This extract from a retro home economics book for girls on how to become good housewives is. An extract from a home economics book recently took the internet by storm, with thousands unsure whether to be shocked or amused by the cringeworthy marriage advice offered to women. A dublin frame shops facebook page shared an extract from a home economics book which gave tips on how to look after your husband. The book of knowledge annual set collection 1950 to 1956 the book of knowledge annual, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956 on. Taken from a 1950s american high school home economics. What we remember about home economics the good, the bad and the ugly. The purpose of the text is to mould young women of the time into a perfect housewife, and to inform them of the partners needs and wants. Do you really really funny that look economics books home economics love my husband quotes best wife ever funny marriage advice boring day. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious mealon time. Titled how to be a good wife, the article is an alleged excerpt from a 1950s home economics book. An extract from a 1950s home economics book has taken the internet by storm. Vintage advice and practical science for the 21stcentury household at. The book of knowledge annual set collection 1950 to 1956. The ideal family, as presented in the media of the 1950s, with a stayathome mom and a father as the breadwinner, was not representative of divers american culture an unexpected result of building the interstate highway system was that it.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. From 1950s home economics book home economics, funny. Men went off to work in a suit and hat carrying a briefcase while the women stayed home and tended to the household chores. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. North central association of colleges and secondary schools. This could be a fun book to browseat a museum or archive of some sort. The extract how to be a good wife and mother has been taken from an actual 1950s high school home economics textbook. Excerpt from a 1950s home economics textbook compiled by ms. It covers so many topics from elementary cleaning of the house to much more detailed. They were also told to never complain and have the children looking perfect. Being a smart grocery shopper, a versatile cook and a diligent coupon clipper could make a big difference in the amount of mad money she could squirrel away each month. Extract from 1950s house wife source college essays. Research, tradition and history site hearth contains the full text of core books and journals in the discipline of home economics and related fields from 1850 to 1950. The genre of this extract is informative and instructional, and is a written mode.
A home economics textbook from 1964 includes unexpected lessons for young girls like washing dishes with one hand, buying clothes instead of food, and more. How to take care of your husband from a 1950s home. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time. Taken from a 1950s american high school home economics textbook, the essay is entitled how to be a good wife. This was true both because most americans could not afford to own books and. This is a way to let him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned with his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed. It includes cringeworthy marriage advice for housewives at the time. Also reprinted in good housekeeping magazine have dinner ready. The second shift occurred in the 1950s when home economics largely lost the. The biggest line item on our housewifes monthly budget was probably groceries.
The following is from a 1950s home economics textbook intended for high school girls, teaching them how to prepare for married life. A structural analysis of stephanie coontzs what we really miss about the 1950s stephanie coontz is a professor of family history at the evergreen state college in olympia washington. How to be a good wife in the style of the 1950s the. Although the home economics story expresses all of these except social activism, the film emphasizes over and over that, most important of all, the training enables women to take care of their families and children. The house still needs to be picked up, and the family still needs to eat. Home economics and housewifery in 1950s america julia barnard the centron film why study home economics, made in 1955, is a good starting point for learning about the culture of home economics in the 1950s, and about that cultures manner of combining a corporate agenda with dominant ideas about womens roles in society. To young teens in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, it meant a. While snopes was unable to determine the articles authenticity, it serves as a fun and infuriating read for todays modern women. Survey of the decades home economics the 1950s home economist. The page this text was lifted from features a picture of a. Women were expected to cook, clean and care for the children during the day while their husbands.
The basics the following is excerpted from an actual 1950s high school home economics textbook. Opportunities for young women in the field of home economics. This was 10 basic tips on how to be a good wife and please your. An extract from a 1950s home economics book recently took the internet by storm, with thousands unsure whether to be shocked or amused by. For instance, if your folks prefer a lot of meat at one meal, followed by meatless dinners, you can serve.
Among these inspirational sayings, which many visitors wrote down, were. The cringeworthy marriage advice from the 1950s mail online. They were urged to speak in a soothing voice and always have dinner prepared. Plan ahead even the night before to have a delicious meal on time. A reader recently sent me a forwarded email titled, the good wifes guide that supposedly came from a 1950. You also have to understand that the fact that im home all of the time makes me the first person the kids come to when they want something, whether dads home or not. Photo by mark jay goebelgetty images there was a time when home economics meant something other than the family budget. Girls decorating cake in home economics class, late 1950s or early 1960s. The following is from an actual 1950s home economics book intended for secondary school girls, teaching them how to prepare for married life. The following is from a 1950s home economics textbook.
Vintage advice and practical science for the 21stcentury household kindle edition by. Vintage advice and practical science for the 21stcentury household by jennifer. One her chosen specialty, the other is a career in homemaking. What we remember about home economics the good, the bad. Stir it up home economics in american culture university of. I cant stop working at 5 and go home work and home are the same thing. A list of ten steps on how to be a good wife comes from a 1950s u. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. I saw that this book had a high rating, so i ordered it and im so glad i did. How to be a good husband in the 1950s our everyday life. In face of the present situation home economic experts have developed recipes to meet probable meat rationing.
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