ABSTRACT
The comparative living conditions of European and American women have been the subject of a body of literature ranging through familial roles, employment opportunities, public child-care support, and the sexual attitudes of men. The North American suburban environment, so pervasive in the late twentiety-century United States that it seems normal and almost inevitable, is in fact not common outside this area of the world. The suburban environment works best as well for the large, intact family that has the resources to create within their own home the community elements that formerly encompassed people’s lives. In contrast, American suburban women have a more limited job market, a virtual lack of public transportation, and an often unreliable automobile. Public services and facilities on which women depend, such as public transportation, day-care centers, shops, and places of employment are limited, and where available, not easy to get to.
