1940-1959
From 1940 to 1959, articles in the New York Times often dealt with women’s roles in the context of WWII and post-war America. Within this period, linguistic trends predominantly show terms related to the home and the workplace as gender roles were being redefined. Looking at the context surrounding terms related to these topics (housewife, husband, children, vs. career, college, office, jobs), we can see anxieties surrounding women moving away from the patriarchal restrictions of the private sphere and into the public. Opinions within the debate varied, but the majority of articles focused on this issue first and foremost.
By looking at the linguistic trends of New York Times articles
as visualized in the Voyant link below, we are able to under-
stand the topics of cultural interest surrounding women
before the introduction of second wave feminism in the
1960s, and the sexual revolution of the 1970s.
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Analysis of articles from 1940-1959 in Voyant
