Motherhood in American society transformed significantly since the Second World War as a result of social economics, emerging feminism, and changing social mores. Following the wartime influx of women into the workplace, motherhood in the fifties reverted to its traditional roles. As time and the economy progressed, the tide turned and mothers once again emerged from their domestic cocoons .
             The decades following the Second World War became a time of change for mothers. Shortly after their husbands returned from war, discontent among mothers and wives grew rapidly. Many women changed a great deal while their men were away. Society readily accepted married women in the work place. Many women also wanted recognition for the work they did in their own household, much like the recognition they received during the war. Tension also mounted with women who had done "men's work" during the war and then were forced back into a life of domesticity once their husbands returned. These unresolved tensions set the stage for the changes that would take place in motherhood in subsequent decades.
             The largest influx of women into the workforce in the sixties and seventies came from an unlikely source. Married women began to stream back into the workforce in order to maintain their middle class lifestyle. These women did not want to lose the comforts and choices they had become so accustomed to in the fifties. Much of the "new" female workforce was married and well educated. This movement was in contrast to the employed women before them; comprised mostly of lower-middle class or working class women without advanced education. These new working women shared different ideals and entered the workforce with the belief that housework and simply being a wife and mother was no longer adequate. However, these feminist ideals were not the sole cause of women entering the workforce in droves. Married women were al...