The Great Depression and the American Family

The Great Depression was a very challenging time for the American family. The effects of the depression, both during and after, greatly impacted the structure, finances, and employment of the American family unit. Although the family changed substantially during the depression, families reverted to more traditional roles after the depression. Perhaps the greatest effect was how the structure of the American family changed.

The American family structure was challenged during the Great Depression. The father's expectation was to be the head of the household and provide for their families. Because there were fewer jobs, their roles were often reversed ("Great Depression in the United States," 2009). Men often took care of the home and the children, which was traditionally considered women's work.

Many fathers spent their searching for work that didn't even exist. Very few were able to bring home a paycheck. They felt anxiety and worthlessness for failing to provide financially for their families. This desperation caused many fathers to steal food so that their families wouldn't go hungry. They did what they had to do to survive (Kidder, 2003).

During this era, it was traditional for mothers to stay home and take care of their families. However, many women were forced to work outside of the home to provide for their families. Women often worked in manufacturing jobs, teaching, nursing, domestic service, and office work ("The Depression and World War II," 2007).

Because the family structure was altered, children were needed at home to complete various tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Also, many children had to quit school to help at home and to provide financially for their families. Children were able to find jobs sometimes when their parent could not. Fathers began to assume a larger role in raising the children (Kidder, 2003).

The psychological structure of the family was also altered. Children often had to console their sad and depressed parents ("Great Depression in the United States", 2009). They had to essentially be the head of the household. Children experienced emotional trauma during the Great Depression. They were forced to worry about things that they never had to face in the past.

The traditional family structure became almost non-existent during the depression. It basically came down to the entire family working to survive. This survival mode was due to the lack of finances necessary to provide for their families.

There were several reasons why people did not have enough money. One of the main reasons was because of the stock market crash, also known as "Black Tuesday." Many Americans invested their entire life savings in the market only to lose everything. The money lost was for their homes, children's education and living expenses ("The Crash of 1929," 1990).

In addition to the stock market crash, banks began closing all across America. These banks made loans to people that could not repay them. Some banks also lost money because they also invested in the stock market. When people began to pull their money out of banks, they didn't have money to give them. This caused panic and over 5,000 banks failed by March 1933 ("Great Depression in the United States," 2009). These bank closures caused many families to lose all the money that had which caused challenged. They no longer could provide for their families.

And for most it only got worse. Businesses began to close and many jobs were lost. One in four Americans were unemployed "The Depression in the United States-An Overview, unknown". Many were forced to live in shacks and boxes.

Poverty-stricken Americans did not have enough to eat and some were forced to find their food in dumps or eat weeds. Some were also forced to eat other things such as turtle to combat hunger ("A Photo Essay on the Great Depression," 2000). Many waited hours in bread and soup lines so they wouldn't starve. Every day was a challenge for survival for the American family.

A personal, unpublished memoir by Anna Mae Aardema depicts a middle-class lifestyle during the Great Depression. Anna Mae was nine years old when the Great Depression began.

"I remember getting up one morning to an utter state of confusion and panic. The Ogden State Bank closed their doors as banks were doing all over the country. We had panic on the street. So many people lost so much money.... There were not enough jobs to go around. We had it easier than most people did and as I learned later that we lived from a reserve dad managed to accumulate. He rented homes that brought in $20-$30 a month. Mom always said pop was easy on the renters if they couldn't pay. He figured they would make it right when they could. People were very poor and many people lived in the homes.... Soon after the stock market crashed, hobos would come to the back door and ask for food... Mom would tell them to sit on the step while she made them sandwiches. The hobos sometimes marked the house so the other hobos would know they would be fed there... Soon came a time where we couldn't afford much and the occasional 5-cent hot dog was a rare treat but we were still okay compared to everyone else in America. We were the lucky few."

This is just one example of life during the depression. The middle-class families became poor and the poor families became destitute. Many caring families helped others during this time if they were able to. A sense of community emerged from the events of the depression. Many times, the community served as an extended family. They helped each other with things such as childcare and food.

Once the depression ended, the family structure began to return to traditional form. However, this was short lived due to WWII. Women often had to work for their families while their husbands were at war ("American Cultural History," 1999). Essentially the effects of the Great Depression began a long-term progression in women working outside of the home. This was not the only change that resulted from the Great Depression.

Americans learned to accept the government involvement in their lives. Before the depression, each family managed their lives and lived very separate from the government. They learned to trust in the government ("Great Depression in the United States," 2009). Government social programs began and a social responsibility was expected. One of the most impactful programs initiated was the Social Security Act of 1935. This act guaranteed government help to U.S. citizens who were disabled, unemployed and older Americans. Social Security is still a part of America in 2009.

Additionally, the American family learned how to care for the neediest members in the community. They learned how to take care of each other and support others in bad times. The depression changed many people's attitudes about society and their roles in the community. They adopted an attitude of "community, cooperation, and compassion" ("Great Depression in the United States," 2009). The attitude of caring for others in the community led America to a more socialist attitude.

In conclusion, the Great Depression greatly impacted the American family. The effects included the structure, finances and employment of the family unit. The hardships and challenges created a socially aware society and a new trust in the American government. The American family unit was also temporarily changed during the depression but began a progression of women working outside of the home.

References

Aardema, Anna Mae, Personal Memoir, Unpublished, 2000. Pages 30-48

"American Cultural History," Lone Star College Kingwood, 1999. Retrieved September 29, 2009 from: http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade40.html

"Great Depression in the United States," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2009 Retrieved September 29, 2009 from: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761584403/great_depression_in_the_united_states.html

Kidder, Merlyn, "Great Depression Changed Family Values, Lifestyles", 2003, Retrieved September 29, 2009 from: http://web.archive.org/web/20061020082449/http://www.marist.edu/summerscholars/96/ovs.htm

"The Crash of 1929", PBS, The American Experience." (1990) Retrieved September 27, 2009 from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/crash/introduction

"The Depression and WWII (1930-1945)" National Women's History Museum (2007) Retrieved October 1, 2009 from: http://www.nwhm.org/exhibits/Industry/12.htm