At the end of WWII, the government tried to persuade working women to quit their jobs. Dunno what effect that had on this:

A lot of riveters from WWII were happy to go back to the home and have their jobs retaken by men.

I have no citation for my statement, other than accounts I've either read or heard.

My lit crit professor made a point that I hadn't ever thought of in that women's rights or women's roles haven't changed in a gradual upward motion, it's actually been an upward moving wavy line. Early 1900's: very restrictive, 1920's: a little more open, 1950's: restrictive again, but not as restrictive as before, etc etc etc

A lot of riveters from WWII were happy to go back to the home and have their jobs retaken by men.

True, there was a good deal of "this isn't our proper sphere, but we're doing it for the good of the country and to free up Our Boys."

edit: Is the wavy line an indicator of something I heard described as kids following their grandparents' example and horrifying their parents?

Connie - yes.

I've read things that say "Sometimes," Connie, but I'm not sure how true to that actual time-frame that was. Which is important to think about, because it was trippy watching, say, "The Best Years Of Our Lives" and realizing, that hey, they didn't know how that late forties period was going to turn out in that movie,Which kind of sounds stupid as I type it, but there is just a fable about that era being calm, settled, filled with educated people and commonly-understood expectations, and it wasn't really that way for the people who were there.(At least, not always...that's a brilliant film. Anyone who hasn't seen it ought to.)

Aaaaannnnnnd here comes the vicodin.

My hands feel like they are several miles from my head. And yet I can still spell. I think. I take that back, whole lotta backspacing going on.

I better get upstairs for a nap while I can still find my feet.

pssst, WindSparrow's stoned, pass it on

pssst, Windsparrow's cloned, pass it on

pssst, WindSparrow is a clown, pass it on

I'm from a bit of a different generation. My mother worked during the war, but of course quit her job and went about raising children when the boys came home. After the 4 of us were finished school she casually commented to my dad that she thought she would get a job. She had been in a zillion volunteer positions over the years. Dad was horrified. All his friends would think he wasn't able to provide for her, etc. She had no idea dad felt this way because she never considered working until her children were grown.

His 3 daughters were a different matter. Dad expected we would all go to college and have careers. But not his wife. She could go to college and get degrees and be in any non-paying position she desired. Total different standard for her.