The issue of working mothers was brought up in another thread so I wanted to expand on it here.
Since the 50s, the trend in this nation has been for women to re-enter the workforce after the start of family life. Maternity leave is standard, but provides no more than a few months of child-care by the mother. After that, more often than not, the mothers are returning to work.
Many will credit this to the social changes of the 60s, many others will credit practicality and need. I tend to agree with the latter.
But has this harmed the fabric of the American home?
Of the levels of problems faced by this nation, I don't see this as one of the inciting factors. So long as the family unit does not fall victim to the common spectres of divorce, infidelity, substance abuse or illness, I think that having both parents earning a living does not degrade family structure. Absentee parenting has long been, and will likely long remain more or less standard in most developed nations. And with modern technology and the ability to very effectively work from home, I think this factor becomes ever more minor in the grand scheme of things.
Thoughts?