One of the most underreported but striking aspects of these years occurred within the structure of the family itself. David Elkind, in his book Ties That Stress: The New Family Imbalance, argues that during the post—World War II era of American family life, men enjoyed stable, routinized family lives; children and adolescents were nurtured and cared for; and women experienced a disproportionate burden of expectations, roles, and responsibilities. As the culture virtually dismantled previously rigid