<P> The New Deal's record came under attack by New Left historians in the 1960s for its pusillanimity in not attacking capitalism more vigorously, nor helping blacks achieve equality . The critics emphasize the absence of a philosophy of reform to explain the failure of New Dealers to attack fundamental social problems . They demonstrate the New Deal's commitment to save capitalism and its refusal to strip away private property . They detect a remoteness from the people and indifference to participatory democracy and call instead for more emphasis on conflict and exploitation . </P> <P> At first, the New Deal created programs primarily for men as it was assumed that the husband was the "breadwinner" (the provider) and if they had jobs the whole families would benefit . It was the social norm for women to give up jobs when they married--in many states there were laws that prevented both husband and wife holding regular jobs with the government . So too in the relief world, it was rare for both husband and wife to have a relief job on FERA or the WPA . This prevailing social norm of the breadwinner failed to take into account the numerous households headed by women, but it soon became clear that the government needed to help women as well . </P> <P> Many women were employed on FERA projects run by the states with federal funds . The first New Deal program to directly assist women was the Works Progress Administration (WPA), begun in 1935 . It hired single women, widows, or women with disabled or absent husbands . The WPA employed about 500,000 women and they were assigned mostly to unskilled jobs . 295,000 worked on sewing projects that made 300 million items of clothing and bedding to be given away to families on relief and to hospitals and orphanages . Women also were hired for the WPA's school lunch program . Both men and women were hired for the small but highly publicized arts programs (such as music, theater and writing). </P> <P> The Social Security program was designed to help retired workers and widows, but did not include domestic workers, farmers or farm laborers, the jobs most often held by blacks . However, Social Security was not a relief program and it was not designed for short - term needs, as very few people received benefits before 1942 . </P>

Main components of the new deal financial system