Tired of people calling 1950s housewives 'oppressed' when my grandma ran the family budget and made all the big decisions

My grandma (born 1928) was the one who decided when to buy a new car, how much to save, and even told my grandpa which job offer to take. She handled the checkbook, knew the grocery prices down to the penny, and had the final say on stuff like home repairs and vacations. I keep seeing these modern takes that act like every woman back then was just a doll in a kitchen apron with no say in anything. Did some families work that way? Sure. But it wasn't the whole story. Anyone else get annoyed by this oversimplification in old photo captions or documentaries?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_jones2118d ago

Tired of people calling 1950s housewives 'oppressed'" - yeah, sounds like your grandma ran the show while wearing pearls and an apron. My mom had to ask my dad for gas money, but she also picked out every single appliance and told him which neighbor not to lend tools to. Oversimplification is the easy way out for people who never actually talked to their own grandmas.

the_kelly18d ago

My aunt had to ask her husband before she could buy a new dress, but she also told him which brand of truck he was allowed to drive. Its like people forget that control shows up in a million small ways, not just who makes the big decisions.