Evolution of Gender Roles Throughout History

Throughout most of human history, fathers and mothers shared the responsibilities of making a household function, including child-rearing and managing the family business. With modernity and industrialization, gender roles became more defined, leading to the separation of domains between men and women. However, historically, gender roles overlapped, and while roles were differentiated, the meaning of those roles changed over time. Women were often involved in tasks within the home due to tending to children, giving birth, and nursing, which were seen as productive labor. Women were also providers for their families, with the notion of the male breadwinner emerging in the post-war era and industrialization of the 20th century.