Joyce Mende Interview, History 150 Spring 2019, Conducted by Jordan Ellett, March 21, 2019.

Overview: I conducted this interview with my Grandma over the phone. Before the actual interview, I did a pre-interview so that she could be prepared for the questions I was going to ask. Setting up the interview was difficult because I do not know that much about using technology to interview but the library was able to help me. I used the dual audio recording microphone in my room when no one else was here so that it was quiet and I could have the best quality of sound.

 Biography: Joyce Atkinson Mende was born on November 13,1941 in Hanover County Virginia. She was from a family of 5 with 2 older brothers and one younger brother. She went to elementary school at Battlefield Park and then finished out schooling in the first graduating class at Lee Davis High School. She did not go to college, but worked in Richmond through her life. She had 2 daughters and married at a young age. Some memorable events she spoke about to me about were the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor the year she was born beginning WW2, that Franklin D Roosevelt was president, and the Yankees beat the dodgers in the world series. This interview touched on how the historical events played a role in the workplace and how women’s rights have evolved over time.

Research: The 1960s to 1970s are a time period that is known for big events that impacted society so that it is what it is today. In the past 50 years, there have been many social changes and gender roles have changed dramatically due to these events. World War 2 led to an increase need for factory workers, and men were sent away to fight allowing women to take over their positions and get out of their traditional roles. Before World War 2, women were still in the traditional house roles, so factory jobs were their first big step in the right direction. The Civil Rights Movement encouraged many people to strive for equality in the rights they had and inspired other minorities to fight for what they believe in. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed making it illegal to discriminate based on sex, color, ethnicity, or religion. The Second Feminist Wave was strongly influenced by the Civil Rights movement’s victories, which encouraged women to strive to gain equal rights too. Most people during this time were directly impacted by these events but some who knew about them did not experience them as much.

Resources (MLA 8):

Sources: “1940-1960 – AP U.S. History Timelines – Study Notes.” Go to the Front Page of StudyNotes, www.apstudynotes.org/us-history/timelines/1940-1960/.

Eisenberg, Bonnie. “History of the Women’s Rights Movement.” National Women’s History Alliance, 1998, nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/resources/womens-rights-movement/history-of-the-womens-rights-movement/.

“Impact of World War II on the U.S. Economy and Workforce.” IPTV, 5 Dec. 2016, www.iptv.org/iowapathways/artifact/impact-world-war-ii-us-economy-and-workforce.

“Second-Wave Feminism.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1960s-america/a/second-wave-feminism.

Interview (I am JE and my grandma is JM):

JE: Hi

JM: Hi, how are you?

JE: I’m good, how are you?

JM: Good

JE: Are you okay with this interview being public for others to see?

JM: Yes I am

JE: Okay great. Um can you introduce yourself and tell me about yourself?

JM: Okay, I am Joyce Mende, I uh am Jordan Ellett’s Grandma, I am 77 years old, I love to read and uh visit shut ins and I am just a very compassionate person.

JE: Okay thank you. Um can you tell me some of the big events that happened when you were growing up?

JM: Okay let me stop and think a minute… The circus would come to town and we would go to the circus, is that what you want to know, amusement type things or something else?

JE: Um that or like historical events so like any of that is fine

JM: That and what else, I’m sorry

JE: Like historical events too

JM: Okay um President Kennedy was assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, okay John Kennedy’s brother was assassinated, his father Robert was also assassinated. There was a big change in the segregation in the schools. Um, lets see, I cant think of anything else.

JE: Um, would you say that the civil rights movement was a big thing when you were growing up?

JM: It was just starting to be a big thing when I was about ready to graduate from high school. There was talk about it during my elementary years but it never mounted to anything and the segregation didn’t really start until I graduated in 1959.

JE: Right, so do you think that somehow influenced the women’s rights movement?

JM: I guess it might have in a way, um yeah I guess it did because it seemed like women, black and white women both seemed to uh be a little more outgoing after that and take a step forwards to something they believed in

JE: Right, um also was world war 2 going on at that point?

JM: Um actually when world war 2 was going on, I was not born and I was 4 years old when it ended.

JE: Do you know if it changed what life was like at home?

JM: Mmmmm no I don’t think it really affected me that much because I was so young

JE: Okay, um can you tell me what your family life was like growing up?

JM: Okay, let me think. Um we were a very close family and we always ate our meals together. We uh looked out for each other and were concerned for each other, went on a lot of day trips together, we played with the neighborhood children. Ahhh let me think what else. My mom was a stay at home mom, so she was always there when I got home from school or wherever I was. Also, she never drove so my dad had to drive us anywhere we went

JE: Okay, and how many siblings did you have?

