As all things evolve in an ever changing world, one must take a moment to stop and reflect on the changes and what our role is going forward. Throughout history the role of women has constantly fluctuated and changed as time has progressed, and within each respective culture the role of women can range from one extreme to another. As women living in the west, the common impression throughout the world is that America is respectively the most liberal of places in regards to women's issues and roles within society. In order to either justify this common impression or debunk the theory as a whole, I decided to gather a few opinions of both Muslim and Non Muslim women alike in regards to this topic. When asking one woman her opinion on a woman's role within western society her opinion was as follows. "Strong, motivated, educated, and eager are just a few adjectives that come to mind when I think of a women's role in western society. Normally, the behaviors of a "role" are pre defined. However, in Westeren Society, it is the characteristics of a woman that define her role. A woman's role is a juggling act. Not only must she remain ladylike while pursuing her role, she must deal with the backlash of how other men and women perceive her most of time within their communities which are now culturally dominated. Woman are not only the woman, they are sometimes the man too. Woman attend college to earn a degree to support their families. Rather than being a stay at home mom, women are motivated to do their best and be the best, to provide their families with the best. Most Women are now the breadwinners of their families. They are the example, and the role model. Some women have a double shift. Some woman are single mothers. Some women are mom and dad. I think calling a women a role model is an understatement. Women are hero's.- Says working 25 year old Leah Nasser, born and raised American Lebanese native. One woman who wished to remain anonymous when asked the same question is quoted as saying "as a woman born and raised in the western society, knowing no other culture than that of the west, I think a woman's role is one of those subjects that seem to always be at the center of controversy. On one hand woman have had to fight for things in the past such as the right to vote, the right to wear pants etc. and now this generation of women are fighting for equal pay in the work place and trying to shed the age old custom of women being the homemaker while the man plays the role of breadwinner. All in all despite the negative response most women have to my conclusion.. The fact is that slowly the roles of men and women in the west are trading places on all levels. Which is why you see the divorce rate at a staggering all time high". So ultimately what we find when trying to examine the role of women in western society today can differ from one woman's opinion to another.. But none the less it is clear that women are no longer satisfied being classified under the umbrella of domestic providers.
By: Tanya Faraj
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