Final answer:
Historically, women were tasked with childrearing and domestic responsibilities, a role entrenched by societal expectations that also undervalued their contributions. The cultural division of labor often meant men assumed public roles while women managed the private domestic sphere. Over time, as women joined the workforce, they faced the 'second shift' of household duties in addition to their paid jobs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tasks traditionally assigned to women, which did not remove them from the household and were specific to childrearing, revolve around nurturing and taking care of the family, such as breastfeeding and providing other forms of child care that only a mother can provide. These roles cemented women's position in the domestic sphere, particularly in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the family was considered the fundamental building block of society, and the woman its nurturing center. However, even with the introduction of labor-saving devices and the shift of production from household to factory, the expectation for women to maintain their domestic roles persisted.
In many cultures, women were expected to manage all household chores, the care and upbringing of children, as well as the social duties of the household, like instilling manners and purchasing consumer goods to reflect the family's status. This gendered division of labor has varied across societies, but it often included men taking public leadership roles while women managed the private domestic sphere. Regardless of these social duties, women's work in the home has historically been undervalued, with their domestic contributions offering no wages and being culturally invisible.
By the late twentieth century, societal views began to shift, and many women entered the paid workforce while still being expected to maintain household responsibilities. This dual expectation led to the concept of the "second shift," illustrating the added domestic work women faced in addition to their waged labor. Despite these challenges, women have used their domestic skills for social projects in the community, and activists have worked tirelessly to challenge the notion that employment outside the home is unnatural for women.