Kōrero: Housing

For most of the 20th century the stay-at-home mother was an emblem of the 'separate spheres' ideal. While many mothers were happy with their lot, by the 1960s a growing number were not. This was particularly true in new suburbs on city fringes, which often lacked the social amenities and diversity of older communities. Some women found mothering a burden and felt trapped in their homes – a condition sometimes called suburban neurosis. In this 1971 film clip a young Wellington mother expresses a longing for adult company and the stimulation of paid work.