Chinkin's Argumentative Analysis

Females worked hard to be able to be granted jobs not fighting in the war, although their toughest battle was achieving positions in combat. Women tried many different tactics to try to increase their chances of being allowed to partake in the fighting. For example, “Women also disguised themselves as men and joined fighting units. Malinda Black joined a North Carolina Unit with her husband…fought together in three battles…She revealed her identity and resigned” (Stanley 11). This was frowned upon for obvious reasons, such as a woman being too weak and too unfit for battle. For many decades men were considered the only ones capable of warfare, Chinkin specifies in his Journal of International Affairs, “This cannot be explained in terms of the
biological differences between men and women” (Chikin). Finding the ability to participate on the war-front was hard for women, though their tireless efforts eventually made it possible, breaking the gender roles restricting them.
The changing gender roles affected women the greatest, although the new norm left a lasting impact on men as well.
Expectations for men included giving up everything and go fight in the wars. With the newly changing gender norms a man’s role was modified, as well as his views on partaking in combat. Men became wary, almost jealous, of the women fighting for the same position as them. Men who were unfit to fight in combat got viewed as weak and many thought women could easily replace them in their work, “Even those men too young or old or ill to wield arms were expected to support the war” (Grayzel). Eventually men began to grow appreciative of women’s efforts to support the war. They realized together they could achieve more than they could alone. Susan grayzel explains that over time men counted upon the changes in gender roles towards women to further their success. Despite restricting gender roles being aimed towards women, men were affected too, causing daily lives for both genders to
change.
Gender roles have changed in numerous ways to fit society today. Women have worked tirelessly both today and in generations past to improve daily life. According to Dennis Cauchon, “wives outearn their husbands 28% of the time when both work, up from 16% 25 years ago” (Cauchon). In more than 12 million families, women are earning more than men (Cauchon). Women have become more if not equally as successful as men in the work field, such as income being contributed to by both males and females despite gender roles suggesting men’s incomes are more beneficial. Military jobs are continuing to open for women, “ As of the early 1990, 97% of the jobs in the air force were open to women… the Air Force has taken the highest percentage of women(14.7) on active duty. Women make up 19% of the reserves” (Stanley 36). On the next page Sandra Carson goes on to state, “ In early 1990's they were able to serve in 52% of the jobs in the army.... Women make up 12.2% of the active duty strength and 20.6% of reserve forces” (Stanley 37). Statistics prove how women have overcome limiting gender roles to prosper and grow in society.
Opportunities have opened up in many work fields for women since they have broken open inhibiting gender roles placed on them.
Women have been granted the ability to be a steady breadwinner for their families. Dennis Cauchon explains in the article “An American Role-Reversal”, in a census conducted about the traditional roles of men and women it was found that, “when one spouse works full-time and the other stays home, it's the wife who is the sole breadwinner in a record 23% of families… When the Census started tracking this in 1976, the number was 6%” (Cauchon). Women’s work has achieved them a seventeen percent increase in representation of income, over slightly more than 30 years. The opportunities created for themselves has increased and continues to increase. “Women in the Military” declares, “The broad changes will open more than 200,000 jobs on ships and aircraft that have previously been held by only men. These jobs are important for advancement to the highest military ranks so women's opportunities for promotion should increase” (Stanley 111). Two hundred thousand military job openings available to women is partially due to the improving education for women. Dennis Cauchon proves the education value for women is improving, “The college gap is driving startling changes in financial equations between women and men. Women earned 57% of bachelor's degrees, 60% of master's degrees and 52% of doctoral degrees in 2010” (Cauchon). Gender roles were a major limitation on a
woman’s success throughout many generations, however through the reforming of the stereotypes women have gained opportunities in areas such as income, jobs, and education.
In addition to bringing themselves more success and opportunity women have had to deal with the negative impacts of their newly renovated gender expectations. Women have worked to create employment through the fighting of wars but on the down side they have had to deal with a rise in unemployment. Ariel Cohen states in an article, “Study says Traditional Gender Roles may be a Thing of the Past”, “The amount of employed mothers has increased dramatically since the 1960s… as more families require two incomes to support their children in a declining economy. In 2011, six of ten married couples with children relied on dual incomes” (Cohen). Another setback women faced was keeping or getting rid of their jobs after the war ended. When they are not actively fighting in the war women are faced with going back to their daily lives, they were forced to decide between going back to being a housewife or trying to find work. Sandra Carson clarifies the struggle women faced on page 112, “ As a result of downsizing, the services' needs, missions, and readiness levels will undergo change. Opportunities for all service members- men and women- will be in flux” (Stanley 112). For some that decision was easier than others, some were faced with physical and psychological challenges that made them anxious for the end of wars (Grayzel). In addition women struggled with the anticipation that gender roles may go back to pre-war times. They knew of their success and feared their efforts would become retired once the war had finished. Although most of the women’s actions to eliminate gender roles brought successful change, it also resulted in downfall in many aspects of life.
The efforts women gave to eradicate gender roles directly impacted society today.