The status of women in the Indian society is in a process of change. The women are now able to lead a more independent lifestyle and have more options open to them than in the traditional society of the past years. This opening of the system has led to a temporary state of imbalance where the role expectations from women, and their pattern of socialization is, still at times, though they have newer field open to them. How the women adopt and remain well adjusted within these situations is the focus of this research investigation. An attempt was made to compare certain need related personality aspects and self-esteem of married employed, married unemployed and single employed women in the present study. Women, like men have participated in all of the activities performed in the society. But women have to perform some other roles meant for them by the society. In hunting society, for example, women contributed to subsistence. They control and collect materials for survival. In addition to this, women have to prepare food and perform other important activities like child-bearing and infant care. In pre-literate societies allocation of work is done on the basis of gender and generation. In the writings of some notable scholars of 19th century, it is believed that matriarchal family is the foundation of the human society. Children are traced through the family of the mother, and newly married couples live together with the family of the mother and work for the mother-headed family. The economies of such families are fully controlled by the mothers. For about five thousand years ago women were excluded from politics but they continued to exercise varied roles. They had to enjoy legal protection for property. There prevailed patriarchal civilization. During this period a women was given draconian punishment if she challenged male dominance. But in the Minoan society of Crete (which took shape in C. 3000 BC) women were provided right to involve themselves in social, religious and political matters.
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