Gender and social changes have exponentially changed over the past decades. In contemporary society, gender roles are losing their reputation due to a lot of activism on women’s empowerment and equity. Gender roles in the society describe ethical standards of how particular gender should conform in society. For example, conduct, grooming, speaking, dressing, and acting depend on gender. Similarly, social changes describe human interactions and relationships that transform social and cultural institutions within a particular period and their significance in society. Women and girls are expected to dress in a particular manner conforming to femininity, and they are expected to be nurturing, accommodating, and polite. Men are supposed to be bold, aggressive and strong. However, each culture, ethnic group and society has gender expectations that differ greatly from others. Besides, gender expectations change over time. For example, in the United States of America, pink was considered masculine, while blue was associated with femininity. Therefore, the research aims to analyze gender expectations and social changes in society. Additionally, it will justify comparisons between the past and modern gender expectations. Finally, social factors that have resulted in social changes will be significant to the research study.
Description of age and gender period
In the 19th century, age and gender expectations were expected to conform to particular ethnic and cultural groups. Traditional ideologies about gender roles started to decline due to increased civilization. Gender expectations were confined to education, profession, housework, decision-making, childcare and education. For example, gender-specific education, which was more professional, was only considered for men. In the professional field, women advancement in education was deemed unnecessary as it was conflicting to the gender expectations of men. Hose chores such as childcare and housekeeping were the primary work of the women, and men were partially allowed to participate in the roles. In the decision-making approach, a man made the final decision, which was the final decision, for example, school choice for children, residential areas, and buying decisions. Regarding childcare and education, women were responsible for educating their children and taking care of them.
According to the discussion with my grandfather, he informed me that there were many gender stereotypes, unlike in modern society. For example, personality traits were adverse; as for women, they were supposed to be accommodating. He told me that men were supposed to be aggressive and self-confident as the head of the families (Jones, bugue, & mivile, 2018). Regarding domestic behaviours, women were supposed to care for the children, clean the home and cook. Men were supposed to care for finances, repair homes, and work on cars. On the occupational basis, my grandfather assured me that highly professional works were considered for men such as engineering, doctors and pilot. At the same time, women were perceived to be suitable for jobs like nursing and teaching fraternity. Finally, o the physical appearance, men were expected to be muscular and tall while women were expected to be graceful and thin. Dressing conformed to stereotypes whereby men wore pants and kept short hairstyles while dresses and make-up were considered feminine. However, such gender stereotypes were harmful as they resulted in gender discrimination.
Gender expectations and restrictions
Men and women acted on separate spheres and followed a failure to which punishment was implicated. Gender expectations were strict, and they were only allowed to integrate during the 19th century. Particular historical events defined roles for men and women. My grandfather used to tell me that women dominated domestic chores while men dominated in the place of work. Men laboured all day to provide for the family and future generations. They set an example for the growing boys to learn from them. Women barely participated in working activities. Women were denied access to quality education as they were perceived to attract husbands and take domestic work (Siann, 2013). My grandfather told me girls were coached on accomplishments activities. For examples, girls were expected to have stylish hairstyles, soft voice, decent dressing and walking, expression and address while interacting in the society. Women were not supposed to undertake formal education because it was considered as ‘blue-stocking’ whereby it was a conflict with the natural intellectual superiority of men. There were some myths that too much education for women could damage their ovaries, thus making beautiful women barren in the long run. The myth was embraced in the society to an extend women feared taking further studies as it was perceived to make women unmarriageable. For example, when Cambridge and Oxford University opened doors for women, many people denied their daughters joining the institutions as they believed they would not get married once they became more intelligent as it was a competition between men and women.
During marriage and sexuality concepts, girls were not allowed to focus more on finding their husbands because it was usually planned by elders depending on particular cultural and ethnic practices. Marriage was preconceived as emotional and sexual satisfaction only to men while women were perceived to desire for marriage, and they were supposed to become mothers (Jones, bugue, & mivile, 2018). Girl’s marriage at their mid-20s, and the groom was supposed to be five years older than the bridegroom. It was the significance of financial sense apart from being a natural hierarchy. Girls were supposed to remain chaste until marriage, and they were not allowed to speak to men unless in the presence of married women.
Higher education and professional chores were out of the discussion for women. Men and women dominated such chores and were not guaranteed to pursue or question as their work was supposed to be domestic. Differences were derived from Christian ideologies and classical thoughts. Men and women were supposed to portray fundamentally different abilities, virtues and qualities. Men were prone to violence, selfishness and stubbornness (Deka, 2013). At the same time, women’s deviations from the norm were associated with their tendency ruled by their bodies and their emotions such as laziness, shrewdness, excessive passion and notably lust.
