Gender Role

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Gender role is a set of expectations set forth by society about the ways in which men and women are “supposed” to behave based on their gender. In the Era of which we live, the expectations are closer than ever to being distinct. Many people of my generation, and younger, may not completely understand this question, due to the fact that it is almost the norm to see single parent homes and to have both parents working full time. The stay at home mother is almost a thing of the past. In some situations the “gender role” has been completely switched, with the father being the stay at home parent. This concept is completely foreign to most elderly citizens such as our grandparents. If you look back at history, the father was the breadwinner and the mother stayed home to care for the children, which families back then were much larger. You may be pondering, what events in history lead to such a dramatic change in the family schematics? Well, we are going to delve into this lengthy controversial and revolutionary historic cultivation. First I am going to touch on a few historic events that altered the typical American family, followed by a few waves of the feminist movement, as well as some revolutionizing amendments to the Constitution yielding more rights to females which ultimately altered the workplace as well as the family.

During the colonial times, all of the legal rights were granted to men, leaving women to be looked at as sub-sets to their husbands. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century women were portrayed as being weak and delicate, unable to fend for anyone, not even themselves. Men were looked to in handling intellectual matters and all physical work, which in turn placed the women in a so-called “inferior” ...

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...icture perfect family schematics. There is such a diversification within this melting pot of a country that we live in that, with the early workings of Women’s rights activists, amendments to the constitution, and the multitude of nationalities, that the normal “gender roles” are a complete thing of the pass. I, along with my three siblings, were raised by my Mother, who took on both roles. It is completely normal for you to see this now a day, being that the divorce rate is approximately fifty percent. I think it is quite astonishing, and magnificent, to see women leaders in the work force and throughout our government. It goes to show how our country has evolved and is getting closer and closer to complete equality.

Works Cited

Karen, O'Connor. Essentials of American Government Roots and Reform. 2009 Edition. New York: Longman, 2009. 150-155. Print.

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