'DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES' AND THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT IN POST-WAR BRITAIN: INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVES

This article examines the recollections of middle-class British housewives who experienced symptoms of neurosis, anxiety or depression during the post Second World War period. It specifically addresses the claim made by feminist commentators, that the banality and stultification of the domestic role caused mental illness in women. The oral testimonies suggest that, in many cases, housewives of the 1950s and 1960s found contentment in their role, identifying instead problematic interpersonal relationships or trauma during childhood as the cause of their symptoms. The article argues that the causes of anxiety and depression were more complex than has previously been suggested and seeks to provide a more sophisticated analysis of women's experience.