Changes in American Family during World War II - Research Paper Example

Changes in American Family during World War II Introduction The occurrence of any war is known to definitely have an impact on the society, and the case was not different for the American society during the World War II, as was simply expressed by Harper, that World War II was a “… period of large and lasting changes” (7). While the impact of the World War II left an indelible mark on the American society that is evident to date, the entry point to the social and family restructuring was women, through whom the reorganization of the social systems then took shape and inflicted the whole of the American society. The role of Women in wars had previously started being defined during the First World War, but it became even more pronounced during World War II, when their previous roles in the Army and the war itself definitely changed (Bryant 20). During the First World War, the women role in the war was pretty much reserved to non-combative roles in the army, such as operating switchboards, driving, offering mechanical services to the war tanks and vehicles (Bryant 21). However, after the bombing of the Pearl Harbor, and with eminent shortage of sufficient manpower in the army, the need for women power was once again revived, and it became apparent that the turnabout to the social and family system had knocked the door of the American society, and there was no turning back. The changes introduced in the American social system during the World War II still define the modern family and social structure. Therefore, the period of World War II, was a period when the family experienced the most transforming structural changes in the history of America. First, the occurrence of the World War II served to uplift the status of women in the American society, such that they gained respect and recognition as an important part of the societal structure (Lamana and Riedmann 13). During the World War II, most able men were recruited and deployed to the military to take part in active combat military roles, as well as other non-combative roles that were still essential for achieving victory by America and its allies. Consequently, women were left to bear all the family responsibilities, which entailed looking after the family and feeding them, and thus “…World War II was a signal event in the history of American consumer culture” (Witkowski 9), considering that many women had not taken active jobs before then. Women were forced to take active roles in seeking and performing jobs, mostly in the industries that were involved in manufacturing the artillery and the ammunitions required in the war (Harper 12). Since women had been called upon to join the working force to avert the looming labor force shortages in the manufacturing industries after men were required to join the army, they were required to hand over the same jobs to men after the end of the war, but most women resisted, since there had already arisen the need for working (Bryant 21). It is at this point that women in America were recognized in terms of their contribution economically, through working and supporting their families. This trend is still alive to present day, where many women have taken up active employment roles, instead of staying at home to perform the household chores. The contribution of the American woman to the economy is still high currently; virtually matching that of men. The other aspect through which women gained recognition and respect during the World War II, is through their active engagement in the military roles that were reserved for men in the previous decades (Herwing 107). During the World War II, more than a hundred thousand women served in the American Military, forming what according to Bryant came to be ”…the Women Army Corps” (7). While previously women were engaged in exclusively non-combative roles in the military, the scenario changed during the World War II, and they became involved in further active war duties such as flying aircrafts. Throughout the World War II period, over 16 million men and women were involved in the military, thus causing a large gap in the family structure, where many children were left orphaned, and many families fell short of regular provisions (Harper 51). The role of children was also affected, since some, especially those who were old enough to attain the teenage age, had also to engage in seeking income to support their families. Therefore, despite the negative implications of the World War II on the American society, the war had a positive side to it, in that it created a ground through which the role of women in building the American society, including their economic roles were discovered, recognized and respected. The overall positive impact of the World War II on the American social system is that; women became more empowered, and the society was made more conscious regarding their positive contributions (Harper 61). The other most fundamental impact of the World War II is that it created a platform through which the family structure changed and introduced a new parenting aspect that had not existed before. During the war, many people, especially men who were engaged in active combat lost their lives. Consequently, many families emerged as single-parent families, and the single parent had to take up the responsibility of bringing up their children without the support of their partners, an aspect that is not too uncommon in the modern American family system (Herwing 109). However, the most unique of all family transformations that were caused by the occurrence of the World War II in American families is that; for the first in the history of the American society, a family structure with more than one father emerged (Witkowski 7). This occurred because some of the single mothers who were left by their husbands during the World War II embarked on marrying other men, thus making the children already born to the first husband required to adapt to another man as their new father. This scenario was