Gender Roles Throughout History

People view men as strong and good willing while people view women as weak and insecure. Only men can work because they are smarter and have an education unlike women. Since women do not have well paid jobs, they must cook food and clean the house .The men pay the taxes and go to work while the women do housework. It is an equal share of work.

Men and women have always been unequal, and it has always been an issue of women wanting to be equal, and men wanting to be superior. Maybe in other countries across the globe they are more equal, but in America they are not as equal and women want them to be. Women are portrayed as the ones that are supposed to stay home and take care of the kids and cook and clean the house all the time. Men are supposed to be the workers of the family and they are not supposed to be the ones that cook the meals or clean the home. The man is supposed to be the worker, the woman is supposed to be the housewife, and women are supposed to give birth to kids

Since the beginning of time women were never treated as equals to men. Men have always been seen as stronger and the providers for their families. Women are often viewed as the nurturers and caregivers for their family. Women’s role in society has always been to make sure that everyone is happy and healthy while, men go out and work to make sure that women have the necessities they need to keep everyone happy.

The roles of women today are somewhat different and somewhat similar. Women get up and go to their jobs or school and still take care of the children. Most women have to cook dinner, wash clothes, clean the house, help pay the bills, and anything else that the man doesn’t want to do. I must say that times have changed a lot. Men are actually cooking and cleaning to help the women with chores. Also women are doing a man’s job, such as construction, doctors, lawyers, firemen, and police work. Women are not being beaten for disobeying the husband and divorces are granted every day. Women no longer have to live in those awful conditions of control. I believe the man helping out around the house is great because it brings the family closer. I feel like the genders are pretty much equal in today’s society.

Gender roles of diverse cultures have differed immensely throughout history. The evolution of gender roles first began in the Paleolithic Age and then began to transform with the transformation of the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age. Women in Mesopotamia, India, Greece, China, and Rome were not treated as equals and viewed as inferior to men. Cultures like Egypt and Persia had similar laws for women and treated them with more respect out of any of the other cultures.

According to, Our Deportment, or The Manners, Conduct, and Dress of Refined Society by John H. Young, in the 1880’s and before, women didn’t work outside the house, they couldn’t vote and their biggest and most important job was to make sure their husband was happy. In today’s society, women are lawyers, doctors, and teachers. They have the choice to have kids or get married rather than being expected to like they were before. Women’s rights and how they’re viewed have evolved so much in 200 plus years, they have jobs outside the house and for the most part they are viewed as an equal to men.

Gender roles became so complex in the twentieth century due how society has changed what men and women should be like. Men take being strong and independent as a God given right to them, while females on the other hand have had to work their way up in order to be titled independently strong. From growing up to early adulthood I faced the conflict of constantly worrying about how society wants me shape myself as a dependent and self-confident which was the complete opposite of me.

The way women have been treated varies throughout time, in some time periods women were oppressed and fighting for rights, in others they were queens. In the ancient societies of Egypt and India, women were treated differently than men, although in different ways. In Egypt, women were still treated with respect and dignity, while in India the roles of women were to be submissive and compliant.

In the 1800s in Britain there were gender roles issues between female and males. Today in Britain it has changed.

Blee, Kathleen M., and Ann R. Tickamyer. "Racial Diffences in Men's Attitudes about Women's Gender Roles." ProQuest Research Library [ProQuest]. Springer Science & Business Media, July 2010. Web. 17 May 2016.

From prehistory to 1450 CE, in many different and complex civilizations, religion has influenced the gender roles of many societies. From prehistory to 600 BCE, in Mesopotamia, women could own property, maintain their dowry, and even trade. However, from 600 BCE to 600 CE, in Rome, women were completely under the control of their paterfamilias. Than, from 600 to 1450 CE, in the Byzantine Empire, women were constrained to their homes, and when they went out, they had to wear veils over their faces. Religion influenced the gender roles of many societies and civilizations from prehistory to 1450 CE.

Throughout history, gender roles have proven to be a persistent characteristic of societies, forcing predetermined structure upon the lives of both men and women. For men in the 18th century, this included acting as an intellectual and authoritative figure, while providing a financial foundation for the household. Women, on the other hand, were not privy to the above mentioned duties; instead controlling the tasks at home such as raising a family and serving as a religious guide in the household (Tannenbaum, Lecture). By the late 18th century, events such as the Great Awakening, which promoted religious structure and hierarchy, and the further development of the American colonies into a more successful society, further impacting gender roles. These events would eventually lead to a strengthening of society’s

Similarly, in my culture gender norms were placed upon males needing to “man up,” and women were seen to be housewives. However, my grandmother wasn’t necessarily your average “house wife.” Indeed, she had children, and cooked for her husband but she also was provider as well. Like I mentioned before she worked at a fabric factory, but later applied to work for a hospital as maintenance. Here was a young mother of four stepping outside of the stereotypical norm to work and ensure stability for her family. Exposure to the workforce was very much embedded into the her children’s lives. Seeing both parents provide towards the household demonstrated a sense of equality among both male and female. As previously noted, my grandparents wanted their children to succeed in life so my grandfather always advised them to do more than he ever could. With money being low and my mom being the oldest she was forced to get a job at twelve. My grandfather helped her receive her first job working at a swat meet. With one child making some money, and two parents working they were able to save enough money to buy a house in the 1980’s.

The gender roles we as a society put ourselves in, vary from different time periods. Nowadays a woman working the same amount of time as a man and being capable of supporting herself, is not an uncommon concept. However, in earlier times, this was virtually unheard of. Women were expected to be home bodies that provided for a family and followed their husband’s or any man’s orders. Depending on the group of people, this also may vary.

Gender roles were sharply defined in the 19th century. Women were expected to stay at home and carry out the domestic duties as well as taking care of the children and educate them and provide a peaceful home for their husband. Women were seen as loving and caring. On the other hand, men were expected to work and earn money for the family. They would fight wars and were seen as strong and powerful. Men had more freedom and rights, such as the right to vote, than women in the 19th century. Society had created two completely separate spheres. In the medical field, men were doctors. There were laws in many states, such as, that prohibited women from becoming doctors. Women, who decided to practice medicine in the 19th century had to struggle with much opposition because it went against prevailing ideas about women’s role in society. Women belonged in the private and domestic sphere. Men belonged to competitive and immoral public sphere of industry and commerce. The women in medicine would face accusations that they were abandoning their sphere and threatening society. Due to these arguments and the fear of economic competition from female practitioner, male medical schools and hospitals denied women access to institutions. However, Elizabeth Blackwell, changed this idea of separate spheres when she decided to take on the medical field and become a doctor. Although Elizabeth Black had a natural aversion to the medical field, her