Women and American Society
Uploaded by ilqna on Jan 05, 2008
Women and American Society
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Women have always played an important role in American history. Despite this fact, in ‘man’s world” they have always been treated like a minority group, not as individuals. Through out the history they have had a certain “place” in society. It was very abnormal for a married woman to be seen “in the public arena”, working and earning her own life not much but just a couple of decades ago. They were simply a member of family, a wife, a mother, a sister. They were “weak”, “dependent”, subordinate and inferior to men. Moreover, women, as a minority group in society have also been divided into subgroups according to their class and race and treated accordingly.
Many historical and political events, slowly but steadily have altered nearly all aspects of life for American women throughout the history. Some of them are the Civil war, the World War II, the industrial revolution, the right for vote, etc. In order to understand thoroughly “the images with which women were portrayed” throughout the American history it is essential to know these political and economical changes and their impact on women’s life and psychology.
During the early history of the United States, women had two major roles in society : these were motherhood and wifehood. In general, they had to tend the family and raised children, thus, their “proper and definitive place” in social order was home. They were expected to do domestic chores such as milking cow, washing clothes, providing clothing and food for the whole family, and pleasing their husbands. And elder daughters within family tended to learn from their mother's example that cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. However, these “cultural prescriptions” about women’s roles were applied only to the white women of middle and upper classes. Women of colour and immigrants, on the other hand, were out of the so-called cult of domesticity. Those women were obliged to work in the fields and factories in order to help their families.
In the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution and religious enthusiasm increased women’s public participation which caused tension in dominant culture. During the industrial revolution, many...