I conducted this interview over the phone since my grandmother lives 600 miles away and has been in the hospital with my grandfather. I was sitting outside while she was in the hospital as to get the best signal for me, and the quietest space. I didn’t have to edit it, it wasn’t very long because she did not have as much to say, as I would have expected. I downloaded an app on my phone that would let me record my phone conversation and download it as an .mp3 file.

 

Biography: Lynn Garrett is a woman of her late 60’s and is a very involved woman. She has always been involved in different societies and organizations since I have known her. She has two kids, and two grandkids. She has been married for 40 or so years, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She used to work real estate, and now owns a beautiful home with horses, cats, dogs, and a backyard lake.

 

In the time of my grandmother growing up, it was around the 50’s and 60’s. these were the “decades of prosperity and protest”. The average 50’s family consisted of a married couple, two kids, and a pet. Popular culture, (pop-culture) was arising due to the mass market development of television. During the 50’s was also the Cold War. The 60’s were quite different from the 50’s but not by too much. During the 60’s feminism arose and the Vietnam war began to cause a political uproar in Americans. Protests and war riots began, as well as women no longer being content with their status of a “homemaker”.

 

Eva Mitchell (Me): Hi meemee do you consent to me interviewing you?

 

Lynn Garrett: Yes

 

Me: okay, I just have a few question to ask you about the time period that you um, kind of grew up in if that’s alright.

 

Lynn: Oh yes, I would really enjoy this.

 

Me: okay well um, I’m going to start with, when you were younger, what was the gender differences that you noticed, um in the workforce, involvement in the government, and women’s roles around the house?

 

Lynn: Oh well, um lets see, when I was a young girl not many women in my family had jobs. It was mostly just for the men, y’ know. My mother actually never worked, she was a homemaker, a really good one at that.

 

Me: I guess that’s how… [inaudible] So, who spoke out for women during your time growing up?

 

Lynn: oh I never really paid attention to that stuff, I was too busy leading my own life, I don’t have an interest in politics you know that.

 

Me: Well have you noticed any changes since then, and if so what kind?

 

Lynn: Um yes, well by in my day women weren’t even allowed to wear pants in public. That was a big no-no. And now, I’m happy to know that my grand-daughter can choose any career that she wants she could even go into the army if she wanted too, and you didn’t even have to flirt with the bosses like I did.

 

Me: [laughing] that’s true grandma, well are there any other changes that you’ve noticed? Like um, what were the differences in the government back then?

 

Lynn: Oh the government used to be just a big boys club, hardly a woman in sight. And now I noticed there is even a chance for a woman being president even though I don’t trust her one bit.

 

Me: Fair enough.

 

Lynn: I think we need Trump for a better America.

 

Me: Are there any changes that you noticed, drastic or subtle, and have they affected your life at all?

 

Lynn: What type of changes, dear?

 

Me: Um, like the changes in the government or the ability to wear pants, so to speak, grandma?

 

Lynn: Oh yes, lets see. It used to kind of be a shameful thing to be a woman almost it felt like, and now it actually feels like now were just another person.

 

Me: Hmm, I understand that. Well, were you involved in any of the movements for changes for women? You said that you weren’t involved in any of the politics of it, but were you involved in any of the movements?

 

Lynn: Oh no dear I was too busy trying to lead my own career and raise a family.

 

Me: Oh that’s right. Um, you were, or even if you weren’t there, can you describe things that were said at protests and speeches for women? And since you weren’t, did you ever hear speeches of the feminist movement that was upcoming in the 60’s on the TV or radio or anything when you were growing up?

 

Lynn: I heard about them all the time, I was so happy to hear about women out there fighting for our rights. I just never had the time to get out there, I wish I would have, but they seemed to have gotten along out there without me so…

 

Me: Fair enough. When you were working, what kind of environment was it?

 

Lynn: Oh none of the guys ever took me that seriously but I still showed them I was the leading real-estate agent in my area for three years.

 

Me: That’s good! I’m proud for that, I remember that.

 

Lynn: Thank you, and let me tell you it wasn’t easy, they made me work with everything I had.

 

Me: Good. Okay so you told me what you did, which was my next question so how old were you when you decided to have kids and raise a family outside of your job?

 

Lynn: Oh I always knew I wanted to be a mom when I was growing up. It just seemed so natural. And I know it seems old fashion now but I love being a mother, its one of the greatest joys in life. So I was 20 years old when I met your grandfather and we have been together ever since.

 

Me: A love story for the books grandma, so um well that’s all the questions I have for you. Do you have any other stories to tell, or other information you’d like to share with me?

 

Lynn: oh no…

In conclusion, the interview went well but did not last as long as i would have expected. My grandmother did not seem to be as involved in her time as i would have imagined, but also it would appear she enjoyed being the homemaker of the family. Gender roles certainly were changing at that time, but to my grandmother it didn’t seem like that big of a deal.

 

Citations

Lynn Garrett, Interview, History 150 Spring 2016, Conducted by Eva Mitchell, Feminism in the 60’s, March 3, 2016.W