OPPapers.com

Women In Western Society

WOMEN IN WESTERN SOCIETY

Since the beginning of mankind women have been dominated by men. They were to obey and serve man. Their main role in society was to bear children, take care of the household and to be loyal and faithful to their husbands. They were to remain subjects to males. Many viewed women as slaves to man and that should be placed in a household where they belong because women could not perform the tasks of men.

During the renaissance family played a crucial role for women. Parents, often to strengthen business and to tighten family bonds arranged many marriages. The male figure was the head of the family. He had authority over everyone. He was in charge and managed of all legal and finical problems. The woman managed only the household. Due to the arranged marriages, women had no emotional feelings for their husbands, which led to temptations. Women were sometimes killed for having an affair, where as men were aloud to have a mistress. Most women family life was their only destiny.

Witchcraft affected the lives of many women during the 16th and 17th century. Lots of women were burned at the stake for being accused of being a witch. Most witchcraft trials women of the lower classes were most likely to be accused of witchcraft. But by the mid 17th century this witchcraft craze was starting to vanish.

The Enlightenment questioned the role of women. For centuries men have dominated what the role of women should be. Many male writers believed that that women were lower intellectually value to men. But there were some philosophies, which showed some positive feed back for women. They argued that women were capable of all that men are. It was the woman thinkers who added new perspectives to the women question by suggesting better improvements for woman. Those thinkers believed that woman should be better educated. They should be able to learn what men are learning. A English writer Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was the fonder of modern...