Canada's Social Conventions at the Turn of Century

Essay by DementedHigh School, 10th gradeA, December 2003

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The social conventions in Canada at the turn of the century are much different than those today. Sexism was much more prevalent and allowed, even encouraged in day to day affairs. Medical practices were unsafe and doctors lacked knowledge that is common place in the twenty-first century. Working class people were not treated anywhere near as well as they are in present time. Overall, the social rules and practices at the turn of the century in Canada were much worse than today's.

The treatment of females has changed a lot over the years, around the turn of the century, sexism was the norm in Canadian society. Women were forced to wear corsets which shaped their waist and rib-cage to fit specific social concepts of the perfect female shape. In the long run, wearing a corset caused many problems concerning internal organs which caused life long illness and even death to the women who wore them.

At the turn of the century, it was still not allowed for women to vote, they were believed un-intelligent and inferior to men, and in turn un-able to choose the political leaders of the country. Women were also expected to obey all the commands of men, they were not to go out without escort and were to always have dinner made for men, wash their clothes and be all around controlled by men in all aspects of their lives.

The medical field was very uneducated at the turn of the century in Canada and this caused many deaths which, in newer times could have been better prevented. If someone was to get a blood transfusion in Canada, blood types were not check to classify a match or the presence of disease prior to use, this meant that, if the wrong blood type was used,