How did the Cold War affect notions of what an American family should be? Why do you think the middle-class family home became idealized during this period?

How did the Cold War affect notions of what an American family should be? Why do you think the middle-class family home became idealized during this period? Why do you think Joseph McCarthy rose to such prominence during the cold war, what did he represent, and what were the effects of McCarthyism in American society?
These are examples of the way the professor would like you to cite (McPherson article, pg. 26) (Lecture Lesson Module Two, The American West) (Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois on Black Progress). Source 1: http://www.americanyawp.com/text/25-the-cold-war/