Gender roles have evolved in time, and the responsibilities among men and women have differed for a long time. The society has defined responsibilities according to gender differences where others have argued that the female species were disadvantaged by the sharing of roles in the community. In order to understand this notion, I decided to interview my grandmother who has experience in gender responsibilities in the 20th century. In this interview, I had to explain to her the purpose of the interview because she is reserved and cautious when it comes to personal questions. Firstly, I convinced her that any information she revealed would be kept confidential and private and that we would omit any question she felt uneasy with. Luckily, she agreed to help me in any way possible. She revealed to me that she grew in Mississippi, and she was willing to expose me to any requisite information.
I sort to implore the role of women during her time in the community, and she answered me willingly. “My son” she started, “the role of a woman during my time was considered as crucial and confined to the household responsibilities.” A woman was supposed to relinquish home bound activities such as cooking, cleaning, planting, laundry, farming and supervising family affairs. I continued to ask her what was her role in the family in particular. She looked me into the eye and responded, “I ensured the house clean, food was prepared on time, and clothes were washed, did laundry, and ensured that the younger siblings were up to their tasks.” I also sort to understand her relationship with her family; that is, brothers, sisters, father and her mother. What I understood is that she was very close to her mother and sisters as compared to their father. This is because they had to learn family roles from their mother and their father was a symbol of family leadership; hence, he remained reserved. My grandmother attended North Forrest Elementary School where she undertook arithmetic, grammar, history, geography and spelling. As she told me, her father encouraged her to concentrate on history and grammar, but she never understood the reasons. However, she was much intrigued by arithmetic and history because she loved playing with numbers and delving past information about her family and the country. She really hated geography because she doubted whether it would help her in the future.
Part B: Reflection on the Life Story
There is no doubt that this interview was more insightful when it came to elaborating on how gender structures and systems established in the society have an impact on the general lives of people. Right from the interviewee’s facial expression, especially when being asked about her about her role if the family, it clearly shows how she was proud and free to talk about her household chores. It is evident that she loved performing these functions as they were considered womanly. I have learned from my history and sociology classes is that in early 20th century America, a woman’s real work was reflected on the kind of family she brought up. It was, more often, in the contexts of cleanliness, health, discipline among other attributes. It seems certain that these norms were the makings of the societal system in place at that time where males and females roles were distinguished based on gender lines.
It is more likely that the system at the time dictated the type of relationship children had with their parents. In America today, it is not uncommon for female children to have a close relationship with their fathers and male children with their mothers. However, from an interview with my grandmother, such relationships were restricted to gender relations and close relationships within the family were limited to gender. As the interviewee has stated, she and her sisters were closer to their mother than they were with their father. It can only mean that her brothers were closer to their father than they were with their mother. In my opinion, I believe this system was crucial given the judging nature of the society in early 20th century America. With a female and male roles clearly defined, it was only logical that a close relationship be fostered with the parent who could offer appropriate life lessons. The same sort of relationship can be found between siblings where brothers stuck together, and sisters did the same.
Apart from gender roles, just reading the influence of gender structures and systems plays on education during the early 20th century has not been enough. The questions I asked my grandmother regarding her educational background changed my perspective regarding education. I often did not understand why in traditional societies, educational emphasis was more on the male child than on the female child and having grown up in the 21st century. It is difficult to comprehend on such level of position. The different societal needs then and now cannot be compared, and this is the main reason as to why some practices now could not be tolerated then and vice-versa. The interviewee’s story, therefore, opened up my mind and now were able to stand in the shoes of my great-grandfather, I can try to relate why fathers wanted this to be the case. The society in general set up gender requirements during my grandmother’s growing up years. Since the majority of women’s roles were restricted inside the home, it would seem to make sense the reasons men during that time wanted to their sons to have education than they did their daughters. It is however not to say that the society was right, and my opinion is that the community was only following the norms it had created.
Another significant are that has been transformed after undertaking this interview is my perspective on the concept of feminism. It is evident that my perception on feminists was oriented on the idea that they were female radicals who wanted to oust men out of leadership positions irrespective of their reasons. However, the real and genuine feminists are those women who grew up during female oppression eras, and had an active stand on their values. From the interviewee’s point of view, the real goal for true feminists is not to be equal to men. It is rather trying to increase opportunities for women than there currently is in the real sense.
It can be concluded that gender structures and systems play a crucial role in redefining the lifestyle of people and the things that are expected from them by the society. It is the same structures and systems that had a considerable influence on the early American life, particularly in pointing out the values of each person in a given society. It is also clear that social relational contexts, such as education, have notable impacts in a gender system of any given society, especially in determining what a person will become. With the significant changes in gender roles that have been experienced in the 21st century, it is a clear indication that societies can also change. Such shifts in the gender roles are as a result of the multiple factors, including new structures in media, family orientations, and measures in the educational system. A practical example is how it is coming out clear that the responsibility of raising children is for both parents and not left to the mother alone.
Works cited
Sen, Amartya. The Idea of Justice. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2011.
Neil, Martha. "Exonerated But Still Struggling". ABA Journal. American Bar Association. 1 (2007): 34.
