The Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in modern history, profoundly affected the daily life of American families in ways large and small. The preceding decade, known as the “Roaring Twenties,” was a time of relative affluence for many middle- and working-class families. As the economy boomed, innovations allowed for more leisure time and the creation of a consumer society.
WOMEN ENTERED THE WORKFORCE IN INCREASING NUMBERS
Some families maintained a middle-class income by adding an extra wage earner. Despite widespread unemployment during the Depression years, the number of married women in the workforce increased. Some people criticized married women for taking jobs when so many men were out of work, though women often took clerical or service industry positions that weren’t seen as socially acceptable for men.
THE AFFLUENT FACED SEVERE BELT–TIGHTENING
Four years after the 1929 stock market crash, during the bleakest point of the Great Depression, about a quarter of the U.S. workforce was unemployed. Those who were lucky enough to have steady employment often saw their wages cut or their hours reduced to part-time. Even upper-middle-class professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, saw their incomes drop by as much as 40 percent. Families who had previously enjoyed economic security suddenly faced financial instability or, in some cases, ruin.
Some people were reduced to selling apples on street corners to support themselves, while others lost their homes and were forced to survive in shanty towns that became known as “Hoovervilles,” a bitterly derisive reference to President Herbert Hoover, who in the early 1930s often claimed that “prosperity was just around the corner,” even as economic and trade policy mistakes and reluctance to provide government assistance to ordinary Americans worsened their predicament.
By 1932, at the nadir of the financial crisis, the nation’s public companies had lost 89 percent of their value. Scores of investors were ruined, and companies found it difficult to finance their operations.
FAMILY DISORGANIZATION AND DEPRIVATION
Great Depression can be described as one of family “disorganization” and deprivation. Marriage rates declined, although they started to rise in 1934, and the trend toward decreasing birth rates, already underway, accelerated during the 1930s. Some 250,000 youths were on the road, traveling by freight train or hitchhiking to find work or more favorable circumstances. From 1929 to 1931, the number of children entering custodial institutions increased by 50 percent. In many economically deprived families, children suffer from malnutrition and inadequate clothing. Things seemed to be especially difficult for unemployed and underemployed male heads of families. Traditional conceptions of gender roles prevailed during the 1930s; accordingly, men were expected to be the breadwinners of their families.
African- American families were especially hard hit by the Depression. Unemployment rates were significantly higher for blacks than for whites in Northern cities, and in the South, where most of the African -American population continued to live during the 1930s, economic conditions were especially bad.
THE LEGACY OF DEPRESSION:
The Depression-era bequeathed a mixed legacy to American families and households. Perhaps the major positive aspect of this legacy was the idea that the economic security and welfare of the family should be a fundamental national goal.
To be sure, this idea was imperfectly realized in the New Deal welfare state, which often discriminated against women wage-earners and relegated the families of blacks and other non-whites to second-class status. Nevertheless, during the 1930s and subsequent decades, the federal government did come to play a major role in providing for the health, welfare, education, and housing of American families.
Thus, Family life during the Great Depression was marked by immense challenges, including economic hardships, widespread unemployment, and social upheaval. Despite these adversities, families often displayed resilience, solidarity, and resourcefulness in navigating through difficult times. The era fostered a sense of shared struggle, emphasizing the importance of familial bonds and community support. In essence, the Great Depression underscored the strength of family ties and the ability to endure hardships together.
ARTICLE BY – SHRUNJAL VYAS | EDITED BY – SAHIL HARVANI
