The gender division of people into ‘men’ and ‘women’ is valid in all, even the smallest, human groups Identification of woman or man stems from the basic relation nature v. culture. Every human society is built on this ground. The goal of this essay is to analyse in which
way the childbirth determinates woman’s status in society. In case of cultural interpretation of childbearing, distinct identification of man and woman is made. The status of woman in society is derived from the main difference between men and women - the ability to give birth to progeny. Social structure which differentiates humankind from its animal progenitors is among others marked by every individual’s knowledge of his or her mother as well as father,
who is perceived as ‘pater’ not as ‘genitor’. For a woman, delivery means a break point accompanied by a rite of passage. Delivery can cause a change of woman’s status. The study focuses on these questions: what is the significance of childbirth for woman and her society? What kinds of socially accepted values can influence social status of woman? How is the dichotomy
mother-father created? Does the traditional social role of woman still exist in modern society?
The study is devoted to the old age as a specific period of life, conditioned culturally, politically, socially and economically and variable in history. On the basis of the status of the oldest members of a traditional family and the society the author points out changes in the life of seniors from the period of the industrial revolution to the present. The role of grandparents and retirement are perceived by the society and the state as two milestones changing the status of individuals within the family and within the population. On the other hand there is perception of self in the new life situation, personal experiencing the retirement age, life strategies and perception of aging in everyday life.