Essay Sample on Women and Race

Introduction

In the past and recent times, critical historical events have influenced the way both men and women are perceived in society. The ideas and concepts of stereotyping, customarily set in whenever we think of gender roles today. For that reason, men have practically always been professed as superior to women hence the prejudice that the women are more frangible and only charged with the house chores and especially utter submission to their husbands no matter the situation. Though there has been a steady evolution of woman's rights throughout civilizations, men still respect women as givers of life (Barrientos et al. 209). For instance, in ancient Egypt, men and women had unique gender roles. The women were labeled housekeepers and child bearers, while the males, young and old took part in civic matters. The upholding of women's civil right was, in essence, impartial as women or example were allowed to end their marriages if necessary.

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The advent of Roman and Greek empires brought about substantial disparities of gender roles amongst the people. They believed that women were to be treated as servants and beneath men. Historically, from a very young age, each gender is given precise roles to play both socially and culturally. Young girls often played with dolls and kitchenware while boys had a variety of tools and none dared to conflict these outlined roles. The influences of gender roles on women for decades have been undesirable. Though women's participation in society has immensely improved with time, years of living in patriarchy and discrimination are still rampant through social beliefs across America. Since civilization era in America, women have always been the inferior gender, having their marriages arranged, with no education to get formal work. Men ruled families and their wives as well and treated them as property to own.

Latina Female gender roles as compared with other Races

Grasping the whole concept of gender roles in Latino culture aids in understanding the traditional characterization of an ideal woman's role which essentially is riveted on the life of the Virgin Mary (Sacco 134). All Latino women were expected to be like Virgin Mary who served sorrow, endured a lot of pain in life and still happy to help. Consequently, the idyllic Latin American woman should be gentle, full of love, patient and persevering. Additionally, a woman was regarded as socially lesser to the men and therefore always expected to be submissive to men in her life. For one to be seen as a good woman, she was still a virgin till marriage; a girl who did not possess these qualities was in a way perceived a disgrace not only to self but entire family and friends. Comparing these expectations with those of ancient Egyptian girls who would be allowed to own tombs and leave their husbands when need be, the Latino women and girls had a grim life.

Rights and Equality

The abolition movements in the United States flickered increased attention to the social and economic status of women although the historical account of feminism dates back to before the 18th century. This revolution and awakening saw the marginalized, minority groups in a new light of justice and fairness. The days of labeling women disadvantaged and weaklings were slowly fading away. In Latin America, this was difficult to embrace owing to the olden traditions on concepts of how women gender roles were supposed to be.

Capitalism

Female historians deliberated on the effect of capitalism on women's status. In England, the English women were involved in fields of agriculture and industry. Home is an essential unit of production; the women played vital roles in managing businesses at the farms and estates. These translated to them being economically stable and kind of equal to men. Nevertheless, with the spread of capitalism, there was more division of labor and paid jobs for the male population while the women engaged in unpaid house chores which negatively impacted them.

Unlike the European counterparts, the Latino women were for a long time suppressed and placed under the mercies of men and were only supposed to tend to their husband's and children's needs. Being a housewife meant sheer economic dependence on their husbands, giving men more power over them (Safdar et al. 14).

Marriage and Sex

Values and expectations regarding sex and marriage were essential to the Latinos. For a Latino woman virginity at marriage was imperative though not all girls received sufficient sex education if any at all. Mostly the teachings were vague, and ostensibly sex was a taboo, and many parents were mortified discussing it. Divorce in marriages was entirely unacceptable. A married Latino woman was to be submissive to her husband and never to divorce no matter the circumstances. Tolerating domestic abuse and infidelity was not to be a hard thing for the married Latino women. Even though these doings of adultery and abuse were unacceptable, the women were not to leave the marriage but persevere and work things out. Women were thought to be ethically superior to men and for this reason stomach all misery caused by their husbands (Stevens 57).

The economic state of families mostly influenced marriage age for girls. Over the years there has been a considerable increase in women and girl's empowerment reducing the early and arranged marriages that demeaned them a lot. Young girls could be married off to old suitors because of poverty.

Clothing

The social facets of clothing have stems on traditions pertaining specific clothing appropriate for the different gender roles. In different timelines, both male's and female's fashions have given attention and highlight to some body parts. For instance, wearing trousers instead of skirts was considered immoral for many Asian and some European women. During Victorian times, women were for admiration and control while in ancient Greek, men who wore trousers were seen as effeminate. Latino females were supposed to dress in respectful clothes that do not expose much skin and seductive in the eyes of men (Ingoldsby 62).

Education and Employment

In dawn days of civilization, Latin Americans did not value education as they do today, especially for the girls in the society. The only value in a woman was in being a homemaker and responsible for raising children, taking care of the husband and running the house chores. Education was for the elite families who would secure jobs unlike the ignorant and of a lower social class. The American women were amongst the first to be documented in history to have formal, salaried positions as men (Stevens 57). Most concentrated in teaching careers as the nation at the time made emphasis on the value of education and the expansion of industrialization. As for the Latino women, educating them was believed to ruin their morals and turn them against the societal norms and gender role expectations of them. An educated woman would threaten the position of the man in the family unit for example. Being an educated woman and employed meant one would be less independent of the husband as would have been when jobless and uneducated.

Latina women often faced with the strain of choosing between their own educational and work wants and those of their families, young women having been imparted that family comes first, they usually sacrifice their dreams for their families' sake (Tombs 248).

Conclusion

Currently, the disparity of roles of both women and men is no longer a looming problem in many societies globally, and Latinos included. Societal ideologies on infidelity, marriage education and violence have evolved and made the life of any Latino girl or woman better. It was not easy to accept and adapt to the changes since for decades myths have shaped the experiences and views of a Latino girl. All there is known to a Latino woman is a servitude life to a man, which is contrary to what American feminism upholds. The modern woman can pursue all her dreams and ambition without hindrance from society and family norms and traditions. In cases of failing marriages and abuse, many empowered Latino women would now opt to end the marriage and choose their happiness over society's expectations. With most in the working class, they can afford to sustain and provide for their children even as single parents.

Though the Latino culture valued an excellent woman as one, who stays home and take care of children while the husband worked, patient and loving to an abusive husband, changing times have led a reversal of roles. Roles that had earlier on been thought to be entirely men's, today women play the same roles too.

Works Cited

Barrientos, Karina, et al. "Role of gender, professional level, and geographic location of artists on how they represent a story: the case of Little Red Riding Hood." Cuadernos de Investigacion UNED 9.2 (2017): 209-217.

Ingoldsby, Bron B. "The Latin American family: familism vs. machismo." Journal of Comparative Family Studies (1991): 57-62.

Sacco, Leonardo. "Cultural Identity, Religion, and Globalization in Latin America: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Martin de Porres as Clear Examples of Interculturalism and Instruments of Mediation Among Different Weltanschauungen." International Journal of Latin American Religions 1.1 (2017): 134-155.

Safdar, Saba, and Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka. "Gender through the lens of culture." Psychology of gender through the lens of culture. Springer, Cham, 2015. 1-14.

Stevens, Evelyn P. "Machismo and marianismo." Society 10.6 (1973): 57-63.

Tombs, David. "Machismo and Marianismo: Liberation Theology and Sexuality." Religion and Sexuality 4 (2016): 248.