Question

suggests that young females are becoming more assertive about their rights and are now more likely to rank education and career above marriage and family as priorities in their lives. Moreover, there are signs that women are now more willing to use divorce to escape husbands who insist on their wives playing a subordinate domestic role. Consequently, hegemonic versions of femininity, i.e. being a good mother and housewife - the traditional domestic role -may be becoming less significant in terms of female identity.

Answer 1

The concept of femininity in society has evolved, with young females increasingly prioritizing education and careers over traditional roles. Historical resistance to gender constraints and transformations in women's work and family roles reflect shifts in how femininity and female identity are perceived.

Step-by-step explanation:

The evolution of women's roles and the concept of femininity in society has shown a significant shift, particularly in the perspective and lives of young females. Historically, femininity was often defined by women's domestic roles and submission to patriarchal norms. However, through increased education, activism, and societal changes, women have started to place a greater emphasis on independence, education, and careers over traditional domestic responsibilities. This shift has led to an assertion of women's rights and a challenge to the hegemonic versions of femininity, manifesting in a willingness to seek divorce from oppressive marriages and societal roles that dictate women's subordinate position in the family.

Despite the societal pressures to adhere to traditional gender roles, historical evidence suggests that women, both wealthy and poor, have sought autonomy and resisted these constraints in different ways. Elite women adopted behaviors that affirmed their status while simultaneously signaling a resistance to remarrying and engaging with unrelated men. The question, especially during the feminist movements of the 1960s and onwards, dealt with the broader social concern regarding the potentially limiting roles of women solely as caregivers and homemakers. The rise in female employment and the necessity for some families to have dual incomes opposed the traditional image of the stay-at-home wife and highlighted the 'second shift' burden that many women faced.

The discourse on femininity and the changing roles of women underline important historical and sociocultural trends. These changes reflect the dynamic nature of gender-related issues and signify an ongoing transformation in how femininity and female identity are perceived and enacted within society.