Growing up, we were spoon fed poster images of what a man and a woman should behave like, look like, sound like, and what role they should play in our society. This has gone on for centuries, dating back from even the indigenous eras. The narration of gender roles, surely, has had a major impact on our society throughout the 19th century, but what is its significance in our modern age? Are the same roles which were expected of women and men hundreds of years ago, still expected now?

            You may find it surprising that they are not. This reality is especially factual for women. Traditionally, women are expected to play the roles of the caretaker, the homemaker, mother, and the less dominate figure in a marriage. Throughout the years however, specifically throughout the 19th century, this has changed; women have broken the mold of the concierge and made their way out of the kitchen and into the workplace.

            In fact, women had been forming advocate groups within the early 1800s; the French revolution sprang ideas of equal rights and freedom all across Europe, and continued them into the 19th century. Women increasingly displayed public opinion on politics, on work, on human rights, etc. In the 1930s women in the United States were encouraged to work while their men were off to war. A light bulb when off in the head of the female race; if a woman could do whatever a man could do, why shouldn’t they be able to?

            From here the character of the standard female has changed. Aggressive characters today are more accepted, independence is encouraged, and self reliance is exercised. Women’s roles in business and politics have multiplied, and the former homemakers now need to hire a homemaker! Even the rate of stay at home mothers has declined significantly, but not to say the same of stay at home fathers…

            The role of a man has been played as the breadwinner, “the one who wears the pants,” (makes the rules), the dominant, masculine, insensitive, logical, sensible one. This is partly because the other sex has stood back so long to let the male take this position, but as females incline in independence, males stay stagnant, giving modern grounds a more equal level for standing.

            Believe it or not, the character of the man has changed as well. It’s more acceptable these days for a man to have a feminine side, to show weakness, to be pessimistic, optimistic, and loving. Men were stripped of the right to have these qualities before, but in modern age they can finally exercise the right to be their true selves.

            This shift has caused many changes in the workforce, and domestically in the past years. Women are less likely to have many children being that both wife and husband bring income to the family, leaving less time to take care of children. Divorce rates are also on the rise because of the diminishing fear of independence this day in age.

            These significant role shifts will have a huge impact on our society throughout the coming century. The outcome will be both drastic and exciting on both parts of the “sex spectrum,” but as to where it will land us and the future generations of the human race entirely; we’ll just have to wait and see.