JM: 3

JE: Were they all brothers or were they all sisters?

JM: I had 3 brothers, one older brother and 2 younger brothers

JE: Okay, and would you say that you were treated the same as them?

JM: For the most part yes

JE: For the most part?

JM: Mhm

JE: Um so would you say that there were different things that you and your brothers were expected to do like  around the house?

JM: Um, hold on let me get this call, actually never mind. Um my brothers were expected to more or less help dad and do outside stuff. I helped mama with cleaning and doing dishes. Yeah, It was mostly male and female roles were pretty much, they didn’t do each other’s things much, each one had their assigned roles.

JE: Okay so can you describe like some more of the gender norms from your childhood?

JM: Umm lets see

Je: Like were y’all expected to play with the same toys or like go to different classes?

JM: The boys mostly played with trucks, and tractors, and trains. The girls played with dolls and dishes and playhouse or playschool.

JE: Mhm, so for schooling, would you say that it was equal for boys and girls?

JM: Ummm, yes I think it was pretty much equal

JE: It was?

JM: Yes

JE: Okay, so around the time you were a teenager the second feminist movement began, did they teach about this in school or how did you hear about it?

JM: Probably through school, and some I guess on radio and t.v

JE: Okay, do you think that it had an impact on you?

JM: No, not too much because I didn’t really think it was too important at that point in time

JE: Right um, did any of your friends seem interested in the movements or talk about it?

JM: Some of them talked about it but I do not think any of them really participated in it

JE: Okay, um were there any feminist movements in our hometown that impacted you?

JM: No

JE: No? Do you think that there were any in Richmond that you just didn’t know about?

JM: Yes there probably were. We didn’t go into Richmond a whole lot when I was growing up except to shop or stuff like that so im sure there was a lot going on in Richmond, more than we were aware of living out in the country.

JE: Okay so what was your first job you got when you graduated?

JM: I was a uh transit operator at Central National Bank and I worked with processing checks and we had to balance the uh totals at the end of the day, had to balance to tell how much they had taken in, in each one of the available offices on the first floor of the bank

JE: Um, what would you say your working conditions were like when you first started?

JM: Hmmm, I think they were probably a little more favorable towards men than they were women.

JE: Okay, why do you say that?

JM: Well, it seemed like they had maybe higher paying positions than most of the women did. Some things were equal but I think they had better paying jobs. There were a few women who did but I think most of the men had the better paying jobs. They seemed to be a little more respected too for some reason.

JE: Okay so would you say that as you continued to work there that your conditions got better?

JM: Yes I think they did get a little better because I think uh women started being more aware of what their roles should be in contrast to mens roles, so I think they did improve

JE: Okay, so do you think that the feminist movements that were going on affected how those conditions changed?

JM: Not really, I think hat women just decided uh, I guess they did because women were tired of sitting back and letting men run things

JE: Right, um would you say that your job was more female or male oriented?

JM: Male

JE: Male? Why?

JM: There were more men that worked there and um like I said the better jobs just seemed to be held by the men, the higher paying positions

JE: So, in the workplace, did y’all have equal treatment, like equal lunch breaks and equal spaces to work in?

JM: Yes that part was pretty much equal

JE: Okay, um were there any jobs that your parents thought you should have versus jobs your brothers should?

JM: Huh, no I don’t think so

JE: No?

JM: No

JE: Okay, so did your parents ever have a say in the job you were going to take or did you just do what you wanted?

JM: I just did what I wanted

JE: so with what you have said so far, today do you think that women’s rights have increased or decreased in the workplace?

JM: I think it has gotten a lot better, its increased. The rights have gotten uh a lot better than they were

JE: Why do you say that

JM: I think because awareness of uh that women could just as capably handle a job as men could and uh they just moved forward with doing what they thought they could do. And for the most part, men were more aware of what they could and would do.

JE: What was the biggest change in the workplace you saw while you worked there?

JM: Let me think a minute, I think the positions that women held were increased, there were more available and you didn’t have to work as hard to get them. They finally realized that women could do a job just as equally as a man could.

JE: Okay, is there anything else that you would like to include?

JM: let me think. No I don’t think so, is there anything else you need to ask?

JE: No, I don’t think so but thank you for taking the time to answer my questions

JM: Okay

Conclusion: I thought that my interview went well. However, if I could do this assignment over again, I feel like I would have arranged the questions in more of an order and given the interviewee more time to prepare for the interview. I also would have asked more questions related to her instead of the history going on around her. The conversation started out all over the place at first but then got to gender within the first 2 minutes, so next time, I would need to ask questions that helped to stay on topic. I should have used different words to start my questions, as they seemed to be repetitive, but overall I thought the process and interview went well