Menaissance: The Rebirth of Man

The traditional male role in 1950s America was the epitome of masculinity. After a strenuous day at work, a typical man of the era would come home knowing the comforting fact that his wife had already cleaned the house, cooked dinner, taken care of the children, created a relaxing environment, made herself look presentable, and prepared herself mentally for the high expectations of the master of the house-her husband. A housekeeping article for the women in the 1950s explained the imperative duties for a woman, summing it all up nicely with the statement, “[a] good wife always knows her place” (Housekeeping Monthly). However, with the evolution of female gender roles came the modification of those of American males, ultimately redefining the alpha-male of yesteryear. Although they were both raised in American society, men of modern times, when compared to men of the 1950s, differ greatly not only in their attitudes towards women, but their general lifestyles at work and home.

One of the fundamental differences between American males and their predecessors is their general behavior toward women. Men from the 1950s treated women as society labeled them-nurturing mothers, submissive wives, and diligent homemakers. These men acted not necessarily from prejudice, but merely tradition; growing up with such subtly institutionalized sexism in society, giving sole respect and power to a woman would be the breaking of a long-held social norm. Therefore while many still treated women with love and respect, men never truly revered them with complete equality. The majority of men today, however, have abandoned their elders’ behaviors toward women and formed their own. In the 57 years that have passed since the 50s, women have not only obtained respect, but also power. With multi-billion dollar female entrepreneurs like Oprah Winfrey, and female presidential candidates like Hilary Clinton, the social norms men followed in the past have changed considerably; if a present day male even attempted to ask a potential female president to finish his laundry, the disdainful comments of observers would be enough to scar him for life (Noon).

Another key aspect that affects the continuously changing male social norms in America is the workplace. In the early 1950s life was fairly stern; women were obligated to set their priorities toward the home, while men were the industrious workers, providing sustenance for the entire family. If a man was well educated, he was basically guaranteed a job decent enough to support his family. In recent decades, women have grown to play a dominant role in the American workplace as well, thus creating a whole new level of competition for men. While the female employment rate in 1950 was only 30%, the trend drastically increased to 75% by 2000 (Kutscher; US Census). With over 100 million women now in the contemporary workplace, men can no longer obtain careers with the ease their male forefathers faced. While the men of the 1950s expected control over the work force, men of today not only have to step up their level of performance to compete with women, but also have to accept the fact that they may very well be working for a woman. The traditional male power is now distributed between both genders, and although it may not be entirely equal, it still affects how men must cope with the newfound standard of modern working.