Ch. 22 sec. 2 critical thinking #4

How was what happened to men during the Great Depression different from what happened to women? children?

When the Great Depression hit it affected many people, but it might have affected the men worse, at least it affected them a great deal differently than the women and children. The men, as the head of the house, were expected to feed, provide for, and protect his family. When the Great Depression hit it was incredibly hard for the men to provide enough means to get by for their family. Many families barely made $2.00 a week. That number includes the amount the women working outside of the homes made. Men would go out for hours on end in search odf jobs. Many men, who had been sturgy and self-repcting men, were having trouble keeping their hopes up, and in the end many gave up trying to find jobs or left their families behind.
But the women went out and found jobs and worked to save every penny they could. Many women partnered up with neighbors to split the payments for food and take turns paying for more or less. But instead of beggin out on the streets many women were starving in cold attics and rooming houses because they were too ashamed to show reveal their hardships.
Children also suffered during this time of hardship. Many children had serious health problems due to lack of proper hygiene and healthcare. They had poor diets and as a result the nation saw a dramatic increase in malnutrition and diet-related diseases. As a result of falling tax revenues many schools had to shorten the school year and in some cases even close schools all together. Many teenagers looked for a way out of their troubles and hopped trains traveling across the country looking for adventure and jobs. Many teenagers left home to ease the stress on their parents and provide one less mouth to feed.
Men, women, and children all suffered, but men suffered the most emotionally because they were unable to provide for their families and they felt ashamed and that they had let down their families.