Women are generally portrayed as the “prototypic victim[s] of disaster.” But do you see a stereotypical desolate, impoverished victim in this photo on the left taken by Lange? She captures this rare, fleeting moment of happiness in the wake of disaster. The smiling face of the mother does not reflect on her poverty shown in her disheveled hair and over-sized coat. . We tend to forget the roles that women play in the reconstruction of a disaster, especially the roles they play in the family

Generally, in the aftermath of a disaster, gender roles become intensified. During the Great Depression, women were increasingly expected to take care of children and the home while the men worked (or tried to find work). In the family, women were expected to do the “emotion work,” to hide their negative feelings and to project themselves as the role of emotional stability in the family.

Because of the scarcity of jobs and the large percentage of unemployed men pining for them, employers were able offer very low wages, so low that one man’s wages could not support an entire family. Women were then forced to enter the work force or do odd jobs to help sustain the family. in the beginning of the twentieth century, only 6% of married women were working. This statistic increased to 15% with many were working “off the books.”

Women in disaster are so often portrayed as weak and passive that their roles in the family and in the reconstruction after disasters are often overlooked. While women are vulnerable during a crisis, they still play an incredibly important role. In general, we do not portray women the way they should be portrayed often enough: as a pillar of emotional strength that stabilizes the family. While Lange does show this, it is subtle and could only be really seen if compared with another photographer’s style. Media should do more to depict women in a stronger light to combat those stereotypical views that have been formed by society and to celebrate those women who made positive impacts after a disaster.