Housewives or Work

The days when women stayed at home are gone. For the past 15 years women have had a bigger role in society. In the early 20th century, women were at home with the responsibility of managing the house hold and raising the children. Women were not allowed to work and earn an income, leaving the responsibility to men. When women chose to work in the 20th century they worked 15 though 18 hours a day at very low wages (Amitage, et. al., 2009, p. 312). Times have changed, and so have the gender roles of both men and women. Over the years, the question arose " Should women get an education and work, or should they stay home and become housewives?'' The stress of housework, financial pressure, and the change in society braking away from social traditions, are all good reasons for women to obtain an education and be part of the workforce in America.

First of all, the reason why women have changed gender roles in the last century. Women have very stressful lives as housewives, but the most difficult, or the biggest is the stress of housework. For the most part, most women do not get recognized for the long hard hours they work at home doing household chores. This in turn, makes women feel bad and adds pressure to their stress. For example, most women feel they have to please the family and have everything and anything needed or wanted at hand. Women also consider household chores never ending. Therefore, there is never a set schedule, adding stress to being a housewife. Given these points, it is better understood why women share the household chores with members of their families including the men.

Second of all, another cause for the role change that requires women to acquire an education and work is financial pressure. There is a rise in the cost of living in the 21st century that causes women to work and provide income for the family. This also presents the opportunity for their family to live more comfortably, such as, air conditioning, nice clothes, and good vehicles. In addition, most women feel obligated to work and contribute to their family by offering more income. Statistics now show, most families cannot support themselves