Crossing boundaries of race, class, region, and religion, American women's history seeks to illuminate the many public and private lives of women who might otherwise be misunderstood or completely misunderstood recognized. Over the course of this study, the following four themes were found to characterize the shared experiences of generations of women: the construction of gender and gender spheres, housewives versus working women, mixed signals, and the legitimation of feminism. Placed in the context of our patriarchal society, recognition of current issues and subsequent scenarios, failures and achievements will help contemporary people understand where we have been, where we are now and where we might be going. Where We've Been Gender has become so pervasive that many assume it is genetically dictated. Indeed, gender and gender spheres are continually created and recreated through human interaction and experience. By controlling the institutions of knowledge and dissemination, those with status and power are the ones best able to dictate and manage ideals. Further in-depth examination of American history will add validity to Barbara J. Berg's assessment: "Patriarchy has always been America's default..." Of course, the confirmation of this theme begins with the settlers. Firm in the defense of the English ideological fabric, the men and women who lived in the 17th and 18th centuries recognized women's fundamental role as a supporter of survival and prosperity. However, the church and state propagated the belief that women were predestined by God to occupy a secondary status. Therefore, the virtues most praised and exhibited by women: condescension, modesty, affection, delicacy, grace... middle of paper... double forms of beauty and intelligence. In conclusion, there are many other realistic aspects. actions I can personally take to help improve women's lives. These actions include: not holding my male and female colleagues to unfair standards; supporting my girlfriends, my boyfriend, and my friends in their positive endeavors; educate peers about the true media agenda; and ultimately raise my future children to believe in and support the feminist movement. Works Cited Miss Representation. DVD. Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Kimberlee Acquaro. Los Angeles, California: OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, 2011.The Representation Project. "Infographic." The representation project. http://therepresentationproject.org/infographics (accessed 10 December 2013). Woloch, Nancy. Women and the American Experience: A Concise History. 2nd ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2002.