preview

Essay on Equal and Alike

Decent Essays

There is an obvious difference between a man and a woman, but it goes even deeper than biology and chromosomes. Men and woman are often seen as polar opposites, but when the genetics and physiology are set aside, the difference between masculinity and femininity is less clear. Aaron H. Devor wrote in his 1989 article, Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender, that due to the structure of American society, “masculinity thus becomes ‘innately’ valuable and femininity serves a contrapuntal function to delineate and magnify the hierarchical dominance of masculinity” (430). Devor describes the role of femininity in current society as merely a way to put the value and superiority of masculinity into perspective. Devor …show more content…

There is an evident line between male and female; from the obvious, such as separate restrooms, to the subliminal messages aimed to interest the subconscious of a certain sex. When the gender roles in a situation like those of the sitcoms of the 1970’s are reversed, our schema for gender identity is challenged. This can cause unrest, and in some, it may even go as far as to dismiss the idea of men and women having equal roles and identities completely.
In the past generations, it was the norm for the woman of the household to stay home and care for the house and children all day while her husband was at work. In some cultures this is still true to this day. Woman had the task of washing the clothes and cleaning the house, as well as preparing and cooking all of the meals for the household. They would discipline and teach the young children the skills they would need later on in their lives. But due to the current state of the American economy, more and more woman have been required to find some sort of job to help fund the household. This, along with other reasons of the same origin, have made it necessary for men to take a more hands-on approach to raising the children, as well as sharing some of the duties that were previously the wives, such as helping clean and cook.
Not

Get Access