:04:38 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253170548 What is it with pencils and fences? https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253170670 2018-04-18 19:05:00 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253170670 Fence on sale https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253171493 2018-04-18 19:06:39 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253171493 Well-designed fence https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253172077 2018-04-18 19:08:17 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253172077 Drunk fence https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253172563 2018-04-18 19:09:28 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253172563 Whence https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253172905 2018-04-18 19:10:22 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253172905 Fence, you had one job. https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253172994 2018-04-18 19:10:34 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253172994 Small fence https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253173517 2018-04-18 19:11:54 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253173517 Job opps- Kaitlin https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253173519 People of color were concentrated in low wage areas. Not given the same opportunity as white people.]]> 2018-04-18 19:11:54 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253173519 Conclusion https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253173910 Overall, these combined topics help to better understand the culture that this play was set in and further explain the social norms and demands that surrounded Troy & Rose's marriage in the 1950s through 60s.

Considering one of the points (as black employment declined, marriage also declined) one of the reasons Troy and Rose may have stayed together after he cheated on her is because he had a stable job and was able to support her and their son. ]]> 2018-04-18 19:12:45 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253173910 Dense https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253174790 2018-04-18 19:14:48 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253174790 Common sense https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253175189 2018-04-18 19:15:44 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253175189 Jackie Robinson https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253175233 Jackie Robinson broke barriers in baseball. After him, many African American player entered the MLB. Although may didn't play, there was a lot more exposure]]> 2018-04-18 19:15:50 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253175233 Fence. https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253175809 2018-04-18 19:17:07 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253175809 In tents https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253176158 2018-04-18 19:18:00 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253176158 Sixth Sense https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253176608 2018-04-18 19:19:12 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253176608 Incense addisonknies https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253176834 2018-04-18 19:19:47 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253176834 Alcoholism and Abuse https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253557473 In 1964, the New York Times published an article that was suggesting research that linked alcoholism to domestic abuse. The article, entitled 'The Wife Beater and His Wife' suggested that instead of looking at the psyche of the alcoholic, researchers may need to pay more attention to what is happening because of alcoholism. This article is insane in that it is suggesting that 'wife beating' is somehow 'therapeutic' for the alcoholic to relieve anger. The only type of abuse this article mainly talks about is physical domestic abuse rather than emotional. However, I think that the interesting thing this article shows is societies point of view of any type of domestic abuse at the time, as well as how doctors even regarded alcoholism as it relates to abuse. The article I read was written 50 years later and picks apart how absolutely grotesquely and wrongly it talks about these heavy topics. Knowing these things were written almost a decade after Fences took place gives helpful context onto Troy in his relationship to alcohol as well as his relationship to Rose. 
(By Lauren Barnes) ]]> 2018-04-19 17:44:30 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_mastroianni/fences/wish/253557473