changes of gender roles in society

How have perceptions of sex and gender changed over past 100 years?

 

 

Pre -1940: The first wave of feminism had won the landmark right to vote for women (for over 21's). This was significant because it meant that for the first time women's opinions and experiences mattered.

 

World War 11: Start of the first 'Women's culture': As the majority of the men had been sent away to fight, Women were encouraged to take up the job roles they had left behind; during the war years, women in factoriesd, on farms, in the dockyards, and in the offices kept the economy running. For some young women, their first experience of adulthood meant taking on responsibility in a job and earning enough money to live independant lives. When the men returned at the end of the war many women didn't want to give up the independence they had grown used to.

 

50s-60s: Second wave or 'radical' feminism: During the social upheavel that that followed in the wake of WW11, the feminist cause was inextricably tied-up in the birth of the Counter- culture. closely allied to Civil Rights, and anti-Vietnam demonstrations, feminists began to question the role of wome, and the (male) power structures that define them.

In 1960, the birth control pill was introduced in Britain and America, for the first time giving women real control over their own reproduction, and seperating sexual pleasure from procreation.

 

Late 70s: Feminism moves out of the academy and into popular culture: The stereotype of the 'man-hating' feminist arose in this period. Men, in real interviews - and in sitcoms, soaps and movies- confessed to feeling under attack: patriarchal society was accused being responsible for every injustice against women, yet individual men had often done little to oppress anyone deliberately. The priviledged positions in society that they had taken for granted were suddenly being criticised, and men felt caught between tradition and the new expectations placed on them.

It seemed- certainly in the pages of Cosmopolitan and modern girl's magazines- that women were empowering themselves with a new set of expectations of men: men who would be sensitive, who would take equal role in domestic responsibilities, who could provide satisfying sex and encourage his partner to pursue a successful career.

 

The 80s- Thatcherism and Economic Change: The Eighties' obsession with material sucess led to traditional masculine values- while still being dismantled by feminism- being championed by women themselves. The 'power-dresing' business woman that we can see in Dynasty, revealed in her masculine traits and her equal status, even dominance over, men. This was personified in Margaret Thatcher: morally conservative ( encouraging traditional 'family values' in the face of a soaring divorce rate), while economically liberal- encouraging everyone to work, to be as successful as they could be.

It was also during this period that the Tory government began to dismantle the traditional industries (the male domain) and shift jobs to offices and IT. widespread unemployment meant that many men were denied the role of 'breadwinner', and began to question their role in society. (The Full Monty would provide a good example of this).  

 

Conclusion: Overall the changes between Gender roles indicate that men and women are now expected to also fulfil the opposite genders role as well as theirs and more equality has taken place since the 1940's.