Essay on Gender Construction

Introduction

Gender remains a popular and sensitive topic. It entails the attributes for identifying an individual as male or female; from this definition, it is more of a social than a physical attribute. Traditionally, men have been the dominant gender, while women have been the minority. In many societies, men’s roles were in the public sphere. In contrast, women participated in the private sphere of the home. For instance, in the early 20^th century, women in the US did not work outside the house, and those who did were young and unmarried. These suppressive gender roles resulted in gender inequality which remains a significant issue today. Although notable progress is evident, women face discrimination in their workplaces, including lower wages than their male counterparts. Indeed, men and women were perceived differently in the past, with the former considered superior and the latter inferior. Despite the deeply-rooted gender bias and different perspectives regarding gender roles, the 20^th-century historical factors such as the two World Wars, the Cold War, social and political movements, the second industrial revolution, and resistance to colonialism changed how people thought about men and women.

World War I and II typically led to enormous destruction and reshaped the international political order. However, they also acted as catalysts for changes in every aspect of life, with World war I bringing men and women into active battle zones across Europe, Asia, and Africa. On the other hand, World War II saw a shift in gender roles, particularly in the US. For instance, during the war, the US male populace went off to fight, facilitating the demand to fill their previous jobs.[1] As a result, women had an opportunity to work outside the homes. Although the unconventional and unpaid women’s work of maintaining the household and raising the children remained demanding and essential, the white middle-class women gained independence and autonomy by entering the paid labor force. Similarly, women of color who previously worked on farms or as domestic workers could engage in better-paying and highly skilled jobs.

In the aftermath of the wars, men returned, making many women return to their traditional roles of maintaining the homes and raising the children. However, they fought to keep the newly acquired independence and autonomy, enabling them to hold their positions in the paid labor force. It is imperative to acknowledge that years before the war, men dominated the paid labor force while women engaged in unconventional and unpaid work. Indeed, the advent of the two wars set precedence for a shift in gender dynamics, changing people’s views of men and women.

Moreover, the Cold War facilitated a shift in gender dynamics, changing people’s perceptions of men and women. The early 1950s marked an intense period for Americans. The Cold War began immediately after World War II. Once again, women were called upon to fulfill a role in defending America, including perpetuating the American populace and promoting American ideals abroad. It is essential to note that the 1950s was a period of conformity with traditional gender roles while also recording significant changes as discontent with the status quo emerged.[2] In this period, men and women observed strict gender roles and complied with societal expectations. Although women would identify as wives and mothers, they still maintained a significant proportion in the postwar labor force. Therefore, despite the polarizing gender ideology during the Cold War, women endeavored to keep their newly acquired ideals away from the cult of domesticity.

Social and political movements also played a critical role in changing people’s perceptions of men and women. For instance, the feminist movement in the US and abroad set precedence for establishing equality for women. As a social and political movement, it significantly transformed individual women’s lives while profoundly affecting American society throughout the 20^th century. Indeed, the first two decades of the 20^th century saw the emergence of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, where women worked together to achieve women’s suffrage, culminating in ratifying a constitutional amendment in 1920.[3] This amendment accorded women voting rights, allowing them to engage in political decision-making away from unconventional roles.

Following the establishment of the Civil Rights Movement, the feminist groups adopted the examples set by this movement and employed protests, demonstrations, consciousness-raising, and political lobbying to further their agenda. In 1966, the National Organization of Women (NOW) became the first official group to represent and campaign for women’s concerns. Subsequently, more movements came into existence with the primary goal of fighting against gender inequality and women’s rights. Ideally, the emergence of social and political movements, especially the feminist movements, set precedence for societal transformation where women could play an active role in society. Thus, these movements were pivotal in changing people’s thoughts about men and women.

Further, the second industrial revolution in the early 20^th century remained critical in changing people’s thoughts about men and women. This event affected people’s lives, especially women, uniquely. Initially, women participated in traditional jobs such as cloth making and repairing and actively managed farm affairs and raising children. However, the second industrial revolution marked a period of rural-to-urban migration and women accessing skilled jobs in industries.[4] Despite their increasing access to these jobs, women were paid less than men, leading to the emergence of social values. Labor movements based on Marxism and Utopian Socialism and feminist movements emerged during this period to fight for workplace equality and women’s rights. Ideally, women’s role in society changed during the second industrial revolution, when many entered the workforce to support their families. Due to a shift in responsibilities, this period remained a significant factor that changed how people thought about men and women.

Additionally, resistance to colonialism was a primary factor that changed peoples’ thoughts about men and women. The mid-20^th century saw many countries in Asia and Africa liberate themselves from formal colonial rule. In Africa, gender roles varied depending on location, although men and women performed different jobs. For instance, in many parts of the continent, women farmed while men did metalworking alongside tending to animals. Following the imperial expansion throughout the 19^th century, the colonial powers underestimated women’s cultural influence and significance in these societies. As the European forces advanced their exploitative rule, women in Africa and Asia began taking political roles in political groups and labor unions that fought for independence. Also, men’s roles changed since, regardless of gender, the white ruling class considered all indigenous people inferior.[5] Indeed, European colonialism resulted in independence movements in the two continents where men and women challenged colonial rule, changing people’s thoughts about men and women.

Conclusion

While significant strides have been made to combat gender inequalities, it remains an issue in modern societies. Traditionally, men and women engaged in different roles, with the former participating in the public sphere and the latter in the private sphere. Men were also considered superior to women. However, the 20^th-century events, including two World Wars, the Cold War, social and political movements, the second industrial revolution, and resistance to colonialism, changed how people thought about men and women. Through these occurrences, women could partake in some of the roles initially designed for men, such as working in industries and receiving wages to support their families. Societal roles defined men and women, a phenomenon that persists to date. There is a need to embrace the inherent changes in gender roles to ensure a productive society.

Bibliography

Brock, Julia, Jennifer W. Dickey, Richard Harker, and Catherine Lewis, eds. Beyond Rosie: A Documentary History of Women and World War II. University of Arkansas Press, 2015. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BiZLCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=world+war+II+and+women+roles&ots=jJsKTRFQKu&sig=FHuxS7l984mQq_mpKt2_B0RmE7w

Kaur Singh, Jaspal. Representation and Resistance: South Asian and African women’s texts at home and in the diaspora. University of Calgary Press, 2008. https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/57449/9781552386620.pdf?sequence=1

Laville, Helen. “Gender and Women’s Rights in the Cold War.” (2013). https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199236961.013.0030

Staggenborg, Suzanne. Social movements. Oxford University Press, USA, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=AqdBCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=social+movements+in+the+US+for+women+rights+in+the+20th+century+2016&ots=ZeEe-y4Nf5&sig=TBafbGg1RJzsgbRrMVOYlyIq9qM

Stearns, Peter N. The industrial revolution in world history. Routledge, 2020. http://lib.ysu.am/disciplines_bk/e8739e295441fa31561402728a3ad9c3.pdf

[1] Julia, Brock, et al. Beyond Rosie: A Documentary History of Women and World War II. University of Arkansas Press, 2015.

[2] Helen, Laville. “Gender and Women’s Rights in the Cold War.” (2013).

[3] Suzanne, Staggenborg. Social movements. Oxford University Press, USA, 2016.

[4] Peter. N, Stearns. The industrial revolution in world history. Routledge, 2020.

[5] Jaspal, Kaur Singh. Representation and Resistance: South Asian and African women’s texts at home and in the diaspora. University of Calgary Press, 2008.