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How Have Gender Identities Changed in the Last One Hundred Years

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How Have Gender Identities Changed in the Last One Hundred Years
How have gender identities changed in the last one hundred years. Discuss the processes that have made this transformation possible?
Over the last 100 years, a lot has changed, especially within society. Laws have changed, policies have been introduced and conflict has been stopped. Not only has the above changed, but also the way in which society accepts and looks upon the population has greatly changed too. One key change that has been made is how the identities of genders have adapted. Society has become a lot more accepting within the last century, especially when considering race and sexuality. The identity of people in societies are now more accepted and understood. But what is identity? The term identity has many different meanings within sociology. Its most common meaning refers to a collection of characteristics that make up an individual or group. It also relates to an understanding of whom we are and who others are. The term identity comes from a Latin word ‘Idem’ meaning the same. Identity can have a cultural connection, determining a person’s relationship with the culture and people within it. The identities of people within society have fluctuated significantly over the last 100 years; however it is the change of gender identities that have transformed the most over time, especially within the female population.
Many issues within society have contributed to the identities of gender; Conflict, culture, the media, behavioural aspects of society. Firstly, conflict has a huge part to play in the development of identities. Between 1935 and 1945- the duration of world war2; the way in which women lived was altered dramatically. Prior to the war, women were primarily house wives; they looked after their husband and children, and very rarely had a job in society. This all changed however when the men were sent off to war, leaving the women to do the man’s job. Many women were put to work in factories, making and building bombs and weapons. All of which was



Bibliography: * BBC. (2012). What is a Forced Marriage?. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/forcedmarriage/whatis.shtml. Last accessed 05/12/2012. * Michael Mansour. (2011). Gender Roles in Women’s Sports: The Evolution of Female Athletes. Available: http://masculinityandgenderrolesinsports.blogspot.co.uk/p/gender-roles-in-sports.html. Last accessed 5/12/2012. * Nikki Wedgwood. (2009). Connell 's theory of masculinity - its origins and influences on the study of gender.. Journal of Gender Studies. 18 (4), p329-339. * Salford City Council. (2012). Forced Marriages. Available: http://www.salford.gov.uk/forcedmarriages.htm. Last accessed 05/12/2012. * Stephen R. Patnode. (Sep 2012). 'Keep it Under Your Hat ': Safety Campaigns and Fashion in the World War II Factory. . Journal of American Culture '. 35 (3), p231-243.1886 * Susie Orbach. (2011). Losing Bodies. Social Research: An International Quarterly. 78 (2), 387 - 394. R.W. Connell. (1998). Men and Masculinities. Masculinities and Globalization. 1 (1), 3-23. Word Count: 1964

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