r of an individuals world. Both husband and wife were expected to be much more in tune with each other and their children. The emphasis on the family as the source of all satisfaction in life made the 1950s nuclear family a new invention in Americas history.In the fifties people were aware that the nuclear definition of the family was new. After the hardships of the Great Depression and World War II, Americans were eager to embrace a new type of family life. During these difficult times, families were forced more than ever to rely on extended kin. Extended families had always been prevalent in America. These frugal times understandably led to tension between extended families living together under the same roof. In Postwar America, therefore, the nuclear family was hailed as modern. Returning war veterans were encouraged to marry. Society now advocated women to leave their war time factory jobs for domesticity. The government subsidized housing to make up for the housing-crunch caused by the disruptions of the depression and war. Families could get homes with modern appliances, individual bedrooms, garages, and lawns for as little a $6,000. The suburban boom was born. People married at a younger age as prosperity and government aid allowed them to establish themselves more easily. American Postwar prosperity was expressed through the family in the suburbs.The nuclear family aimed not only to escape past economic anxiety caused by the Great Depression and World War II, but it combated fears of the future as well. The atomic age fostered in a real fear of the outside world. The United States emerged from World War II as the most powerful country in the world only to have a constant enemy competing for power and dominationRussia. The home was seen as the only secure place in a chaotic world. With the Cold War and atomic age in full force, the family provided stability in unstable world. Children provided hope in a dangerous world. Family...
