The Roles of Women Throughout History

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The Roles of Women throughout History Selina M. Turner HIS103: World Civilizations I Professor Scott Maxon January 7, 2013 The Roles of Women throughout History From the beginning of time, gender roles have been in place. No matter how people have fought against them, men and women, while potentially “seen as equal” are not. We all see the obvious physical distinctions between men and women, but that’s not the only thing that sets them apart. Today it is common to see men and women working side by side in the business world, or sharing household duties, but roles were much different in ancient civilizations. Unfortunately, not all societies viewed women as equal. Some actually viewed women as slaves or servants. On the other hand there were cultures that did treat their women with virtually the same human rights as men. Women played a different role than men in their day to day lives. In ancient times, they were known mostly as gatherers, mothers, caregivers or teachers. Not only were women’s lives, roles and statuses different throughout different countries, but they also changed over time as well. The role of women began as early as the beginning of time. Many people believe the first woman was Eve, created by God, as a companion for Adam. The Bible explains that women were created equal to man in the image of God. It was God's plan that man and woman should be working together with a common purpose in life. It states, woman was created from man’s rib to be his helper or companion. Later, Eve was told because she disobeyed man, she would be subservient to him. (The New Encyclopedia of Judaism, 2002). This goes to show that although, God believed women were to be created equal, they were never truly treated the same as men. The history of modern humans begins during the Paleolithic Era, or Old Stone Age. Each gender had their specific roles. Men
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