I am speaking as an American woman when I address the cultural edicts of the time which prevailed. It was not unusual for women to establish a sense of civility and decorum as they moved from the rough and tumble period of great immigration waves to perhaps a second or third generation of Americans. This brought about a need to conform to an expection of "proper" behavior. Role behavior was significant from a social norm and imperative as an economic norm. The behavior sighted in Rick's entre speaks solely to that. I do believe women were unaware of their potential in large number, and were struggling in the post-WWII era to define their role. Economics are, to my way of thinking, the driver to modern roles.

Ellen