Women's Role Since 1930's
Women’s role since 1930’s
Women have fought throughout history in order to achieve different roles as well as to acquire recognition, independence, equality and respect. It has not been easy since they have had many barriers to overcome; their role in the family as wives, mothers and daughters; their role in society fighting for their rights, being heard and treated as men; their role as career women, not only receiving an education but also being able to work. Looking back at history, women’s role in the family has remained unchanged till last century. In the early times, women’s most significant profession was that of wifehood and motherhood and a “little more than a slave of her husband”(1). They were viewed as a creative source of human life, inferior to men and a source of temptation and evil. Even in the Christian theology as St. Jerome states “ women is the gate of the devil, the path of wickedness, the sting of the serpent in a word perilous object”, and Thomas Aquinas in the 13th Century said that woman was “created to be man’s help mate but her unique role is conception…since for other purposes men would be better assisted by other men”(2). All this resulted in “ a women’s place is in the home”. It was expected from them to be good wives, excellent mothers and perfect housewives. In the movie “Far from Heaven”, which takes place in the 1950’s we can see how Kathy and Frank Whitaker, who seemed a perfect marriage and family, weren’t. Everything in Kathy’s life falls to pieces when she finds him kissing another man. Society at the time rejected this kind of behavior so Frank goes to the psychologist to treat his “illness”. All the time Kathy is an excellent wife, supportive and fights for her marriage accepting the situation. She finds refugee in an African American and society turns against her because they judge only what they see. Women’s role in the society began to change with the first movement in 1920, when they achieved the right
Women have fought throughout history in order to achieve different roles as well as to acquire recognition, independence, equality and respect. It has not been easy since they have had many barriers to overcome; their role in the family as wives, mothers and daughters; their role in society fighting for their rights, being heard and treated as men; their role as career women, not only receiving an education but also being able to work. Looking back at history, women’s role in the family has remained unchanged till last century. In the early times, women’s most significant profession was that of wifehood and motherhood and a “little more than a slave of her husband”(1). They were viewed as a creative source of human life, inferior to men and a source of temptation and evil. Even in the Christian theology as St. Jerome states “ women is the gate of the devil, the path of wickedness, the sting of the serpent in a word perilous object”, and Thomas Aquinas in the 13th Century said that woman was “created to be man’s help mate but her unique role is conception…since for other purposes men would be better assisted by other men”(2). All this resulted in “ a women’s place is in the home”. It was expected from them to be good wives, excellent mothers and perfect housewives. In the movie “Far from Heaven”, which takes place in the 1950’s we can see how Kathy and Frank Whitaker, who seemed a perfect marriage and family, weren’t. Everything in Kathy’s life falls to pieces when she finds him kissing another man. Society at the time rejected this kind of behavior so Frank goes to the psychologist to treat his “illness”. All the time Kathy is an excellent wife, supportive and fights for her marriage accepting the situation. She finds refugee in an African American and society turns against her because they judge only what they see. Women’s role in the society began to change with the first movement in 1920, when they achieved the right
Cited: Scott, Ridley. “Thelma and Louise”. 1991 King, Michael Patrick. “Sex and the City”. 2008 Women 's Issues from "The Wind River Rendezvous" Women’s International Center. “Women’s History in America”. Compton 's Interactive Encyclopedia1994, 1995 Compton 's NewMedia, Inc