You are browsing an old, coffee-stained magazine from 1955. The images depict polished heels, immaculate hair, and broad smiles. A man in a sharp suit presents his wife with a fur coat and a cigarette. Maintaining this $5,000 lifestyle on a $5,000 salary entailed more than financial costs. Traditions once celebrated as the height of happiness would now provoke public outrage.
In the present era, social media amplifies every misstep and enforces unprecedented accountability. Seven common practices from the 1950s would not merely raise concerns today; they would go viral on X (formerly Twitter), lead to brand cancellations, and pose significant public relations challenges.
The American dream of that period was closely linked to norms that now appear almost satirical. This article examines seven social traditions from the 1950s that would likely be swiftly condemned in contemporary society.
Smoking at work, in Restaurants, and on Airplanes
In the 1950s, ashtrays were everywhere, on office desks, restaurant tables, and airplane armrests. According to CDC data reported in an MMWR summary (2025), cigarette smoking among U.S. adults dropped from about 42.4% in 1965 to much lower levels in recent years.
Tobacco use wasn’t federally regulated until the 1964 Surgeon General’s report, and smoke-filled boardrooms were common. By 2022, smoking rates had fallen to 11.5%, according to the National Health Interview Survey, and most Americans now support complete smoking bans.
Contemporary workplaces prioritize wellness, and the CDC estimates that secondhand smoke costs the economy in lost productivity and healthcare costs. While indoor smoking was once considered sophisticated, it is now a practice that could jeopardize a professional career. end someone’s career.
Women being fired for being pregnant
From 1950 to 1970, being pregnant often meant losing your job. There was no federal law protecting pregnant workers until the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978.
A CRS summary notes that most pregnancy discrimination charges filed with the EEOC were about being fired, showing that job loss was a common complaint. Before 1970, school districts often forced pregnant teachers to resign mid-contract, and this was so common that few questioned it.
If a school principal were to issue a termination letter to a well-respected teacher in her sixth month of pregnancy today, the action would provoke national outrage.
“The help” as a middle-class necessity
In 1950, there were 57 million working-age women in the United States, but only 29% were in the workforce. By 2019, 59% of working-age women were part of the labor force, according to U.S. Census data analyzed by the University of Virginia’s Digital History Project.
These workers, often Black, immigrant, or low-income women, cleaned homes, cooked meals, and raised children for as little as $40 a week (about $430 Currently, employing someone under such conditions would severely damage a family’s reputation.
Doctors recommending cigarettes for stress
In the 1950s, medical journals ran ads with doctors in white coats endorsing Camel and Lucky Strike cigarettes. A 2021 JAMA Network Open study found that by 1954, doctors had endorsed 13 cigarette brands, falsely claiming they were “gentler on the throat” or “preferred by more physicians.”
If a Harvard-trained physician were to share a sponsored post promoting ‘nicotine lozenges to boost focus’ today, the medical board would likely suspend their license, hospitals would sever affiliations, and malpractice insurers could withdraw coverage. While medicine was once subject to corporate influence, public trust now relies on transparency, and even minimal association with pseudoscience can irreparably damage a professional reputation.
Racial segregation in public spaces
In 1950, Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation in 21 states. Even in northern cities, unofficial segregation limited access to housing, schools, and restaurants. The 1954 Brown Board of Education ruling challenged these laws, but full desegregation didn’t start until the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
If a restaurant were to refuse service based on race today, security would likely remove the manager, law enforcement would intervene, and video footage could receive millions of views within hours. Negative Yelp reviews would damage the business, partnerships would dissolve, and lawsuits would ensue.
Corporal punishment in schools as discipline
In the 1950s, teachers used rulers, paddles, and public shaming to discipline students across America. While national data from that time is limited, corporal punishment in U.S. schools dropped from about 4% of all students in 1978 to much lower levels today.
This means millions of students experienced it in past decades. The CDC now classifies these practices as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) linked to long-term mental health problems.
Currently, if a teacher were to strike a student’s hand with a ruler in class, law enforcement would likely respond before the end of the day. Parents would initiate legal action, the school district would suspend the teacher, and the incident would receive national media coverage.
Homosexuality labeled a mental illness
In 1952, the American Psychiatric Association’s first DSM called homosexuality a “sociopathic personality disturbance.” By 1950, federal employees suspected of being gay were often fired in what became known as the “Lavender Scare,” with over 5,000 people losing their jobs, according to Senate Historical Office records.
Police often raided gay bars, and conversion therapy clinics became more common, even though there was no scientific evidence to support them.
If a Fortune 500 CEO were to assert that being gay is a disorder today, the company’s stock could decline by 15% within a week, employees might stage walkouts, and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups would likely initiate global campaigns.
Key takeaways
These seven social practices show a society that valued conformity, discouraged dissent, and accepted systemic injustice, all while smiling for the family photo. Smoking in boardrooms, firing pregnant women, and segregation weren’t just common; they were expected.
However, cultural norms evolve rapidly, and behaviors once considered harmless now carry significant reputational, legal, and financial consequences. In the current context, accountability extends beyond moral considerations to encompass economic factors as well.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice
Disclosure: This article was developed with the assistance of AI and was subsequently reviewed, revised, and approved by our editorial team.
