On page 119 it specifically mentions how nineteenth-century gender roles arose again in the 1950s. In which women were expected to put others' needs before themselves and be in a subservient position. While there was an expectation for women to “satisfy” their husbands there was a growing concern for men to be able to “satisfy” their women as well. Mass culture added to the knowledge of women and they were able to learn more by talking to other women and reading media. This resulted in sexual anxiety for both men and women at this time. -Savannah Alexander
This article demonstrates how 1950s psychologists and sociologists chose to blame mothers and women for the crisis in manhood that American Cold War society was facing. The concept of “momism” blames mothers for being too psychologically weak and they need to achieve emotional fulfillment through coddling their sons and causing them to be effeminate. This is a phenomenon that we have seen before in this class, especially with G. Stanley Hall's theory of neurasthenia. –Olivia Foster
I was surprised to find that this reading is useful in my 471 class. I'm writing a 10-page paper about who was suspected to be queer and the part about Communism and homosexuality helped me with one of my sources. The person I chose was Friedrich von Steuben and one of the sources wrote about him and published a book in 1966. I found it worthy and useful to help me contextualize what was going on with homosexuality and how it often got linked to Communism or some other negative meaning or word. - Daniel Childers
The decline of American men was identified as how men were afraid to be different. Other people pointed out how women had control of the male. Men were losing their domination over women. Boys were infantilized by overprotective moms and taught that they should serve women and be conformist. - Zack Dutke
I am a failure = I am castrated = I am not a man = I am a woman = I am a homosexual - Zack Dutke