Sexual roles of the family in America

As already mentioned, the fact that women work as firemen, foresters, vice-presidents of corporations, etc., largely refutes our traditional ideas about sexual roles. In this section, we will consider the features of the formation of sexual roles in the United States.

SOURCES OF MODERN

SURVEY Historians argue that America's early colonists gave women a higher status than they had in England. One of the reasons for the break with English customs was the importance of women's labor at that time. In fact, each family had to produce everything for itself, so the work of both men and women was vitally important. Nevertheless, the division of labor took place in accordance with the gender. Men were mainly engaged in agriculture, and women performed daily housework and at the same time produced some goods that could be sold or exchanged in the market: candles, soaps, fabrics, milk, etc.

Women worked equally with men outside the home. They were blacksmiths, silversmiths, sailors, dressmakers, artists and shopkeepers."If the shopkeeper became a widow, she often took full responsibility for the cause that she created with her husband."Horace Bushnell made the following description of the activities of one of the women of the time: "She provided and brought up six children, sewed clothing from flax and knitted woolen things for the whole family. .. She had to work on her plot, milk the cow, prepare food for the auxiliary workers on the farm, and 5-6 months a year also to employees of her home-made clothes store. "

In 1813 the first weaving factory in New England was created. For several decades, the main labor force in such factories was women. Most of the workers were teenagers or young girls of about twenty-odd years;they usually quit when they got married. As more and more new products were produced in factories, not at home, women found that they spent less time in making essentials and spent more time shopping: they became consumers rather than producers.

In the XIX century.middle-class women did not work outside the home. Economic and political affairs were the responsibility of men;homework was the lot of women. The family was a kind of shelter from the stresses and strains of everyday life;a good wife created an atmosphere of peace, love and warmth. Caring for children has become not just one of many worries, but a "sacred duty" and the most important duty of a woman.

The role of women was determined on the basis of the following beliefs:

1) women are endowed with a special ability to educate children( because they are characterized by tenderness and high moral qualities);

2) attachment to the home protects women from the vices of the outside world, to which they find it difficult to adapt, because they are too vulnerable and noble;

3) thanks to motherhood, embodied in the upbringing of children, they can improve society. In fact, this is the only way for women to influence society.

Barbara Welter called this new definition of the role of women "the cult of True Femininity".Such a "cult" was supported in women's magazines and religious brochures from 1820 to 1860. Welter wrote:

"Among the distinctive features of True Feminine, on the basis of which a woman valued herself and her husband, neighbors and society assessed it, one couldto distinguish four basic virtues: piety, nobility, humility and attachment to the family. Their combination embodied the ideal of a true woman - mother, daughter, sister, wife. Without them, fame, achievements and wealth meant nothing. Only on their basis a woman could hope to find happiness and strength. "

In the middle of the XIX century.migration to the west, the struggle to abolish the slave trade and social reforms, civil war, missionary efforts, as well as industrialization, dispelled the cult of True Femininity and promoted the involvement of women in activities outside the home. However, despite the refusal of many women to bear the burden of family cares, our ideals and views on gender roles continue to have a profound influence entrenched in the XIX century.the belief that a "real" man should be the breadwinner of a family, and a woman a mistress of a house that creates a family cosiness. The breadwinner should be active, strong, reliable and restrained - these qualities are peculiar to "Type A" personalities. It is assumed at the same time that the mistress of the house is caring, possesses a subtle intuition, is tender and emotional - all these qualities may be characteristic of "Type B" personalities.

ATTENUATION OF STEREOTYPES

How do Americans characterize men and women? The students of the course "Sociology of Sexual Roles" were invited to list the words and phrases that, in their opinion, are used by most Americans in characterizing men and women. Their answers were classified in such a way that it was possible to compare the characteristics of men and women. Thanks to another study, it was revealed that, according to generally accepted views, a man should be "sexually active", "inclined to sports", "independent" and "courageous", while a model woman is characterized by "sexual shyness", "social anxiety"," Fear and the desire to avoid problem situations ".Clearly, these descriptions are stereotypes. How many people you know exactly correspond to them?

At present - although these stereotypes are still stable - under the influence of several factors there has been a tendency to weaken them. Psychological studies have shown that there is no "pure" male and "pure" female personality. We all - both men and women - have independence and dependence, activity and passivity.

Table 1 Characteristic "masculine" and "feminine" features of

Any person is a complex combination of these qualities. Another factor contributing to the weakening of stereotypes of sexual roles was the realization that "masculinity" and "femininity" are at least partially formed over the years under the influence of the family, school, peer groups and other agents of socialization. It is widely recognized that stereotypes do not represent something "natural", but rather are created by society.

Finally, the women's movement has had a political and social impact on society. Some states have repealed discriminatory laws;in the courts, women have achieved fairness in paying their labor, promotion and reparation for discrimination in the workplace. The requirement of "equal pay for the same work" has become firmly entrenched in the lexicon of Americans. For all these reasons, many men and women are reconsidering their views, and some of them deny the sexual roles that limit a person's ability.