It is misleading to think of the role of women in American society as a steadily improving one. The status and function of women have fluctuated since colonial times and the trend has not always been upward. Although there is no denying that twentieth-century women find their position in the United States considerably improved over that of their colonial ancestors from a legal, political and material point of view, these gains have to be balanced against the deterioration in their status as respected human beings, their opportunities for meaningful economic activity, and their psychic well-being. In other words, there have been times in the past when American women performed many activities essential to the survival of their families, other than those connected with childrearing and when they were less restricted by sex stereotyping in job opportunities outside the home.