Cold War Families and Domestic Containment
Post War American Middle Class Suburban Experiences
Dec 22, 2008
As World War II ended, millions of American GIs returned home, eager to begin new lives in a changing American landscape. Coinciding with the onset of the Cold War, the American middle class experience would dictate precise gender roles within proscribed norms of social life. These would be the new suburban families that, according to Elaine Tyler May, were “isolated, sexually charged, cushioned by abundance, and protected against impending doom by the wonders of modern technology.” [1] In short, the Levittowns of America represented a unique form of “domestic containment.”
Importance of the Family in the Early Cold War
Post war families were viewed as an integral element of a free society in contention with atheistic Communism. For less than $8000, white middle class families could purchase a house in the suburbs where children could be nurtured and the American Dream pursued. The Highway Act of 1956 connected communities while emerging suburbs offered rail and bus links into the inner cities. And while the proverbial “man in the gray flannel suit” was bringing home a paycheck, women were at home bringing up children to be patriotic Americans.
American homes were full of “gadgets” that made life easier in the kitchen. Television commercials marketed appliances that “automatically” produced results that in previous years had demanded long hours in the kitchen. The 1959 American Exhibition in Moscow highlighted domestic innovation even though it was propaganda. As historian May comments, “The home represented a source of meaning and security in a world run amok.” The "housewife" was as important in the Cold War strategy as was the uniformed soldier in a far off military base.
Popular Culture Reinforced Domestic Containment
Television shows like Leave it to Beaver and The Donna Reed Show reinforced notions of a proper suburban family. Board games like “Life,” which debuted in the early 60s, taught children the importance of capitalism. The goal in the first edition was “Millionaire Acres.” In Hollywood, female stars, no longer war-time pin-ups, became dutiful mothers and magazines like Photoplay featured warm stories of domesticity in Beverly Hills.
Professional child rearing guides, such as the popular Childcraft series, were full of tips and detailed advice on proper methods of parenting. The goals were always very clear: children needed to be taught right from wrong in a virtuous society being confronted by the evils of Communism.
Good and evil themes were prominent in television “westerns.” In the 1953-1954 TV prime time schedules, The Lone Ranger was the only western. Popular TV shows included quiz shows, sit-coms, and family entertainment show like the Kraft Television Theater. In contrast, the 1958-1959 prime time schedules featured over 15 western oriented shows that inspired viewers with tales of heroism against difficult odds. The messages were powerful, especially among young Americans.
Bomb Shelters and Conformity Reinforce Family Values
The post war period was a generally conservative era. Critics of conformity were silenced in a time of anti-Communist fervor, Americans had high church and Sunday school attendance, and in the 1950s everyone liked Ike. The preservation of the system, notably the family, was tied to growing Civil Defense efforts and the building of home bomb shelters.
After the Soviet Union successfully tested an atomic bomb in 1949, trauma gripped the western world. Americans were determined to contain Communism, and the family was the last, best defense. These mentalities promoted the fifties conformity that was equated with deep feelings of security and growing prosperity.
Sources:
[1] Elaine Tyler May, Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era (New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1988), p. 3.
See also:
John D’Emilio and Estelle B. Freedman, Intimate Matters:A History of Sexuality in America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999)
 |
