Women Role in Today Society
The place of women in the workplace has changed drastically since the 1880s. In today society women are said to be equal, but this was certainly not the case in previous centuries. Changing career roles have changed the status of women in society. In the 19th century, women's roles were drastically different from what they are today. Women's roles in the Western world during the 1800s were highly controlled and directed by men. A woman's ultimate purpose back when my grandmother was born was to find a man to marry, and then reproduce. If a woman chose to remain single, she could be ridiculed as an "old maid” or “trash” and become an outcast to the city or town. Underclass women had a rugged appearance, and often wore dirty clothes with messy hair. They had no education or respectable job and relied on relief organizations for survival. When this was not enough, some resorted to prostitution to earn a living, as there were no other jobs available. Their lifestyle was a result of their collective lack of jobs, family inheritance and financial support. Most women were in the lower working class. Like underclass women, their lifestyle and income did not permit them to dress elegantly, and they often wore dirty and old clothing. They had no inheritance in most cases, and some started working as early as 8 years old. These women's jobs included domestic servant, farm worker, tailor and washerwoman. Lower working class women not only had to work their low paying jobs, but they were also expected to be mothers and housekeepers. The 19th century's most prestigious female class dressed elegantly, often covered in lace, corsets, veils and gloves. These women usually had an inheritance passed down, and wealthy men often courted them. They generally did not work, and while women weren't usually allowed to receive an education, upper working-class women sometimes received a general education of reading, writing and arithmetic. In the case that a woman had an education, she