Women's Roles

Women's Roles

Introduction

Before defining women's roles, it is important to define gender role. Gender role is a role given to a man or women, which he/she has to perform in a social or interpersonal relationship. Roles vary from culture to culture and society to society according to their norms and values and their beliefs. Earlier, women's roles were mostly associated to home based and child rearing. For instance, in 1900 occupations for women were rare apart from agriculture in Western countries. Even in middle class, jobs for women were only specified to nursing and school teaching. But these roles with the passage of time have gradually changed as a result of economic influences and feminist. But it is also true that in the time of emergency, women could perform roles of men which are normally considered a male role.

Discussion

The term gender role explains that people learn various attitudes and behavior according to their culture and society that they grow up in. This culture and family inculcates different roles in men and women. Gender roles and differences occur through the process of socialization. Social role theory describes that social role differentiates due to division of labor, which means that women are given different roles as compared to men because of weak physical ability and other factors. Mary Wollstonecraft was a feminist who disagreed that there is a male dominated culture. She claimed and criticized that the current society which is arrogant and superior and believed that women should be used and controlled for their own use. As women are considered to be weak humans, they are seen as weak, emotional and the one who lacks intelligence. She further believed that women's role varied from that of a man as women are considered to be soft tempered and their worth based on their beauty. Another work of Mary Wollstonecraft which includes a book called “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”. In this work of philosophy, Wollstonecraft argued that women were subject to this low position and subjugation in society due to lack of education. This lack of education further leads her to accept the low position of her in this society. However, she claims that women should not be lacking in education as they are an important part of the nation as they bear children, do their socialization and educates them. Thus, they should must receive education to the highest standards so that children are taught and educated accordingly (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 1792). Wollstonecraft further discusses that women should not be seen as property, an asset or an ornament of the society that is used for trading in marriage but should be considered equal as men as they are also human beings. They should be provided with the equal opportunity and rights as men are given in the society. Many women in society are seen as superficial and silly, this is not because they are born like this or they possess this as their innate ability but it ...