Gender Roles in Canada

Gender roles within society have changed continuously over time, and with the use of primary sources, it can be seen first-hand what it was like during the time in which it was written. In the source, “Parallel Qualities of the Sexes,” the opinion of one writer is seen through the poem. Because this is just one person’s opinion, it is important to determine whether or not the statements made are truthful to the time period in which it was written. There are a number of questions to be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not a source is or is not credible, such as the gender of the writer, who the audience is, and what can be presumed about the author through the work itself. The credibility of the source then relies on the truthfulness of the content compared to the history of the time period when it was written. The author shows that there is a definite separation between the sexes, but that each has their own important qualities. Looking at facts from History of the Canadian Peoples will help determine whether or not the assumptions made within the work are truthful or not. Although the small amounts of information provided match with historical facts, the source, “Parallel Qualities of the Sexes,” does not prove to be entirely reliable, due to a lack of elaboration on the subject matter, leaving it open to anyone’s own opinion. There are many aspects of a primary source that are critical in analyzing the content. Because this source is based on gender issues, it would be beneficial to know the gender of the author. Unfortunately, this information is not given, so it becomes difficult to see how the information put forward is meant to be taken. Especially with poetry, a lot is open to each individual’s own interpretation. In regards to gender, it can be assumed that it would be written with different intentional meanings if written by a male or female. If coming from a man’s perspective, it would seem very conceited and show that men are very

Bibliography: Conrad, Margaret and Finkel, Alvin. History of the Canadian Peoples. Toronto: Pearson Longman, 2009. “Parallel Qualities of the Sexes.” The Christian Guardian. 1849.