Gendered Identity Consistent With the Public and Private Views of the Research Paper - 1

Gendered Identity Consistent With the Public and Private Views of the Roles of Men and Women - Research Paper Example Even scholars who disagree that such changes were for the better, such as Edward Pessen (1985) – who argues that the resulting national civil society and economy left over from the Jackson years was characterized by greater inequality than had been the case prior to Jackson’s term – admit that the changes that occurred during the period were deeply rooted and long lasting. Therefore, any attempt to fully understand the development of America’s societal history must take into account the changes that occurred during these years. This seems especially true when considering the notion of gendered identity of both males and females in the public and private spheres that have determined much of the history of the American family, educational, and societal life. Because Jackson’s presidency occurred during a time when the industrial and transportation revolutions were just beginning in the US, and were characterized by expansions and alterations of expect ations among the various classes that made up the American social, political, and economic scenes, the ways that men and women came to view their roles in American life during this early birth of modernization are important to review. This brief paper will consider how gendered identities came to be established among men and women during the Jacksonian period, in light of the other social, economic, and religious changes that occurred. Particular attention will be paid to the way that the emergence of class differences with the rise of industrialization influenced the views of men and women regarding their societal roles. The paper will present a definition of gendered identity consistent with the public and private views of the roles of men and women that existed at the time and will consider how that notion was developed alongside the various upheavals that characterize the Jacksonian period. When discussing issues of gender, it is important to point out that there are varying definitions and ideas surrounding the term, and that changes have occurred over time regarding what it means.