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Era Presentation Recap

During the Era Presentations, an event that carried over through a couple decades was World War II, starting in the 1940s.  Men were sent off to war, so women were forced to become the breadwinners of families and make a living for themselves.  If women did not get a job in this time period, it definitely sparked a movement of women entering the workforce shortly after.  WWII created an increased need for OT to tend to injured soldiers and veterans trying to participate in civilian life after war.  This opened up many job opportunities to women, and kickstarted the growth of OT.  It was needed then more than ever.  Soldiers needed to regain strength and mobility to be able to fight for our country, and veterans needed to overcome mental illnesses or other physical limitations to participate in life after war.  OT thrived in these years, and the country needed more practitioners to keep up with the demand.  More and more OT programs were developed in the US in years after the war.  It is crazy that something so good could be a direct effect of something so bad.  The war might have been the best thing that could happen to the field of OT because it became very relevant very fast.  It helped OT make a name for itself and has continued to grow ever since.

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