World War II Called Out the American

¶ … World War II called out the American troops, the country's economy could have been in grave danger had it not been for the untapped reservoir of human resources. Wives, mothers and sisters picked up where their husbands, sons and brothers left off. Not only were these women brave in their efforts to take on something as foreign as factory work, they also directly affected the outcome of the war. Conversely, without that call to action, women's roles in our society today would also be quite different.

Initially there was broad-based concern about women taking men's jobs, what would happen to the family structure and how society would deal with such a drastic change. However, it was a better solution than putting children to work as in the past. There was no time to analyze or try and come up with a better solution. Women jump into industry with both feet and found the experience to be rather invigorating. With abundant opportunities to explore, women earned self-respect along with a paycheck.

It was a time of new-found independence as well as bonding with their peers. However, during these transitional years, during the whole time ladies laid down their brooms to pick up drill, women were constantly reminded that their place was one of support. That became most evident shortly after the war ended. Within only two years after V-E Day, more than 2 million women were out of work. Some readily accepted the return to their domestic lives. Others had become accustomed to independence and protested.

The government and other social leaders supported propaganda in an attempt to restore the social norm that existed prior to the war. As a result, women were left feeling useless. At times, those who continued to work were portrayed as evil - the deconstructors of the happy family unit.