Men owned property and ruled over their wives in marriage, and property acquired by women before marriage was considered for men. Women’s employment was low paid and low status and associated with fewer abilities and responsibilities. Such work was an extension of domestic work, such as nursing, teaching, and clothing trades. Women had no legal rights in politics, though their influence could be perceived as informal contributions. Beyond employment, women’s roles were confined to moral and domestic chores such as charity and religious participation (Krane, 2019). Public participation was cautiously carried out because some activities included both sexes. In poor societies, women were subjected to unpaid work such as childcare and housework, weaving and street selling for survival. After marriage, women were supposed to give up their jobs.
Was conformity suggested or recommended in society?
Conformity to gender expectations was recommended, and it was regularly practised. There was no discussion on gender expectations; each gender was supposed to conform to the set standards. There were no suggestions on gender expectations because every person was aware of the societal norms.
Forbidden practices
Dressing in opposite sex clothes was forbidden as each gender was supposed to conform to a particular code of dressing. Occasionally, both women and women dressed in opposite sex clothes to fit in a particular occupation such as military services. Beyond that exclusiveness, it was unethical to dress in the opposite sex. Some aspects were forbidden in society. For example, one was not allowed to wear clothes of the opposite sex. Girls were not supposed to marry until their mid-20s, and they were not supposed to talk to men unless in the presence of a married woman. Women-owned no property, and it was unethical for women to continue their occupation after marriage as they were supposed to forgo it (Krane, 2019). Women were supposed to remain chaste until marriage. Women were forbidden to participate formal to politics and undertake professional responsibilities.
Sanctions for deviating from gender norms
Sanctions were upheld by those who went against the social norms of society. Failure to embrace gender expectations, one was considered an outcast, and he/she was expelled from society. Some other people were subjected to cleansing rituals to overcome the sins committed by going contrary to the norms. Doing so was supposed to appease ancestors and prevent any punishment impending. For serious omissions, shrines offered sacrifices to appease gods (Siann, 2013). The council of elders punished women who acted against gender norms. Despite men expected to be violence, those were more threatening were persecuted.
Comparisons
The experience I achieved from my grandfather on gender roles was traumatizing. Gender roles in the early 19th century were based on discrimination based. Due to increased civilization and gender empowerment, such expectations were not good. Besides, some practices could be permissible depending on the economy during those periods, such as women giving up their jobs after marriage (Jones, bugue, & mivile, 2018). Everybody has the right to own property, and ancient gender expectations have no space in contemporary society. There is no point I think I was convinced to uphold gender expectations during the early 19th centuries. In contemporary society, gender expectations of the 19th century barely apply to modern society.
However, there are fewer similarities in contemporary society. For example, men are always considered breadwinners and head of the family. Conflicting ideas from such gender roles may result in conflict leading to divorce or unstable families, besides there many differences in gender expectations (Deka, 2013). Today, women marry their chosen person, and there are no age limits. Women own property, and they have the right to their sexual orientations. There are no professional jobs for women and women, but everyone is entitled to any job opportunity. Advancement in education for both genders has played an important role.
Societal factors contributing to social changes
Men are perceived to be breadwinners and heads of families. Such gender expectations have not changed. Besides, some social factors contributing to social changes include biological factors, culture and religion. Gender roles were attributed to biological factors and differences in gender expectations. Different cultures have contributed to social changes. For example, homosexuality is exponentially increasing in Western cultures (Krane, 2019). Religion plays a vital role in gender expectations. For example, Christians have different roles for women and men, such as Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Muslims view gender roles as traditionally conservative. Finally, Hindu deities are more ambiguously gendered than deities of other world religions.
Overall, gender expectations during the 19th century were discrimination against women. However, there are a few similarities currently embraced in modern society. Social factors such as religion, culture, and biology have contributed to social changes.
References #
Deka, M. (2013). Women’s Agency and Social Change: Assam and Beyond. India: SAGE Publications India.
Jones, M., bugue, M., & mivile, M. (2018). Journal of Black Psychology. African American Gender Roles: A Content Analysis of Empirical Research From 1981 to 2017, 0095798418783561.
Krane, V. (2019). Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in Sport: Queer Inquiries. Abingdon: Routledge.
Siann, G. (2013). Gender, Sex and Sexuality: Contemporary Psychological Perspectives. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis.
