Module 3: Suburbia

After World War II, millions of American families moved to the newly developed suburbs, marking a significant shift in the nation's social landscape. Suburbia became the idealized setting for a new American Dream, characterized by a house with a white picket fence, a stable job, and a growing family. For many women, this period was defined by a return to traditional gender norms, as they were expected to prioritize domesticity and motherhood. The post-war era promoted a vision of women as homemakers, where their primary role was to care for their husbands, children, and homes. This shift was partly fueled by the prosperity of the era, as the booming economy allowed many men to become the sole breadwinners, which, in turn, placed women in a position where they were financially reliant on their husbands.

While many women embraced the ideal of suburban domesticity, the reality of this lifestyle often left them feeling isolated and unfulfilled. The rise of suburban communities meant that women were often physically distant from extended family and friends, contributing to a sense of loneliness. Women were expected to derive satisfaction from their roles as wives and mothers, but many found themselves struggling with the limitations of their daily routines. The societal pressure to be the perfect housewife and mother left little room for personal aspirations, and this tension created what Betty Friedan famously described as "the problem with no name." Women were increasingly aware that the idealized suburban life did not fulfill all their emotional and intellectual needs, but they lacked the vocabulary or support to express these feelings.

As the 1950s progressed, the contradictions of suburban life became more apparent. While women had access to consumer goods and a standard of living that had been previously unimaginable, many were also increasingly dissatisfied with their limited roles. The ideal of the perfect suburban mother and wife was reinforced in media and advertising, but this image failed to address the complexities of women's desires and identities. The frustration and sense of isolation that many women felt in suburban America laid the groundwork for the feminist movements of the 1960s and beyond, as women began to seek new avenues for self-expression and equality, challenging the rigid gender norms that had defined their roles in post-WWII society.