How did family life change during World War 2?

Answer 1

There was much more electricity which made women's lives much easier. Men would spend their money on alcohol instead of focusing on the children. People were going into the war so it was a sad time. New technology affected their lives everywhere like the automobile, radio, and movies. People purchased many products. People accepted poverty. Women were not equal with men.

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Family life in the 20s was nothing like the person above said. There was a heavier emphasis on the nuclear family, i.e. the married couple and their children. Contrary to the above post, alcohol was illegal in the 1920s because of the Prohibition (in the US, anyway), so most men did NOT drink alcohol like that(unless they went to speakeasies, but women went there, too). In fact, the 19th Amendment had just been passed in 1919, so women were actually far more independent than they ever had been before. Sure, there was some sexism, but legally women and men were equal.

People were NOT going to war in America in the 1920s; World War One had been fought from 1914-1917. WW1 ushered in an economic and technological boom. Cars- specifically the Ford Model T- were being mass-produced for the first time, so average Americans could actually afford them.

The effect of this was 'modern' family life. Basically, the father was the breadwinner, the mother almost always stayed at home to take care of her children, cook, clean, and sew. Children were 'children' longer than they are today, mostly because 'teenager' wasn't seen as a seperate stage of life. You were a child, or you were an adult. This led to younger teenagers doing far more infantile things than teenagers today would, like playing with dolls, playing games together like hide and seek, and just being kids. Children were disciplined, so people were generally better mannered than their modern counterparts. Of course, there have always been brats.

This is the time period where 'teenagers' basically became a separate entity. Older teenagers, think 16-early twenties, would go to dances, hang out with friends at ice cream parlors, and date- keep in mind there would be adult supervision, so these relationships were usually kept chaste. Older college kids broke with tradition, however, and could frequently be caught in the back of somebody's Ford Model T "petting" (a.k.a making out).

Marriage was far more serious-and permanent- than it is today. Once you got married, you generally stayed married, but divorce was possible. The average age for marriage in 1920, according to the US Census, was 21.2 for women and 24.6 for men.

Women were the primary caregivers for children, but fathers WERE involved in their children's lives. The main thing to remember is that people have always been people. A father in the Middle Ages is just as likely to love his children as a father now.

The difference between the family of today and the family of the 1920s is respect, for tradition, for other people, and for themselves. In the '20s, families were far more tight-knit. Children grew up close to their parents and their family's traditions. Today, kids and parents don't spend nearly as much time together; kids are growing up alienated from their family's culture. Oh, and kids are very, very rude. In conclusion, the family in the 20s wasn't perfect, because no family is, but it was a whole lot better than the family- or lack thereof- today.

Answer 2

Families changed a lot because the men would leave to go to the war. When your dad is not home you get lonely and frightened. One reason you would get frightened is because your dad is not there to protect you. Your mama is, but your dad is more secure feeling. Your mama could protect you no matter what. Also it is scary because your dad could die. Some families already know what it is like to have the man or women ( mom or dad) out the house. The family unit changed dramatically during WWII because women were needed to take over factory jobs. Not to mention women were treated with a new respect that they did not have before, and the lack of men during WW2 gave women the opportunity to show they are equal to men, so maybe without this war having taken place women would still be seen as second class citizens and be prevented from working.

The family unit became the center of American patriotism and was the cushion to fall back on when something terrible happened. It was the only thing that provided security and protection, together we stand, divided we fall.

Answer 3

Fock