Differences

The great depression The era of the Great Depression had extremely unpleasant effects on large fractions of the population of both men and women, but those effects were not entirely alike. The types of employment that had traditionally been classified as men's work, mainly manufacturing jobs in heavy industry, were hit especially hard by the economic collapse and a resultant sharp drop in demand for most manufactured products. Many of the occupations previously defined as women's work, on the other hand, such as teaching, clerical work, and domestic service, were not as hard hit. Meanwhile many children were abandoned and those that werent found life considerable rougher It has often been argued that men's roles in society have to be artificially created and so are fragile and in constant danger.many men unable to cope with their falls were stuck at home constantly brooding over their misfortunes. Their presence there both increased the chances for friction between spouses and underscored the man's apparent inability to fulfill his expected role. Many married men took to the road, initially seeking work, but also escaping from the reminders that home and family constituted of their lack of success in their expected roles. Although most husbands who left home to try to find work presumably did so with the intention of returning, it was not unusual for them to disappear permanently. Women however found their status enhanced by their new roles. Left with little choice, they went against the historic opposition to married women working outside the home to help support their families. Black women especially found it easier to obtain work than their husbands, working as domestic servants, clerks, textiles workers and other occupations...Clerical workers, teachers, nurses, telephone operators.But women's wages remained a necessary component in family survival. This employment increased their status and power in the home, gaining them a new voice in domestic decisions. In many Great Depression families, women were the only breadwinners. The children of the great depression that didn’t like the child labor laws ran away to the rail roads. Because of the child labor laws and instead of running in the woods, what they did is they hopped on trains and they would jump on trains while they were moving. If they were moving and if you slipped it was tragic. And the girls on the trains mostly dressed as boys. If they didn’t go on disguised they got a bed and meals while on the trains. Desolate families had forced their children, some as young as 10-years-old, into quitting school so they could spend countless hours helping the family earn money it needed to survive. Many of these young children did various types of labor to bring home a meager amount of money. During the 1920s, many Americans had begun to equate self-worth with material possessions. Therefore, when times turned bad, people felt worthless. The nation's traditional optimistic outlook was replaced by the reality of economic chaos and confusion. Even among those fortunate or wealthy enough to avoid economic disruption, the Great Depression took a psychological toll. Psychiatrist's offices were packed in the early 1930s with those from the upper classes attempting to cope with the economic mayhem. The confidence of the average American fell to a general depression and inactivity as unemployment grew and the Depression set in. People waited for something to happen, spinning in circles as they fought to survive.Suicide became a part of everyday conversation, particularly as the stories of bankrupt Wall Street traders jumping from tall office buildings and many other followed to relieve themselved of the stress.