1980s Gender Roles

Between the late 1980s and the new century, American society changed in several drastic ways. With computers and computers and the internet becoming more widespread new doors opened for business, students, medical fields, and other industries. The common perception of marriage was being questioned. Gender roles in marriage were shifting as well as the percentage of those getting married and having children. Debate over the pros and cons of immigrations and the changes in environment sprung up.
American business and schooling changed with the gaining popularity of the internet. The percentages of marriages decreased as did the number of married couples with children. Same-sex marriages faced some opposition early on, but were eventually deemed legal nationwide. As the number of immigrants continued to increase, there were concerns as to the effects of immigration on the economy and nation as a whole. There was also concern for the amount of pollution being created and global warming.
“First introduced in the 1980s, by the late 1990s millions of Americans spent hours a day at work or home typing on personal computers (Keene, 892).” Computers became an important industry in the
“By 1998, 47 percent of American families lived in non-married households, both with and without children, compared to 26 percent in 1972 (Keene, 893).” The majority of couples both worked outside of the home by the turn of the century challenging the traditional family dynamic and gender roles (Keene, 893). While some wanted a return to more traditional marriage, Liberals applauded this change. At this point, even many Liberal Democrats still opposed same-sex marriage. “While many Americans were willing to tolerate same-sex couples living together, people on both ends of the political spectrum drew the line at same-sex marriages (Keene, 893).” It wouldn’t be until 2015 that gay marriages were legal in all of the