Has anyone seen these Albright promotional videos from the 1950s? I found them fascinating, especially the comments on educating women. It would be great to see promo videos from each decade, no?
What do you think about changes in the college and views of men's vs. women's education? How do these videos reflect the histories we've covered?
Part I (See 4:45 especially)
Part II (See 2:50 especially)
-- Prof. Lehman
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I found the promo videos very fascinating. Although men and women were both represented in the videos, men were emphasized. For instance, when the video shows students in class, the first few scenes are all male. Female students are only shown after about 5 different male-dominated scenes. Also most of the professors shown were male. There were about two female professors that were recognized.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the scenes that displayed the students were somewhat stereotypical. For instance, men were shown doing scientific work and working with electrical materials, while women were represented as nurses. The voiceover said that women who attend Albright College could have careers in fashion merchandising, teaching, or consumer services, all which are steretypical female jobs.
At one point in the promo video the narrator says, "Educate a man and you educate an individual-educate a woman and you educate a family." Then the wedding song comes on and you see a woman with a baby and her assumed husband taking a stroll. The female graduate of Albright College will build a home and family with good Christian values and serve her community as well. All this suggests that women go to college to learn to be good housewives and mothers, not to be career women.
Then the video talks about Albright graduates. There is one female graduate that they mention; the rest are men, and the one female graduate that they present is a home economics teacher, while the male graduates are doctors, lawyers, and heads of companies.
In the 1950s promo video, Christian family values are stressed. Today, Albright does not seem to focus on Christian values as much. There are people of many faiths accepted at Albright College and even non-believers. Unlike the 1950s promo video, Albright's student body is more diverse, with people of different races and ethnicities attending classes.
The Christian values stressed in this video, along with the traditional roles of women emhpasized reflects American society in the 50s. The nuclear family was vital, as well as the emphasis on Christianity. Our family vaules and female roles were in part influenced by our desire to be anti-communist and the result of World War II.
These videos clearly reflect the fact that in the 1950s, the women's place was the home. Single women could go to college, but you were going to learn how to be a good wife. You were in charge of your family and raising kids. This was your only opportunity.
ReplyDeleteAs already stated, men are the dominate figures in these videos. They were shown as the successful one's, not women. Women were shown a few times so that Albright looked like a diverse college. However, you did not see any African Americans, Hispanics, or any ethnicity.
I think it would be really interesting to see videos atleast in the 1960s and 1970s to see the changes.