The Progression of Gender Roles in American Society Essay

The Progression of Gender Roles in American Society Throughout life every man and woman fits into a specific gender role. We are told what is expected of men and women from birth until death. Many people influence our view of how we should act and what we should say such as our parents, friends, and even the media. Males and females play very different roles and these differences are apparent in our every day lives. These differences are not the same as they used to be. Society has changed the way it treats men and women over time. Around the beginning of the 20th century men and women had very specific gender roles. Women in the past were usually looked at as the homemaker types. Very few women had jobs of any type during this†¦show more content†¦They could not strive to be better and they could not challenge the way society thought. This is simply not the case today. Our society has advanced to the point where there are not such defined boundaries on what a woman can achieve. Many women have accomplished achievements that early 20th century women didn’t even dream about such as voting. Voting was a right gained by women in 1920. The 19th amendment says that â€Å"the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.† This was a great victory for women. Also, women work much more now. Women are doing jobs that were historically reserved for men such as the military. Another area that women are thriving in now is sports. In the early 20th century you would never hear of women participating in sports on any level. Today women’s sports are plentiful. Women have achieved a lot over the last century. Men of the present day aren’t automatically viewed as a head of the household type figure. Men these days often share the responsibility of earning an income for the family. They also help with things such as cooking and shopping. We have progressed a lot as a society. 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