Running head: SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND GENDER

Social Movements and Gender

Soc 333
May 19, 2014

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND GENDER

Social Movements and Gender

In today's society woman have fought hard to be recognized in every aspect, it was hard
back in the 1900's to be who we want to be without being told no, or we could not do it.
All we were to men were house workers and baby makers. We were not allowed to
voice our opinion nor were we allowed to vote. It was almost like we were in prison in
our own home. The Social movement that has captivated women since the time of
slavery began was gaining our own sense of being and independence. Three social
movements that change who women are today are, Marriage & Reproduction, Woman
in the Work & economic life & lastly our education and literacy. All these aspects of our
life have given woman the empowerment we've been deprived from and make Woman
stronger everyday when we are told we can't do something.
Literacy & Education
Woman's education and ability to go further in their degrees has always been a huge
factor in independence compared to men in society. Woman's education usually takes
off in their life right around the time they start bearing and thinking about having
children. Another, factor is when an individual is wealthy their literacy has higher rates
but, other factors are involved as well. Countries vary a great deal in both how educated
their populations are and the amount of difference between womens and mens levels
of education.
Overall though an individual needs to factor both measures from American schools to
around the world schools, as well as the important to understand gender differences in
the context of the overall level of education in a country (United Nations Statistics

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND GENDER

Division,2000). There are so many reasons on why women have become very educated
in time with the opportunities given to them. Many, women feel that if they are well
educated in this society today that their chances to overcome any pre-judgment is
higher if they are well-educated in today's world. In a growing number of countries, the
United States included, the balance is tipping toward women in terms of overall
enrollments in higher education (United Nations Statistics Division, 2000). With this
movement leaning more towards education it gave the American view a sense of
normalcy and helps let the society know that woman have their own career paths as
well as men. This movement gave myself a sense that women have the same rights as
men and helped others who were skeptical more validity that change will occur as well
as everything else within the society in general.
Marriage & Reproduction
With marriage at an all time high in the 1900's women were getting married and having
children by the time they were 25. The youngest age for woman to be married is 20 and
that's at a young age. The big problem society face is that in different countries as well
as America is that the age women were being married was much younger and in
America the likelihood of them not staying together wasn't as high as it was in other
countries. Another issue is the use of birth control within marriages and outside of
marriages. In, other countries birth control was used to limit the amount of children a
couple may have and the type of child they had as well. Women of the higher
socioeconomic classes in the wealthy industrial nations tend to think about womens

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND GENDER

status in terms of how important it is to have alternative occupations and interests to

child-rearing during their adult lives (United Nations Statistics Division, 2000).
Now, in today's society having children whether a woman is married or single the
society doesn't frown upon it as they did in the 1900's and later. Society doesn't look at
having multiple children as an issue now a days and being married at a young or older
age. The problems woman faced years ago are not as a bigger problem as it is today.
Woman have come a long way from where they were many years ago. The opinion of
other really don't matter some women like to have multiple children and be married
multiple times whereas, others do not.
Work & Economic Life
In, America woman are considered to take care of the house and cook the food for their
family. This was the natural job of a woman. It is safe to say that the amount of work
paid or unpaid women work as much as men do and more so in other countries. The
United States is one of many countries in which labor-force participation is now divided
relatively evenly between men and women (United Nations Statistics Division, 2000).
Now, in different countries still to this day woman are not allowed to work so nothing has
changed in that aspect of woman working outside of the household. To some this up in
society today all over including different countries men and woman do different types of
work and amount of labor varies. I think this movement of woman having the right to
work is the biggest change America has seen. Our opinions of woman working outside
the home are completely different than it was in the 1900's. Back then we weren't
allowed to consider working let alone accomplish it now.

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND GENDER

Society and gender rights have changed completely. We have more options in life today
than anyone thought they would have. Doesn't matter what gender you are there are
more options in today's society than their ever was. In this particular essay this is
specifically directed towards women right and what we did not have compared to what
we have now. Society doesn't care how many children people have or if their married or
single. These particular movements make it easier for everyone to life and happy life. A
lot has changed and will continue to change all due to woman and men speaking up
and standing up for what they think is right.

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND GENDER

References
United Nations Statistics Division, The Worlds Women 2000: Trends and Statistics,
Table 5.B.
Indicators of Economic Activity.
Sapiro, Virginia. (2002). Women in American Society (5th ed.). Retrieved from
https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/OSIRIS:46824978/
contextco/view/activityDetails/activity/08d20c9c-bf15-480b-81e1d8c34b4267af/expanded/False/tab/Reading.