Americanwomenexperienceagreatvarietyoflifestyle.AtypicalAmericanwomanmaybesingle.Shemayalsobedivorcedormarried.Shemaybeahomemaker,adoctororafactoryworker.ItisverydifficulttogeneralizeaboutAmericanwomen.However,onethingthatmanyAmericanwomenhaveincommonistheirattitudesaboutthemselvesandtheirrolesinAmericanlife.
Historically,Americanwomenhavealwaysbeenveryindependent.ThefirstsettlerstocometoNewEnglandweretenyoungcouplesthathadleftbehindtheirextendedfamilies.Thewomenwerealoneinanew,undevelopedcountrywiththeirhusbands.Thishastwoimportanteffects.Firstofall,thiswastheuncivilizedenvironmentthatdemandedeverypersontoshareindevelopingitandinsurvival.Womenworkedwiththeirhusbandsandchildrentomakethemselvesacceptedinthisnewland.Second,becausetheywereinanewlandwithouttheestablishedinfluenceofoldermembersofsociety,womenfeltfreetostepintonon—traditionalroles.
ThisroleofwomenwasstrengthenedinlateryearsasAmericansmovewestagain,leavingfamiliesbehindandmeetinganewenvironment.Evenlater,intheeast,asnewsettlersarrived,womenoftenfoundjobsmoreeasilythanmen.Womenbecamethesupportersofthefamily.
Withintheestablishedlifestyleoftheindustrializedtwentiethcentury,thestrongroleofwomenwasnotattractiveasintheearlydaysofthecountry.Somewomensteppedintothemen’sjobsasfactoryandbusinessworkers.Afterthewar,somewomenstayedinthesepositions,andotherslefttheirjobswithanewsenseofability.
小题1:AtypicalAmericanwomanis______________.