Canadian Gender Roles

Term Paper # 100182

Canadian Studies > Gender, Race, Class issues
Women Studies

This paper explores gender roles and how they have evolved in Canadian families.

1,888 words () | 1 source | MLA | 2007 | United States

Published on: Dec 18, 2007

Paper Summary:

The paper provides a historical analysis of the evolution of gender roles and the economics of the Canadian family over time. The paper shows how this evolution was notably conservative in many respects in perpetuating the sexism and economic gender inequalities of the past.
The paper discusses how women still remain the primary source of domestic labor and male economic predominance continues within most households. The paper stresses that while the social direction points towards greater equity, we must not lose sight of the enduring economic injustices and burdens that women bear in both the domestic sphere and in the paid labor force.

From the Paper:

"The statement that in Canadian society men are no longer considered the "sole breadwinners" nor women only fit for "domesticity" is an assertion that, upon initial review, appears incontrovertible. After all, the rise of the dual-income family and the increasing prominence of women in the paid labour force is a widely recognized phenomenon in Canada as in most western countries."
"This being said, however, upon closer review it may be argued that the situation in terms of gender roles in the Canadian economy and labour force is not quite as clear as this statement would suggest. As this essay will argue, while men are no long the sole breadwinners, they do retain significant economic dominance in Canadian households as in the labour force as a whole."