American Gender Roles

Throughout history, women have been regarded as of lesser value than men particularly in the public sphere. This is the result of gender stratification. Gender stratification refers to the issue of sexism, “or the belief that one sex is superior to the other” (Carl et al., 2012, p. 78). The theory that men are superior to women is essential to sexism. Sexism has always had negative consequences for women. It has caused some women to avoid pursuing successful careers typically described as “masculine”—perhaps to avoid the social impression that they are less desirable as spouses or mothers, or even less “feminine.”

Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex. Gender roles are never comprehensive, even within a single country, and they are always historically and culturally unpredictable. Gender roles in the United States for one cultural group likely is not true for another cultural group. Similarly, gender roles in the United States have changed drastically over the time period. Gender roles has been the historical evolution from a single family income in which only the male spouse works and generates income, to dual family income or a family in which both spouses generate family income. The shifting gender roles in the past years has been huge. It happened so quickly

Traditionally, men are viewed as strong, dominant and logical, while women are regarded as the weak sex, thus being dependent on the males to make decisions and to protect them as well as their children. These roles go far back in time when males in fact had to protect their families from other tribes, wild animals etc. Even today the same values are applied both in real life and in media. In general a woman is depicted as wife, mother or a sex object. (Sex, Gender, Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation”, Year unknown).

Throughout history, men and women have been viewed in utterly different spheres. Men have been, and still are, believed to be the hard working individual who is in charge of “bringing home the bacon” and supporting the household finically. On the other hand, women are expected to have little to say, the house spotless, supper on the table, the children bathed, fed, in bed, and educated, all while maintaining a flawless hairdo and makeup. These stereotypes seem a bit offensive nowadays, but if you really consider it, it has been and most likely will be this way for our entire existence.

Women and men are nestled into predetermined cultural molds when it comes to gender in American society. Women play the roles of mothers, housekeepers, and servants to their husbands and children, and men act as providers, protectors, and heads of the household. These gender roles stem from the many culture myths that exist pertaining to America, including those of the model family, education, liberty, and of gender. The majority of these myths are misconceptions, but linger because we, as Americans, do not analyze or question them. The misconception of gender suggests that biological truths no longer dictate our gender roles as men and women; they derive from cultural myths. We, as a nation, need

Male student athletes make up 3.3% of the population but are responsible for 19% of sexual assaults and 35% of domestic violence.  One in three college sexual assaults are committed by an athlete or athletes.  From 1995 to 1998 there were an average of one hundred sexual assault charges against athletes a year.  In 1995, 8.5% of the general population charged with a crime were sexual assault, 36.8% of crimes involving athletes were sexual assault.  The general population conviction rate is 80%, athlete conviction rate is 38%.(NCAVA)  Since not all rapes are reported we can assume that these numbers are much higher.  Most athlete rapes are acquaintance rapes.  Many of the women blame themselves and do not report the crime.  These are very scary statistics.  Proving that there is a problem and steps need to be taken to change these statistics.

Throughout life every man and woman fits into a specific gender role. We are told what is expected of men and women from birth until death. Many people influence our view of how we should act and what we should say such as our parents, friends, and even the media. Males and females play very different roles and these differences are apparent in our every day lives. These differences are not the same as they used to be. Society has changed the way it treats men and women over time.

The Mask You Live In deals with masculinity and all the pressures that are tied alongside that heavy term. The documentary portrays a society that in many cases, seems to pressure young men into hiding their emotions and remaining stoic to maintain the façade of manhood. Alongside this, young boys are also set up to degrade and objectify women as a result of the media they consume. The film seems to highlight that masculinity is a social construct and emphasizes the importance of teaching young boys to convey their

Women have always taken a back seat to men in American society. There has always seemed to be one set of standards that apply to men, and another set of standards that apply to women. This is evident in the home, workplace, and all throughout society.

I personally liked the article for this particular discussion, because it portrays the same way gender roles are developed and played out in American families. However, it is sort of the opposite of how Katniss lives her life in District 12. Essentially, American families will have a male head of house hold with a wife and a couple of children. Therefore, the man will conduct the heavy lifting and the woman is usually taking care of the house work. Furthermore, the gender roles of our society can correlate with how Katniss lives if the man dies and the woman has to take on the role of head of house. She would have to learn to do the heavy lifting so to speak. Katniss learned to hunt and protect her family because their was not a man to fulfill

“The Mask You Live In” is a documentary that brings to light the outdated social constructs that create an idea of masculinity that is impacting men negatively. From a very young age, men are constantly told to “be a man” and to “reject all aspects of femininity”. During the critical points of development in young boys, they are told to push down feelings of empathy, sadness, or really any emotion other than anger or general happiness. As the boys grow older, they feel that they have nowhere to go or nobody to talk to about any of the suppressed feelings mentioned before. This can lead to many mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, and leaving these untreated can lead to suicide, which is the third leading cause of death in boys. Unfortunately, less than 50% of men do not seek mental health treatment. Many of the boys in the film felt that they are not allowed to talk about what is really going on internally in terms of emotions. A segment of the documentary includes an after-school discussion on masculinity led by assistant principal Ashanti Branch. He asks the group of teen boys to take out a piece of paper and write the image of themselves they think other people see on a mask on the front of the page. The teens write down various responses like funny, tough, and strong. Then on the back, Branch asks them to write what people don’t see. Almost all the answers reveal the same emotions underneath, which are anger and isolation. This displays how much men hide from

Male collegiate athletes are not the only sex offenders on college campuses but the perpetuation of rape culture among them is increasing, and both schools and the surrounding communities are handling the cases improperly. Although rape

Today I will talk about family roles, specifically the father's role in a typical American household. In this new age gender roles are beginning to diminish. In typical American households, some older generations are still holding onto these outdated gender roles; mom stays home, dad works, brother plays football while being commended for being a ‘player’, sister is a typical teenage girl who can’t talk to boys. In this essay, I will talk to you about both gender expectations in the typical American household, along with some of my own personal experiences.

     Femininity and masculinity are topics that have been debated over in our society extensively, through psychological research and day to day interaction with people. Children learn from their parents as well as society the concept of “feminine” and “masculine.” The majority of people tend to believe that these conceptions are biological but I believe it is more cultural. From birth, female children are shaped by society as being sweet, caring, loving, and delicate and usually associated with the color pink. While male children are shaped by being tough, aggressive, and competitive and associated with the color blue. As these children grow, the boy is given a football to play with and the girl a

In today’s society, there is often a misconception among women and men and the roles they are expected to follow through with. Although there has been advances in the way women are treated, it is unfortunately still an unbalanced dynamic in our society. From an early age, women are often persuaded, even if subconsciously, to follow a certain pathway in life. They are most often associated with staying home, keeping the house clean, cooking, baking, and raising children. Certain mediums that girls are exposed to tend to sway them towards these specific wants and aspirations. The way in which certain products are presented to little girls create an image they feel like they need to master. Men, on the other hand, are taught something completely different. They are regularly habituated with more masculine and self-reliant tasks. From an early age, they are automatically seen as people that deserve to be educated and use their smart, resourceful assets to contribute to society. They are without a doubt going to get a job and become a father and husband that provides for his family. In most situations, even if the woman has a job, men are the main “bread-winner.” Going along with this belief, the products boys are often marketed portray the idea of strength and independence. Whether it is a toy or a book, men are more often than not characterized as the heroic, more capable gender. There are many cases in which different mediums exhibit the ideas of men being the superior