Antifemininity - Four Futures

The pamphlet Four Futures illustrated four possible career paths for women - the nursing profession, the dietetic profession, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. The pamphlet added, near the very end, that all of these paths can be pursued through military service. The text stated that women, “…want security – and one based on your own self-sufficiency, when that is called for. And, of course, they probably want a husband – a home – and a family.”^{[^]} The pamphlet does not specify when self-sufficiency may be called for. This phrasing seems to place the husband, home, and family as the primary avenue for security, with job skills and a career only being used secondarily, “when called for.” The pamphlet generally supported the idea of women working, and even the idea that a woman could desire both a job and a family, but the occupations were framed as being directly supportive of men’s efforts.

After showing the various jobs available in the armed forces, all of which offered services to male GIs, the pamphlet added, “Perhaps the greatest satisfaction of all will be the knowledge that because of you, many of our nation’s finest men have been returned to civilian life with their health maintained, restored, or greatly improved, and are self-supporting, self-respecting, useful American citizens.”^{[^]} Rather than asking women to directly serve their country, it framed their role as serving the men who serve the country. This separation of gender roles means that anything perceived as advancing the nation can be seen as a masculine endeavor, in opposition to feminine support service. Through this language, the men were depicted as the primary American citizens, the ones who were most important to the nation’s well-being. Women, on the other hand, offered their support to the men.

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