In the Hindu tradition women have always been held in high regard for being those that give birth. Several passages in the Vedas instruct that women are to be worshiped and protected. Although the underlying tone of the Vedas teaches that women are little more than property (2). In the beginning of the Hindu tradition women enjoyed more freedom with educational pursuits and marriage. They may not have been educated to as high of standards as men at the time but especially women of the highe r classes tended to be well educated.
Because women could give birth, their roles were valuable than men in some societies. On the basis of this assumption, it is possible that matriarchy existed and women ruled meaning men have not always been leaders. Based on evidence from archaeologist, the beginning of civilization was female-centered with females figures known as Earth Mother or the Mother Goddess. Great leaders such as Hatshepsut and Cleopatra are rooted in many minds to be the first female leaders of great societies and examples of strong independent women. They conquered great societal barriers in order to achieve their goals.
The few roles that they had were in religion, taking care of the household, and being second to their husbands. In religion, they are viewed as powerful goddesses. The goddesses are far different than what the real women were like, but they were powerful and independent. The women in ancient Greece were expected to take care of the household. Cleaning and taking care of children were the main jobs of ancient Grecian women.
For many generations, throughout various cultural backgrounds, women have been considered the lesser vessel of the human being. Men have, for the most part, been the superior in the relationship of the two. Even dating back to our readings, we can see this thought process through the writings of the Koran. In the following paragraphs, you will see just exactly how women were perceived and the notion of what the value of their worth was. The Koran begins by asking all to “Fear God, in whose name you plead with one another, and honor the mothers who bore you.
Whenever we go through the records of roman women's status in society there is always a great consternation. Several sources or journals which mention the roles of women in ancient roman society, several works which mention them as wives and mothers. There are sources however limited they may be which delve deeper into the scope of these questions, which give a glimpse into the lives of roman women. Woman in artwork has been portrayed as the guarantor of bounty and fertility. Roman women throughout their life from childhood and education to marriage and further in the motherhood had played a great role in society of that time.
Her responsibilities have ranged from a vessel of the lord to a mediator between Christ and humanity. Investigating a sampling of these works will illuminate how the redefinition of these roles was marked and sometimes changed through images of the Virgin. Images of Mary had special significance to medieval women because she was the sole female deity in a high position in the church. Addressing how the iconography of the Virgin was viewed and internalized by women will shine a light on the overall social significance of Mary. Due to the unclear timeline of medieval art many of the themes discussed overlap.
The substandard status of women has been a staple in various cultures throughout the centuries. Certainly the literary world has been no exception; in fact, literature projects the creed of a civilization rather well. At first glance, women seem to take up very little space within the context of Beowulf, but a second look will reveal their societal roles in this era thanes and kings. Particularly, the portrayal of Queen Wealhtheow as a peacemaker and an audible voice reflects the contradictory expectations of women in a patriarchal society. As the queen, Wealhtheow is by default the ceremonial hostess as well; she is expected to bridge the gaps that exist between the guests and the rest of the king’s court.
The Woman from Willendorf might also have a social interaction behind its meaning. Studies suggest that the statue and those like it may have been created to show that a clan was friendly and looking to mate with other clans. This would improve socialization between clans and would encourage mating and the continuation of a clan’s survival. The Woman from Willendorf may have even represented women and their portrayal as art historian Leroy McDermott pointed out. The statue has a robust belly with little feet which may mean that pregnant women were the sculptors who based their art on their own bodies.
More women were receiving educations and began to get involved in community and national organizations which brought these women together to fight for their beliefs on human reform. Women were notoriously known in the major part they played in the Temperance Movement which later resulted in the passage of the Prohibition Amendment. Despite the failure of Prohibition, the outlawing of alcohol was important to these women because some people thought alcohol undermined values and morals. These women
The Role of Women in Ancient Egypt No matter the time period, country, or society, no one can deny the importance of women’s roles throughout history. Some have been powerful, influential rulers while others have had to suffer and be treated as weaker and insignificant. In some societies, women were treated as property and were only considered as valuable as their family or husband. On the other hand, ancient Egypt allowed women much more freedom. I am interested in this topic because Egyptian society is interesting to me and I think that they had a good system for gender roles.