The difference in gender roles in the present time is a reflection of the perception of men and women with regards to duties during the civilization time. Men and women had different roles in society during the civilization period. Men, for some perceived reasons, had roles which reflected masculinity. On the other hands, women were performing light tasks which a significant percentage of them were done indoors. Women, during the civilization time, were mothers whose roles were to cook, look after the children, farm and entertainment visitors. On the other hand, duties such as financial responsibility, warring for the community, hunting, and structure building were particularly for men. The unclear matter, in this case, is whether these roles were unique to a specific society or they cut across all communities in the civilization period ( Zuo et al., 2012). There is a division among the historians and anthropologists concerning this matter. A good number of these scholars present pieces of evidence suggesting that the gender roles were similar from one community to next during the civilization era. Other scholars in history and anthropology field also refute this assertion and claim that each community had unique gender roles. In this article, the theme is the variation in gender roles from one society to another during the civilization era. The aim is to prove that during the civilization time, gender roles did differ considerably from one community to next.
Those who claim that gender roles were similar from one society to the next state that all societies gave each gender a unique recognition. As a result, each gender was given a task that was in line with its capabilities. According to Winegar (2012) , women in every society were performing light tasks such as cooking, cleaning the house and taking care of the families. Women were taking the responsibility of ensuring that the family had a strong bond, receives attention and mother’s love. Men, on the other hand, had different roles such as hunting, military functions and structure building. The roles were uniform in all societies where men were the rulers and leaders in their homes during the civilization period. This assertion is not true. There are enough pieces of evidence that prove the differences in gender roles from one society to next during the civilization period. For instance, a brief examination and analysis of gender roles among ancient Greece, Egypt, and Ancient Rome imply that sex roles were different from one society to next.
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Most of the Greeks saw the world through a system of the binary opposite. Under the binary opposite system, one had to belong to slaves or be free. Also, one had to be a barbarian or a Greek. The concept of gender was an integral part of this society, and power was the root of the gender roles. Men had power, and so, they were performing prestigious functions such as politics, law, and military work. Men also were to prove their masculinity to earn status as men in society and continue with their male dominance ( Salisbury, 2013). Other than that, men from the Greek world were performing other daily routines such as agriculture, arts and crafts. The societal perception was that these roles were demanding and masculine. Further, men in the Greek world were performing different tasks with regards to public events. They were to be outside during such events, unlike women who were to be indoors.
Women in the Greek world were performing different routines which were famine in nature. Women's primary role in this nation was majorly caring for the family and children. Other than this, women were also participating in other activities which were meant to enhance physical fitness. It was a belief among the Greeks that women were to be fit for them to perform their roles as mothers effectively. As a result, women could participate in different activities such as wrestling, javelin, and running ( Zuo et al., 2012). The goal of these activities was to increase fitness among the mothers. Wife sharing was a common culture in this country. As a result, women were also performing the role of teaching. They were teaching the young girls different issues concerning wife sharing and other cultures which were prominent among the Greeks.
The gender roles in the Greek world had similarities and differences with the gender roles in ancient Egypt. Men in Egypt though were performing nearly similar functions as men in Greece, had notable tasks differences with those men in Greece. First, wealthy men in Egypt did not engage in other activities other than business or government jobs. Unlike in Greece where working in the field and at home was meant for women, men in the lower class in Egypt were working together with their wives and children in the farms. Also, other men in Egypt were working with their families for rich people or sometimes, they would help their wives prepare food at home. Also, unlike in Greece where men were dominating the public agendas, the Egyptian men had less influence with regards to the public programmes. Women were not entirely left out in such critical civil matters.
Like men in Egypt, the role of women in this country had some sharp differences and similarities to the roles women were playing in ancient Greece. Notably, the historians claim that the Egyptians were treating their women in the best manner possible than in any other ancient country. Unlike in the Greece world where women were majorly playing the mother roles and had a chance to participate in the country's most crucial events; women in Egypt had nearly the same rights as their men. Women had the right as mothers to own their homes and their properties. Women also had the same power as men to sell these properties. In Egypt, women could play the motherly role of taking care of their children and homes. However, they were given a backup by their men. Marriage was nearly a mandatory matter among the ancient Egyptians ( Zuo et al., 2012). As a result, women submission to their roles as mothers was a critical part of the ancient Egyptians. Lastly, Egyptians men had the right to marry multiple women as long as they could care for them. This fact gave women the opportunity to have many helpers within their homes. As a result, injustices and gender biases concerning gender roles were thus not prevalent in this country.
Gender roles in ancient Rome were also different from the gender roles in ancient Egypt and Greece. However, the gender roles in Ancient Rome were largely similar to the gender roles in Ancient Greece. Men in ancient Rome were the major figure, and they had dominance over their homes, public issues, and public affairs. Men were playing the king's roles in their houses. Unlike in Egypt where women had the right over the properties, the men in Rome had the power to control everything in the families. Further, the men’s roles in this country were to ensure that their children were receiving a good education. Unlike in Egypt, poor men in Ancient Rome had special jobs. They were the major part of the military recruits in the Ancient fighters in Rome. On the other hand, rich men were engaging in business and government affairs as in the case of Egypt. Such men had daily interaction with other business partners and clients.
Women in ancient Rome also had similar and different roles when put under comparison to the roles women were performing in ancient Greece and Egypt. Unlike in Egypt, women had many restrictions compared to men. For instance, women had no right to rule the ancient Rome as Empires. Women also had the role to deal with different injustices which were perpetual in ancient Rome. For instance, men had authority over women, and in most case, women could be beaten by their husbands. Rape cases were common in the Roman Empire. Women also had a role to play as mothers. They were to cook, clean houses, keep their children and husbands clean ( Winegar, 2012). Unlike in Egypt and Greece, women had the right to attend school programs to assess the children's performance. Other than these, women had a teaching role. Due to numerous injustices they were fighting on a daily basis, they had a task of teaching the young girls the dangers facing them in the society and the best way to keep themselves safe.
In summary, it is evident that roles for both women and men were different depending on the society they were living in. Women’s roles in the community were heavily dependent on the perception of men about them. For instance, women in Egypt were seen as equal creatures to men, and thus, they were receiving proper treatment from their men. As evident from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, it is correct to state that though the gender roles were linked in different society, there are many factors which act as modifies and entirely influenced the gender roles making them different from one society to next during the civilization period.
References
Salisbury, J. E. (2013). Perpetua's passion: The death and memory of a young Roman woman . Routledge.
Winegar, J. (2012). The privilege of revolution: Gender, class, space, and affect in Egypt. American Ethnologist , 39 (1), 67-70.
Zuo, X., Lou, C., GAO, E., Cheng, Y., Niu, H., & Zabin, L. S. (2012). Gender differences in adolescent premarital sexual permissiveness in three Asian cities: effects of gender-role attitudes. Journal of Adolescent Health , 50 (3), S18-S25.
