MC, give me a break. Birth Control pills were just invented in 1959: That had a great impact on family sturcture (and women). Secondly,education: A few years ago we had as one of our tutors a great person in English, she was an English teacher because at the University of TExas, women were not allowed to be lawyers and could not get into the Law School, which was her dream. Education for women was largely restricted by social, legal, and (pregnancy) restrictions.
Those are two big ones in my mind, there were others, mainly in the vein that women were treated as the junior partner in marriage, and that put the male in the lead for earning income.
But the big ones were "the family way", and education.
In America, the family of the 1950's (young, married, two children, father works while mother stays at home) is often idealized. What social factors caused that family structure to exist and why is it less common today?
I can't seem to think of any factors.. can someone please help me think of some? Thanks
-MC
2 answers
one of the others in the minor category, was legal restrictions on women: if they were married, they could not borrow money without husbands (permission) and signature, and in fact, even open a bank account. So all finances for the family flowed from and to the Husband.