ABSTRACT
What has it meant to be a woman in the United States? Even though the three of us grew up in different decades, when each of us were children in the 1940s, 1960s, and 1970s, our parents had traditional arrangements-our mothers were primarily homemakers and our fathers “brought home the bacon.” At various points in their lives, however, generally before and after having young children at home, our mothers did work for pay outside of the home. Throughout our nation’s history, women have contributed to the economy while still maintaining a family.
