Information Enclosed - Essay Example

However, question arises if digression of women from their traditional roles was the only factor causing this change or were their elements too, that resulted in this transformation. A careful analysis of current corporate and social policies would indicate that women have been given a chance to participate equally in almost every field of life. From military to social work, even running big enterprises, women have undertaken major leading roles in different organizations. In order to facilitate women with these responsibilities different facilities like childcare, flexible working hours, work from home, have been introduced.

However, it is important to evaluate if participation in other fields of life was actually necessary for women. Before World War I, women were confined to their traditional roles of a house keeper who was responsible for maintain the house, raising kids and in retrospective, taking care of agricultural activities and cattle rearing in family farms. With advent of new technology, most of traditional methods of agriculture were modified. It is important to note that women were responsible for growing and preserving food because there were no other methodologies available.

Furthermore, technological changes not only brought changes to family life but also affected economic preferences as well. After World War I, the concept of New Girl emerged which was a reflection of new empowered and liberal women who was taking on new responsibilities. After Great Depression, responsibilities of women increased greatly due to lack of economic resources (Abelson 105). Along with taking care of family, most of them were forced to work to earn their living as divorce rates and trends of men leaving their families unsupported increased greatly.

Although the trend changed after World War II, and era of 1940s to 1950s was of male dominance but role of women in economic and social activities could not be ignored. With emergence of “baby boomers” and “Xers”, women’s participation in national workforce increased greatly after 1950s (Boyd 650). A critical analysis of a famous TV show, “Leave It to Beaver” illustrated men and women’s roles in the normal American family. With Ward Cleaver being the head and bread earner of the family, June Cleaver was demonstrated as regular woman who was busy maintaining a house and taking care of her family while performing chores like washing, cleaning and cooking (Shaffer n.p). Comparison of this TV series to another recent TV series, “Modern Family” would also show Clair Dunphy as a woman who preferred her family over career.

She is a multi-tasking woman who is highly concerned about her house and kids. She is often seen as busy with driving for different household chores, community work and even doing extra things like running for Town Council. Hence, she is a house wife but the definition of house wife has transformed as she seems to be busy with driving children, arranging their school functions and managing community drives. A comparison of these two sitcoms illustrates that overall family structure has changed greatly which of course