In the years prior to the Vietnam War, traditional roles existed for men and women. The men worked; the women took care of the house and children. For young people during that era, marriage was a given and they knew exactly what they would be doing for a living-the men worked like their fathers and the women followed their mothers' places in the home. The Vietnam War changed that concept for the first time in history. As men went off to war, their wives, daughters and sisters worked in their places at factories, steel mills, chemical plants, assembly lines and the like. Women helped put together artillary for their loved ones serving in the War. Women were finally looked upon as productive individuals, capable of working in a "man's world."

When the soldiers came home one by one, the entire United States had changed. A consciousness was arising in women and young people. Everyone wanted more rights and freedoms. Women were not yet accepted into the male workplace, but fought for their right to work along side men. Both men and women were more in tune with themselves than in any other time prior to the war. They knew what they wanted and motivated themselves to reach their goals. For women, one of these goals was autonomy: "Let me make my own career and run my own fife."

As more women went to college and entered the working world, families broke up. Men were distraught that their wives wanted their own jobs and wanted their husbands to help at home. She was no longer content to clean the house and stay "barefoot and pregnant." Her job was not to be a baby factory. So she made a new life for herself, often at the cost of losing her family.

Over the last two decades the traditional roles have been lost almost, but not quite, completely. Circumstances often forced women to work, such as the death of a husband, father, etc. More women have had to support themselves and a family-that meant going to work and coming home to take care of the home and children.

Today there are probably an equal number of women and men in the workplace. Women may not be accepted there, but they are there all the same. Men say that there will never be a woman President and they are probably right. Women have not been that accepted yet, although many politicians, mayors, congressmen and intelligence agents are women. Men no longer expect a woman to just do the housework and watch the children. In fact many men now want an independent wife and mother for themselves and their children.