Interview about 1950's?

Question

I have to have an interview with my grandmother about life in the 1950's.What questions should i ask her?

Answer 1

What were women's roles in society?  What types of jobs were available for women who chose not to marry?  How did society view unmarried women?

Answer 2

What was life like, a typical day.

How many siblings, costs, struggles.

Income, family farm, business.

What she misses from the 50's

What she thinks about modern conviences vs having to work for small things.

Racism, the fall of slavery and black rights.

She lived through that all and more. Just assume your reader won't know anything, because you do. And it's hard to be an outsider in your own family, but in this case it's critical.

Answer 3

What was it like without

microwaves, color TV's , cell phones, PC's, vcr's

Fast Foods...

How often did they see a movie and which movies did they see?

How much was a gallon of gas?

What did teenagers do for fun?

Answer 4

Prices of common items.

Quality of life.

What was on peoples' minds.

What problems existed then that don't now, and vice-versa.

Answer 5

GREAT IDEA!!  Do it and do it SOON!  Here is a web page with excellent links for questions.

http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/...

Good luck.  It will be great fun.  Get a scanner and scan some of thier ole photos also.  This will be an excellent project and you will not regret it.

Answer 6

Ask her about the post war experience. There was an economic boom after the war. A lot of things changed also. Ask her about food. WW2 is what introduced us to processed foods and canned goods. Basically things that worked well during wartime, people figured out how to market them to the American public. It was a time when we thought we could do anything or invent anything. Space was hugely popular at the time.

Answer 7

The Ed Sullivan Show for sure.  He introduced Elvis to everyone.   Ask if she saw the show.

Ask about American Bandstand.  This was a national TV show where teens went to dance.  Most local TV stations had their own versions.  Maybe she was on TV for one.

Ask where she used to hang out as a teenager.

Were strict morals between opposite s*x better than the looser time now.   Have her tell you about her high school boyfriend.

Answer 8

May I come in?

Whose teeth are those?

Where do you get these soft biscuits from?

Are we singing Jailhouse Rock at your funeral?

Can you smell urine?