Women and Econ

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a well known sociologist, writer and feminist for her time. In the year 1898 she wrote Women and Economics A Study of the Economic Relation between Men and Women as a Factor in Social Evolution, which was a book relating to the economic socialization and independence of women. Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote the book during a time that women were beginning to create new opportunities for themselves. Gilman proposed many concepts in her book Women and Economics, which were the transformation of the women in the household and their duties, motherhood, and the domestic industry.

While reading Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s piece, I began to notice that her book seemed to have a significant influence in today’s economy. In the 1890’s there was a period of economic debates that helped build movements and reforms for women entering the work force and wanting to improve their lifestyles. With Gilman writing about new dominant themes, it helped bring some new interpretations to what women can achieve on their own, and have the physical strength to survive on their own.

Women and economics happen to serve as a huge significance in today’s society. While in the 1890’s a woman’s role was to stay home, cook, clean and do the regular household chores. In today’s world females are also working, bring home paychecks, helping with the income of the family, instead of the man being the sole provider. Throughout Gilman’s reading she kept referring women to “horses”. She states,

“The labor of horses enables men to produce more wealth than they otherwise could. The horse is an economic factor in society. But the horse is not economically independent, nor is the woman.”

I found this quote is pretty accurate to the time when she was writing about. But I don’t think that would apply to today society. Many females are now known to be the dependant ones in the family. We are working and bringing home paychecks that could support the families,...