American Society on Change in the Postwar After World War II, Americans experienced a period of rapid social change. American soldiers were discharged and returned from the battlefields, hoping to find work and get their lives back on track. The marriage rate increased significantly after the war. The North American population experienced what is known as the “baby boom” – an 18-year period of rapid population growth, from 1946 to 1964. During this period, many more children were born than the same period before or after. During the postwar years, the United States embarked on one of its greatest periods of economic expansion. Many Americans experienced economic prosperity. However, the United States has changed since 1950. American society today is different from our grandparents' generation. Rising divorce rates, population growth in the suburbs, and the lives of women and mothers working outside the home have marked enormous social changes in American society today. First of all, America has the highest divorce rate among Western countries. The divorce rate increased after every major war and declined during the economic boom following World War II. The divorce rate has more than doubled since 1940, when there were two divorces per 1,000 people. However, for the same number of people, there are more than five divorces. Studies indicate that divorces are more common among people with low income and less education and among those who marry very young. Teenage marriages are much more likely to end in divorce than all other marriages. And women who marry after age 30 are the least likely to divorce. There has been a decline in the number of divorces in the number of couples with children under the age of 18. Nearly 45 p...... middle of paper ......ct religious rules and reduced prejudice against divorced people have made it easier for divorced people. people to end unhappy marriages. The suburban population exploded, fueled by a growing economy, city residents moved to the suburbs to realize their dreams of homeownership and to escape crime and traffic congestion. Employment outside the home has made a big difference in the lives of American women and mothers, giving them self-confidence and economic independence. All the facts mentioned above indicate that American society has changed. Work cited “Baby Boom”. - Overviews of AP US History topics. Np, and Web. February 18, 2014. “Children's Futures, Princeton - Brookings: Providing research and analysis to promote effective policies and programs for children. » - The future of children -. Np, and Web. February 17, 2014.PBS. PBS and Web. February 18. 2014.