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Role of Women
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Below is one of our free research papers on Role of Women. If the term paper below is not exactly what you're looking for, you can search our essay database for other topics.
From 10,000 to 600 B.C.E the status of women dramatically decreased due to a change in the division of labor, brought on by the invention of the plow, while, the role of women in raising children remained constant because women’s sexual behavior was very important in creating a social distinction among classes.
Around 10,000 B.C.E, men and women were considered equals. This was largely due to the importance of the role of women in hunter gatherer societies. In hunter gatherer societies, women did a most of the gathering, which made women crucial to a family’s survival. However, around 3000 B.C.E, the invention of the plow brought a large shift in the status of women. Plowing was considered a male task, and the use of the plow in farming was extremely lucrative to the plow owner. These two factors combined, caused the major crop producer of the family to change from women to men. This change also occurred, on a much smaller scale in parts of the Middle East, Sub Saharan Africa, and in the Americas. This shift set the tone for gender roles around the world for years to come. Another change that occurred was the development of marriage and the idea that women and children became property of their husbands because with plowing, men received a surplus of food, which in turn, granted them economic and social power. These changes most likely occurred because plowing was a male activity, forcing women to perform secondary agricultural tasks, such as weaving or spinning, while also...
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