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Gender roles have changed immensely in the United States throughout the last century, especially within society. Men and women were viewed differently back in the sass as two separate genders and having two separate roles to live by as compared to men and women in the 21st century. Women in the early sass were expected to stay home to cater for her husband’s needs while they went to work, or in most homes, were away to serve at war. Men had all the privileges women could not have or do.
Women did not have the right to vote, limited rights to property and ivories; it was as if men and women were living segregated lives as black and white people lived. Living in a home of double standards, I disagree with the idea of patriarchy, I find it unjust for the woman being unable to have a say in matrimonial decisions or in any relationship. The evolution of marriage has made the relationship between husband and wife more unified than it has before. Spouses have learned to make decisions together and become more understanding of each other.
Marriage would not become like this if women had not taken action and joined the labor force or learned to defend for themselves. How exactly did the roles of genders begin to exist? Some claim that the roles men and women play date back to biblical times. Everyone knows the story of Adam and Eve, but how did Adam become the person between the two to have such a dominant personality? The biblical story of Eve eating the forbidden fruit has caused her to carry the burdens and consequences of a woman for performing such a sin. The consequences she and the rest of the women in the world must bear her own child and be under male authority.
It saddens me to see how degraded women used to be and how little they ere perceived to be. Church Father SST. Clement of Alexandria made a statement I found extremely offensive and degrading by saying, “Every woman should be filled with shame with the thought of being a woman,” hearing this makes me feel as if I am unworthy of existence. Based on this theory, I see many households that observe religion live this lifestyle as having the man as the head of the home while the woman and children abide under his rules. Women knew there was a different way of living and so they strives for independence.
Women of America felt Just as equal s the men and so they started reforming their reputation as women with the Feminist Movement, also known as the Women’s Movement or Liberation. This movement was a collection of campaigns and reforms dealing with the issues of maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual violence and harassment, and reproductive rights all of which are classified as feminism. One of the most significant feminist reformations was the strife for equal voting rights beginning in 1848 with the first women’s right convention in Seneca Falls, New York formally recognized as the Seneca Falls Convention.
As a result, 32 men and 68 women signed the Declaration of Sentiments, drafted by Elizabeth Caddy Stanton, in hopes to achieving equality with men before the law, in education and employment and women’s voting rights. With the help of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Caddy Stanton, the National Woman Suffrage Association was formed twenty years later from the convention. The fight for women’s suffrage took flight from there; state vote. In response to all the actions that Susan B.
Anthony and the National American Woman Suffrage Association made they eventually earned their right to vote on August 18, 1920. It may have taken 72 years to make this happen, but it was worth it. Earning equal voting rights was a great way to kick off women’s independence however, some women had other ideas in mind of retaining that quality. They found ways to express themselves so they learned to explore sexually with themselves and men in sass. This movement was known as the sexual revolution where sex outside of heterosexuality and marriage was becoming accepted amongst men and women.
Sexual liberation originally started amidst college-hippies and gradually spread out to the rest of America, this was caused by women’s change and curiosity of sexuality ND the freedom for sexual expression. With people exploring sexual preferences, the birth of the lesbian and gay movement was created along with other outcomes of the sexual revolution. In conclusion, the revolution gave people two ways of viewing sexuality; first was giving the image of effort in sexual research and overture with birth control.
The other side of sexual revolution was seen by the men and women, whose behaviors were out of line, expressed their sexual desires through media and sold their bodies by means of pornography. How did people manage to prevent recreation during the sexual revolution? Some did not do anything and let nature take its course thus the time “baby-boomers” came to exist. Others did not want to take the risk of conception happening so they became dependent of the birth control pill or “the pill” for short.
The birth control pill was claimed to be the reason for the start of the sexual revolution. The act of having sex now is not seen as such a big deal as it was in the sass, everyone is doing it and birth control is saving their lives. Some women have other excuses for the use of the pill such as acne control, but I egg to differ. The birth control pill was a device conservatives feared of, they knew that using the pill women were able to control their menstruation and fertility hence single and married women could have sex whenever they pleased.
America’s conception of double standards makes it unfair for single men to have sex with whomever and single women are frowned upon if they do. The pill may have given women freedom for bearing any children, but it did cause health risks that were brought up to the Senate. Feminists viewed the contraceptive as a method for men to manipulate the lives of women. Questions began to run through the thoughts of feminists which included: Why should birth control be a female responsibility? Why do men control the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry?
Feminists attested against the status quo of science and medicine refusing to be apathetic contributors in health care and gained changes in the American health care system. Birth control may have saved some women the risk of pregnancy, but it did not save all of them. Women that became mothers had different views on child-rearing or parenting. Parenting styles of the modern age do not compare to the styles in the sass, families live in different situations and environments therefore styles for the upbringing of a child vary. In the sass mothers cared for their children to meet the means of living.
For example, the sass was the era of the Great Depression, the physicality of the children was what was focused on when raising them during that time period. Survival was critical for everyone living in the Depression years, with being able to have a meal and stay healthy. The style of scientific child rearing fascinated the middle class, an online article about scientific child rearing claims hat, “faulty child rearing could lead to criminality and psychological disease. ” This statement is valid to my belief because a child’s personality simply reflects upon the people he or she has encountered and grown up with.
Parenting in the modern age has evolved from the styles of the sass. Children are taught and grown to be more independent of them however; children today have developed a little backbone within themselves. They are learning ways of doing things from different standpoint that meets their wants and needs. Today’s generation of children are seeing life in a ore independent and rebellious point of view, compared to children of the sass who grew up to be obedient and did not question any parents’ reason for doing things.
Another big gender switch that was made in the sass was seeing women in the workplace. During the Industrial Revolution women were hired to work under middle and higher classes because they were worth cheaper pay than a man would be. More Job offers for women were opening and giving them opportunities and lives outside of the home. Women were needed most during World War II by being offered Jobs while men were on duty at war. I give much respect to the women who maintain Jobs while raising a family.
Coming from a conservative family, my parents always pushed aside the idea of me working in high school and in college so I have not been able to have that work experience like others do or as my brother did. I could only imagine how much effort and dedication there is for a woman to Juggle working and taking care off family which is really tough. Surprisingly men were supportive of women working outside of the home, but overall they preferred for them to take care of their children. Gender roles have changed by a great amount and they continue to change up to this day.