CHANGING SEX ROLE IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION

Abstract

Occasionally there appears a social phenomenon so broadly expressed, so repeatedly presented as to require no specific documentation - agreement is found among many and diverse persons, on the basis of easily observable phenomena. Such seems to be the case with the changing sex role in North American society. Where, not so long ago, there was general beUef that "men were men and women were women," and "vive la différence," now, with some unease, and occasional outright friction, there is recognition that "la différence" is slim and becoming slimmer. A perusal of contemporary society indicates that women are dressing more and more in a style resembling that of men, e.g. shirts, shorts, longpants and, in an overall sense, are tending toward undress (nudity), a style once distastefully assigned to males only. Too, an increasing percentage of women enroll at colleges and universities. More and more traditionally-male work positions are filled by females (armed services and government). There is a rapid increase in legal rights of women (e.g. voting, handling of finances). And if all these changes were not enough, there is now a Royal Commission examining ways of assuring an even closer approach to equality.