especially disruptive, where the children left were grownups, or at least had attained the teenage age, which made it difficult for them to adapt to the new family structure (Herwing 109). Previously, as defined by Lamana and Riedmann, “…a normal family was an entity of a mother and father and children living together in the same social setting” (4). However, it is due to the socioeconomic pressure that was generated by the World War II, which impacted on the family structure of the American society, thus changing the initial definition of a family entity. The socioeconomic pressure led to the rise of the existing modern family structure in America, where single parenting is no longer considered unusual and divorcing and taking care of children when separated is no longer unique, which is what Lamana and Riedmann refer to as “new faces of American Families” (14). Nevertheless, with all such changes that redefined the American family structure and introduced new concepts, the relevance of the family unit as the basis of the American patriotism was reinforced. The blunt of the war was borne by the American family units, before it became a national issue. It is the family unit that provided a cushion against which the American society would find consolation, after bearing the devastating impacts of the war, both mentally and psychologically, especially due to the loss of their loved ones on the warfront (Herwing 102). Additionally, the essence of homes and family as production units was emphasized by the government, resulting from the need to lower the demand on the economy, thus “People were bombarded with messages asking them to be frugal, to recycle, and to produce at home more of what they consumed” (Witkowski 2). The economic impact was also directly felt by the American families during the course of the World War II. It is during this period that the economic depression hit America more than during any other period in history, with a great need for resource spending by the government, yet there was a shortage of such resources, since as the article by Institute of Economics and Peace observes, further “…the government spending dominated…” (7). The consequence was that the government had to increase its taxation on the people, which meant little income for the families (Institute of Economics and Peace, 5). Despite the fact that the occurrence of the World War II acted as a platform through which more jobs were created and the unemployment fall to its all time low, the problem is that such gains were eroded by the increased taxation from the government. It is not only women who were involved in new job acquisitions, but also the teenagers, who needed to work in order to support their families, especially those that were left with single parents. Therefore, many states were forced to change their labor and employment laws, to create an avenue through which the teenage would be allowed to work in industries and other temporary jobs (Bryant, 79). The cost of the war had to paid by the families, which no doubt suffered the impact of the government involvement in the war, where “Other government agencies controlled discretionary spending through new income taxes and constant appeals to buy War bonds” (Witkowski 5). Nevertheless, certain positive gains were made out of this occurrence, considering that the occurrence of the World War II forced the federal government to engage further on the issue of labor and employment laws, emerging with one of the fundamental law that has defined the nature of employment in America (Bryant 21). For the first time in history of America, an executive order was issued in the form of Fair Employment Practices, requiring that the employment in government, the industries or the defense should not discriminate against employees on the basis of their race, religion, national origin or creed (Bryant, 72). Consequently, the employment levels increased; with a majority of the newly employed being the minorities and the Black Americans who were discriminated in the labor market (Institute of Economics and Peace 7). Conclusion The World War II is a major occurrence that greatly impacted on family structure of the American society. The war brought about both positive and negative changes in the family systems in America, as well as in the overall social, legal and economic systems. While new and unique aspects such as having more than one father in a family, teenage and women labor were introduced, there were further economic strains on the American families introduced through increased government taxation. The restriction on demands to the economy also characterized the changes introduced by the occurrence of the war, with the government aiming at encouraging home and family based production of consumables, to release the high demand on the industries and the economy at large. However, the notable positive changes that the occurrence of the war brought about is that; women gained recognition and respect as a vital part of the society, while other legal reforms were introduced to allow the minority participate actively in economic building, while ending discrimination. Thus, the World War II occurrence has significantly shaped the American family and social system. Works Cited Bryant, Joyce. How War Changed the Role of Women in the United States. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, 2013. Print. Harper, Marilyn. World War II and the American Home Front. New York: National Park Services, 2007. Print. Herwing, Miriam. “A Mim’s Eye View of the Heart of Vermont.” 2012. Web. . Institute of Economics and Peace. “Economics Consequences of War on the US Economy.” 2011. Web. . Lamana, Ann and Agnes Riedmann. Marriages & Families: Making Choices in a Diverse  Society. Belmont, Calif: Thomson, 2009. Print. Witkowski, Terrence. The American Consumer Home Front during World War II", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 25, eds. Joseph W. Alba & J. Wesley Hutchinson, Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research,1998. Print. Read More