ABSTRACT
As World War II drew to a close, women who had only recently been encouraged to help their country by going to work were told that the health of society depended on their staying home and devoting themselves to their families. A 1945 poll showed that only 18 percent of those surveyed approved of married women working. With the advent of the Cold War the stakes grew even higher, as dedicating oneself to one's family came to be identified with preserving the American way of life.
