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Gender And Gender Role In The Military

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Gender refers to the social expectations regarding behavior seen as appropriate for the members of each sex. Gender does not refer to the physical attributes which differentiate male and female, but to socially formed traits of masculinity and femininity (Giddens 2006: 1017). Societies around the world have shaped gender and gender roles by social factors that are related to power and status in these societies. Many people are socialized into gender roles by society's social institutions such as the family, school, the media and even the military. The question of social acceptance has always been faced when it comes to gender integration in the military, whether society can accept how women will be treated and respected in the military.
Following history to the birth of our nation, the story of America's military woman can be traced. Since the American Revolution women have fought every major battle alongside men in the United States Military where women served informally as cooks, seamstresses, nurses, spies and were subject to Army's rule of Conduct. Though these women were not in uniform like men, they shared soldier's hardships, including inadequate housing and little compensation. According to Warriors for Freedom, "women have formally been part of the U.S Armed Forces since the Inception of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901. In 1973 the transition to the All-Volunteer Force marked a dramatic increase in the opportunities available for women to serve in the military."

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