ABSTRACT
The freedom from the consequences of sex outside of marriage heralded a whole new experience for young women. Through the 1980s women continued to prove themselves capable of doing the jobs that formerly were entirely the prerogative of the male of the species, and at the same time to be mothers with happy families and well-managed homes. Many families suddenly found themselves facing a much lower standard of living and the uncertainty of unemployment. The women's magazines were full of articles about how it was possible to have both a happy loving family and a highly successful career. So the mother would return and take the child home, usually to face the tasks that would in years gone by have been completed during the day. Media interest was also moving away from the themes of freedom and 'the beautiful people' towards more adult images of equality.
