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In an introduction to the essays in this collection (see abstracts of related articles), the concept of WWII as the last "good war" is challenged, & it is argued that its effects on US society were complex & paradoxical: the experience of war was unifying, but also raised points of conflict. The essays emphasize how WWII was a major turning point in US culture, focusing on the effects of the war on national identity & consciousness, demographic subgroup, & gender roles. WWII is characterized as a transition from the New Deal paradigm of society to one derived from the war itself. WWII reinforced the New Deal conception of the US as a pluralistic society, but also suppressed class distinctions & grievances. 1 Figure. J. Ferrari

During WWII, women were encouraged to join the workforce in the US as men left jobs to join the armed forces. However, it is argued that traditional gender ideology kept women from fully embracing ideals of women's rights & employment as they identified themselves not just as workers, but also as wives, mothers, & girlfriends of absent men. The greatest social & economic freedoms women experienced during WWII were viewed as emergency measures only, not as a shift in societal mores. The dislocations of the war resulted in the desire for a return to domesticity & "normality" in the postwar period, reaffirming women's traditional roles as homemakers & mothers. J. Ferrari

The experience of American Indians in the US during & after WWII is explored through a reading of two narratives: N. Scott Momaday's House Made of Dawn (1968), & Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony (1977). It is argued that American Indians expected that their participation in WWII would result in greater acceptance in US society; however, these expectations proved false. Whereas American Indian veterans hoped for cultural autonomy & justice in US as well as tribal society, veterans were not accepted in the larger society, & many found it difficult to reassimilate into tribal culture. Further, through loss of life & weakened tribal ties among American Indian servicemen, the assimilation of American Indian culture was accelerated, & tribal stability was undermined. J. Ferrari

Pre-WWII Richmond, CA, included a small African American community numbering less than 300 in 1940. However, the construction of four shipyards in that year brought an influx of African American workers, & the black population reached 5,000 in 1943. The experience of these workers & the transformation of Richmond's African American community during WWII are recounted through an examination of the city's blues music clubs. African Americans from the southern US brought their culture & traditions with them, including blues music. More than social gathering places, these clubs provided assistance to black immigrants & community members & are seen as examples of spaces in which African Americans could control white access, rather than vice versa. The effects of postwar social & cultural changes on Richmond's blues are also discussed. J. Ferrari

The incorporation of swing music into WWII morale efforts in the US is examined, & swing music is conceptualized as an embodiment of what US soldiers were fighting for. Swing bandleader Glenn Miller, who joined the US Army Air Corps during WWII, used jazz music to glorify an idealized home front representing the American dream. Miller's approach to swing music & his blending of swing & romantic melodies are discussed. Miller explicitly attempted to fuse the big city & small town in his bands by including ethnic musicians; however, African Americans were excluded from the vision of an ethnic US represented by Miller's musicians. During the dislocations of the war, Miller's music expressed the possibilities of domestic happiness & romantic love in the postwar world. 2 Figures. J. Ferrari

It is argued that WWII profoundly transformed US liberalism. A demographic shift occurred in which African Americans moved from the rural South to the urban North & increased their visibility in society. The inclusion of women in the workforce increased their public visibility, as well, & traditional gender roles were questioned, albeit hesitantly. The economic activity of WWII also ended the Great Depression & restored faith in capitalism, disproving the notion that the US economy had reached its full potential. At the same time, a fear of the state & the people or the masses developed, fueled by the writings of liberal intellectuals. The US victory also promoted a faith in the country's ability to rebuild itself, which led to liberal efforts to combat social & racial injustice & poverty that continue to the present day. J. Ferrari