[Jackie07]

My Father-in-law lost his father during the depression era when Father-in-law was only 11. There were nine kids total in the family and he's the third from the youngest. His mother (hubby's grandmom) raised all the children (except a couple of the older ones who'd already married and left home) by herself - the whole family worked togather as share-croppers.

My Sister-in-law is the only one of the three siblings that was old enough to remember well about 'Nana' who had had a nervous breakdown during World War II when 4 of her sons were sent to the battle fields(a situation very much like what's depicted in 'Saving Private Ryan' except that all of her sons made it back home -one had died prematurely several years after the War because of a lung injury incurred in a battle. And a younger son later went to the Korean War and made it back) and seemed to have passed down some kind of 'depression' genes to her son, her grand daughter and a great-grand daughter (could it be a 'learned-behavior'? Her two brothers didn't seem to be affected that much.)

Oliver Roberts S. had remained a widow untill she passed away in her 70's.

I often hear my Father-in-law stating (especially after he'd prepared a nice meal): "This is how 'Mama' made the [Swiss steak, cabbage...etc.]..." Father-in-law does not believe in the 'depression' gene theory. He thinks anyone in the same situation would have 'lost it'.

I think there is a biological difference between men and women. Although anthropoligists did find a few small, isolated ethnic groups that were dominated by female members - so it shows the 'cultural' influence on the so-called 'human nature'.