Opinion on Womens Issues During the Second Industrial Revolution in Europe
Women during that time were considered to be lower beings than men and were deprived of various opportunities such as higher education. Most women during the second industrial revolution not only experienced severe discrimination but were also prohibited from doing things that may actually help them improve their social status as women. Since they were unable to gain higher education, they were unable to acquire good jobs apart from these, it was common opinion that women should only stay at home to cook, clean, take care of children, and serve men like common slaves.
Although women were able to experience new job openings during the second industrial revolution, such as positions for typists, clerks, or secretaries, most of these jobs were not really the kind which would help them elevate their status in life. This is because such jobs were unlike the kind which men at that time were allowed to undertake, such as business and others jobs that require physical and mental labor.
In todays world, such notions regarding what women should be would be met with barrages of complaints and other forms of protests, but during the second industrial revolution in Europe, such was the case. Because of the housewifization of women, they had to remain at home and focus on their husbands, children, and households. The concept of a working mother was simply unacceptable for society. In fact, women who decided to pursue professions were shunned, for they were going against what they were supposed to be housewives. Women were supposed to be considered as merely housewives and nothing more. Although they were able to work for themselves, after getting married, they would lose control of their lives and their roles would be forever kept within the confines of their homes apart from so that they may serve their husbands and take care of children. Apart from this, even if women were not married, the job openings available for them, as mentioned earlier, were not the kind of jobs which would enable them to improve their lives the end result was that they still had to depend on men for their needs.
It is appalling to think that women during those times were subject to such treatment. I think that such kind of treatment towards women can be considered unjust because men, it seems, have gone to various lengths in order to ensure that the former were held in their rightful place, which was below the state of men. In a manner of speaking, men were very careful to prevent women from rising from their social status as mere subordinates. It could even be said that such tactics are forms of oppression because men felt that women had the capacity to be better than they are, and they feared that one day, women would be able to rise and overthrow the rule of men.
Of course, this kind of setup was explained by the rise of capitalism, which states that the womans value is in the home, for she is the main factor in the creation of the potential labor workforce. This reasoning, it seems, tries to deviate from the fact that women should have the right to choose the kind of life they ought to lead. It is not assuming to say that upon marriage, the lives of women are predetermined, that their only role is to produce children who will be of value to the workforce of the capitalist society in the future. Such reasoning seems to claim that women are important because they are the ones responsible for child-rearing (whereas the men are responsible for producing necessities for everyday life), but it all boils down to the fact that women were seen as merely mothers and nothing more. Since women were not given the chance to prove their potential to society, they were unable to lead the kind of lives they prefer, cooped up within their homes while taking care of children.
Many women were faced with the question of what she should be during this time Should she stay at home, or should she go out and work like the rest of the men There is, of course, no argue that the role of women within their homes is very important. However, the society during the second industrial revolution did not see other uses for the female being except for the task of motherhood. Even though there were available jobs for women, it is necessary to state once again that such jobs for women were low-paying ones (even if they were considered white-collar jobs).
The second industrial revolution may have brought several improvements to the lives of people in general however, it could not be denied that it was a rough time for women. The fact that they are women caused them great oppression, even though it was claimed that they are of value to the society in some means. During the industrial revolution, it could be said that society perceived that the only jobs that a woman should have were to be a wife and a mother. Since their importance to society was largely defined by only their role within the household, women were considered to be inferior. Because of this fact, women had no choice but to be dependent on their husbands and continue living their lives in the shadow of men they barely had other options because whether women get a job or stay within their homes, they would always be considered subordinates of men.
Also, it is necessary to state that if women were unable to gain jobs which they could pursue, then it is only logical that their recourse would be marriage, since they had no other choice but to find a husband who will provide for them. It was not a very likable option, but since they were faced with low-paying jobs, getting a husband would be the only means for subsistence. It seems as if women were predestined to be dependent.
Hence, it appears as if there is some form of conspiracy regarding the social state of women during the second industrial revolution. Women were demanding that they be allowed into the workforce, so society opened jobs for them however, such jobs were not sufficient enough, which means that even though women were allowed into the workforce, they were still put on a leash, and they still had to be dependent of men to be able to survive. Hence, in a sense, it seems like the whole business of letting women apply for jobs was merely for show. Even though women may apply for jobs, they would still not be able to gain emancipation from the grasp of controlling men. Even if women had jobs, it was inevitable that they would eventually return to the original state of dependency on men.
Such treatment of women during the second industrial revolution may be deemed as unjust women were treated not as equals but as subordinates. They were made to believe that they may have their own jobs and yet, such jobs were so meager that they would still be unable to assert their independence. Society created a faade in order to make women believe that they are, somehow, leading independent lives. While there were various feminist movements which aimed to improve the conditions of women, these movements failed dismally and produced little change.
In an overall summary, the living conditions of women during the second industrial revolution proved to be a great struggle. Women during those times lived in a society where they were only allowed to acquire low-paying jobs because they were less educated than men. They were made to feel that they were inadequate, and that the only role which they had was within the household. Women were also not made to feel that they can reach other horizons instead, women were brought up with the notion that the best they can do was be a wife and a mother. The capitalist society of the second industrial revolution defined the woman as a mere tool in the production of workforce She may not be able to contribute to society if she is without a man, and she cannot do anything else other than be dependent on a man.
It is quite unnerving to look at history and realize how much women have struggled to gain the freedom which they are enjoying today. During those times, the freedom of women from oppression was not a right and neither was it a privilege. It was a mere myth to most women during the second industrial revolution for it was believed that they did not belong in the workplace and that their destiny was to become dependent on men. While the idea that women are major factors in the production of the labor force is reassuring as it suggests that women are indispensable and very important in this process, it is not the only thing that is valuable in this world. It cannot be denied that women, like men, are complicated beings, which means that they also have their own desires.
The second industrial revolution may have paved way for various technological innovations which humankind is enjoying today, but it was certainly a dark time for the lives of women. In many ways, the second industrial revolution has proved that while humans can achieve economic and technological developments and change the world, they still remain undeniably primitive when it comes to the concept of gender equality, a condition which is yet to be completely achieved across the world.
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