MODERNIZATION AND WOMEN
Modernization refers to the transition of societies from agricultural daysto hi-tech world of today where technology and knowledge have replacedmanual labor. Modernization has brought many benefits to the westerncountries especially to the status and condition of women in wealthiernations. women who were once kept out of the workforce have now become anintegral part of it and have reshaped the demographic make-up of westernWith more job opportunities, they have also seen a significant improvementin their living standard, education, power, social and financial status andtheir overall worth. on the other hand, modernization, which should havealso proved beneficial to the third world countries, has not been able to
However with more technology coming in and with modernization agriculture,women were no longer needed and they lost "their important economic andsocial roles as subsistence food producers" (Bonvillain, 193). Hence, "as a result,women's work receives less financial reward and consequently less socialvalue" (Bonvillain, 196). However to be able to make use of new technology, womenneed new and better skills which education and vocational training canprovide that most women are unable to readily receive in poorer countries. Most of them were illiterateand many still are. Most of the women in third world countries were contribution "to theirhouseholds as primary subsistence farmers, producing crops for theirfamilies" (Bonvillain, 192). secondly, even where modernization has been introduced, it has only resulted in even lower living standardfor many people especially women of these countries. Even in the more urbanized centers of third world countries where women arebetter educated and are participating in economic activities, they areunable to get the jobs traditionally meant for men and when they do, theyare usually made less than their male counterparts. for one, third world countries didnot have enough resources to modernize all their sectors so technology isstill in its infancy in these countries. they were in an already 'ready and fit' mode and thus as soon astechnology took over and more brains were needed, women jumped in andcashed in on the new demand for intelligent workforce. In wealthier nations, women had been given equal access to education a longtime ago. However this was notthe case with women in third world countries. they were not ready for change and in fact were playingthe role of equal economic contributors before modernization stepped in. Because ofmodernization, third world women suffered the most since no alternativeeconomic path was open to them and other sectors had not improved as muchas economic sectors.
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