Introduction
The Great Depression was a worldwide economic crisis that severely influenced the economic situation of the USA. The fall of prices in the American stock market led to an adverse effect on the financial situation of the whole population. The decline in the economy influenced employment, living conditions, and state policies. In fact, the consequences of the Depression had a great impact on different social groups in the United States, including women, families, and children.
Main body
The Great Depression affected the lives of women in different ways, starting from work to family lives. In fact, because of the Depression, the unemployment rates in the United States arose; however, for women, on the other hand, the employment rate went up. For instance, “the number of married women in the labor force increased by nearly 50 percent” (Bolin 60). That is related to the fact that when the stock market crashed, it had little impact on the work that was popular among women in comparison with the impact on the male-dominated work. Such spheres as manufacturing and mining, which were men-dominated spheres, were negatively impacted by the fall of stock market prices the most. Because many men lost their jobs, the need to work for women became stronger. Despite the “strong resistance from husbands and potential employers,” women estimated a great part of the working force during the Great Depression (Corbett et al. 732). The number of single women grew, and they were forced to financially support themselves despite the fact that female jobs paid less.
The great Depression influenced not only the situation of women in the United States but the families as a whole. According to Hill, “marriage rates fell by 20 percent from 1929 to 1933” (p. 163). Couples started to delay marriages, which led to the rapid decline of the birthrate (Corbett et al., 2017). Many families in the USA could not afford to rent a house because of the financial difficulties that arose due to unemployment. Because of the financial shortage in families’ budgets, some could not pay for medical care and everyday grocery. The deficit money forced some families in Pennsylvania, Oakland, Arkansas, and California to leave their houses and live in terrible conditions.
Children are the social group that had experienced the consequences of the Great Depression as well. Because the family break-up rates increased, many children stayed vagrant. During the time of the Depression, there were around two hundred thousand vagrant children in the United States (Corbett et al., 2017). Children were lacking quality education since many schools were underfunded or even closed. Many of the schools in America stopped working, and the majority of schools were overpopulated. According to Hendrick, there was “a reduced level of state support for schools” (p. 177). Because of the poor financial conditions of the families, some children did not get the proper clothes to wear.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Great Depression impacted the lives of different groups of the population. Women, families, and children faced the consequences of the economic crisis and were forced to adapt to it. Such factors as unemployment and job loss among men, lack of finances in family budgets, and worsening of the education system led to adverse effects for families, women, and children. Because these three population categories are interrelated, the changes that occurred in one’s life directly influenced the others.
Works Cited
Bolin, Winifred D. Wandersee. “The economics of middle-income family life: working women during the Great Depression.” The Journal of American History (1978): 60-74.
Corbett, P. Scott, et al. US history. OpenStax, 2017.
Hendrick, Irving G. “The Impact of the Great Depression on Public School Support in California.” Southern California Quarterly 54.2 (1972): 177-195.
Hill, Matthew J. “Love in the time of the depression: The effect of economic conditions on marriage in the Great Depression.” The Journal of Economic History 75.1 (2015): 163-189.