Three Themes In The Three Symbols Of Women's Roles

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Recommended: Change in the role of women over the last 30 years

The house has at times been a symbol of women’s roles, between 1944 and 1982 the relationship women had with the house changed. This relationship change is indicative of the changing times and the role women played in the house, in the family, and in society. The influence that I believe initiated these changes fall into three themes: 1. The marriage relationship and outside paid work, 2. Education and its impact on femininity, and 3. Technology and its impact on domesticity. The three themes address issues that women navigated as society changed as their roles in the home and outside of the home changed. I will briefly address each theme and then delve into the relationship between marriage and work outside of the home.
The three themes transverse the political, social, and economic spheres affecting gender roles. In the first theme, I contemplate the motivation for marriage shifting with some women finding security, …show more content…

The passing of the 1963 Equal Pay Act by President John F. Kennedy was to eradicate pay inequality (Sanbonmatsu, 2002). The 1974 Equal Opportunity Credit Act gave women access to credit. Opportunities for independence came from women being breadwinners and receiving a higher income. As a result, women gained a stronger voice in their lives and within society. These acts created an environment where women used their abilities to create stability and security.
In the three themes, I explore the idea of femininity and identify the advancements made. In the Victorian Era, women achieved homeownership through marriage. As a woman, identity was framed as a housewife. Described in The Feminine Mystique (2001) women expressed a feeling of emptiness, showcasing the need for change. Divorce, careers outside of the home, and politics all contributed to women being more than a wife and given access to more opportunities and

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