1930s: Divorce is still illegal in many Catholic European countries, and even where it is legal it is extremely rare.

1990s: Approximately half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, and divorce is common even in such Catholic nations as Italy— where it became legal only a few years ago.

1930s: The "traditional family model" of a husband working and a wife taking care of the house is quite common, especially among middle-class families.

1990s: Middle-class wives are extremely likely to have a college education and to work outside of the home. In American society as a whole, most families see both parents working outside the home.

1930s: Feminism and women's roles in social and political causes surge during the years of the depression. Thanks to New Deal programs and both Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt crusading for women's issues...