Documentation on the cultural norms within the unified Prussia-Germany province has become a rarity due to Prussia’s downfall in World War I. The territory was then claimed under a German flag and subject to their new political structure. At the time, the Nazi Party held the most influential power due to the appeal of militaristic strength in light of recent conflict. By the close of World War II, nearly a century of records from the late Prussia were either destroyed or lost (Mombaeur, 2001). Due to these unfortunate events, any mention of trends and standards during Maria Mayer’s upbringing are inferential and cannot accurately be applied to any specific demographic.
Her scientific career began in the United States during the Great Depression. Mayer was privileged to have been largely unaffected by the economic struggles that plagued the nation. The lifestyle for a majority of the United States declined vastly in response to the destabilized economic conditions. This particular fluctuation was engrossed due to the application of the same economic regulations for both financial institutions, such as banks, and generic profit-driven businesses. This ensured that the breadth of any fluctuation in the global economy would extend to a consumer level unfiltered. The result caused both business and consumer withdrawal from the markets, crippling the recovery rate. American families were forced to ration their spending due to the artificially high inflation rate, which, in turn, cutoff essential resources required by a healthy workforce (Bernanke, 1983).
After struggling through the recursive struggles in the Depression, social trends began restarting campaigns in support of progressive equal rights. Part of this campaign included creating a fair and honest employment selection process by imposing regulations against possible cases of nepotism. Maria Mayer experienced the result of this ruling first hand and her marriage to her colleague Joseph Mayer in 1930. Joseph Mayer had a preexisting employment at John Hopkins University, which meant that any opportunities for Maria were restricted (Sachs, 1979).
