Gender Roles

Many people confuse the definition of gender and sex. “Gender, on the other hand, refers to the meanings, values, and characteristics that people ascribe to different sexes. Sex is a biological concept, determined on the basis of individual 's primary sex characteristics.” (Blackstone) Society gives social cues on the appropriate behavior for each sex. For example, women are to exert more feminine traits such as being dependent, emotional, passive, innocent, nurturing, and/or self-critical. On the contrary, men should be more

Society has established roles in which differentiate men and women, by focusing on how they, as individuals, should portray different characteristics. This allows for the opportunity of mislead perceptions, by the displays of gender in an unequal manner. If a man shows any characteristics that only a woman should have, he may be seen as weaker or maybe even deviant. This is true for a woman too, as that if she portrays too much aggression or competitive characteristics, she may be too manly, instead of fulfilling what should be her more nurturing role. Both men and women seem to face gender inequality, not just one more than the other. They both can face criticism, unequal treatment and stereotypes based on whether they choose to follow the exact way society has classified the gender “norms.” Although society has created these labels, it solely comes down to the individual on whether or not they choose to be deviant against them completely, in some ways, or simply not at all.

Puritan and Early American society separated the male and women gender roles into two categories; men owned and undertook all the responsibilities while women were not allowed to posses anything leaving them with the job of keeping the household in order . Gender roles helped establish family structures due to the fact that families in the 1800’s were essentially the basis for all the institutions. For instants, institutions like the government, church, and the community relied on the gender roles to keep their associations in routine. Women and men were almost always separated for day to day tasks or meetings arranged by their towns. Quaker meetings were just one of many communities that separated the men to discuss judicial

What are the roles of the husband and wife in marriage? Are they fixed gender roles or should they be flexible in response to the giftedness of each partner, or a blend of the two? Compare Christianity and Islam.

To be frank our Gender determine a great deal about our lives. From our earliest age we are conditioned to adhere to our own set code of behavior. Little girls are often taught to submissive and subservient (lesser now then in years past but still to a considerable existent) They are given Easy bake Ovens, Baby Dolls and most distressingly of all miniature cosmetics to "enhance" their appearance and attract the attention of the opposite sex. They most be Pretty, polite, kind and sweet, perfect princesses but never queens. Taught instead to look to the men for protection, comfort and support. They will, they are told to be mothers and wives . Those who chaff at this and attempt to step outside the preassigned role are often ridiculed mercilessly by members of both Sexes , Called Butch, Ugly and quite often Bi%*&. Even those few that break though positions of status and influence in America are still often defined by their appearance, because whatever they do, however high they reach in American Society they must always be pretty.

3. Why is our parent’s depiction of these roles important to how we see ourselves?

People usually define genders as: a man, should be strong, have a sense of responsibility, and cannot straightforwardly reveal feelings; a woman is expected to be emotional, vulnerable and looks pretty. Cultures teach women and men to be the opposite of each other in various ways. People may show different traits at different times, which are considered against the society. The society rules limit people to gender roles.

Since the dominant gender in Western societies are men, femininity is often belittled due to established social conditions, and thus presents another issue for those looking to identify as a woman. Femininity, defined by cultural expectations, describes a female who is emotional, cooperative, “feminine-nurturing, supportive and passive” (Lecture, week 12). Although not all of these stereotypes are bad, they are not definitive solely for females, but most males as well. Kimmel (2000:274) explains that the, “Masculine identity is born in the renunciation of the feminine, not in the direct affirmation of the masculine...” This promotes the idea that women continue to be placed lower on the social ladder underneath men because of how they posses

Gender labeling has existed since antiquity as depicted in history where the males were expected to be dominant, strong, brave, stoic, the primary wage earners for the family. On the other hand, docile, sensitive, caretaker, gentle, source of affection are the words used to describe the females. Until today, gender labels continue to pervade society as majority finds it morally and ethically appropriate to do so. There are many concepts of social psychology pertinent and integrate with each other to bring about this phenomenon. Conformity plays a big role in this as the people of today are greatly influenced by the previous generations. If the previous generations have been labeling the roles of males and females in society for such a long

In most cultures, the term gender is associated with social roles and labor tasks and is usually determined by biological sex. To be male or female is a pre-constructed identity which locks people into roles and behaviors and penalizes deviation (*). If a person identifies themselves as a man, they are expected to perform the role as the strong, independent and hardworking man. If a person identifies themselves as a woman, they are expected to be beautiful, nurturing, passive and dependent on other people. These identities of male and female creates a strong divide between people and produces a hierarchal society. These ideas of masculinity ultimately portray dominance and power over women which further encourages hegemonic masculinity that is already present in contemporary social structures. This idea of masculinity is highly evident in social structures such as education, workplace, military and various forms of media. Through generating these notions of masculinity, it will continue to place women in subordination.

In society, the biological difference between men and women is used as a justification for aligning them with different social roles which restrict and mold their attitudes and behavior. Merriam-Webster defines gender as the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex. Narrow minded society of today is not satisfied with the natural difference of sex, but each insist on adding a cultural difference of gender to it. The unsophisticated, ideal physical facts always become associated with the complex psychological qualities (Holter). It is not enough for a male to be a man; he must also be masculine. A woman, in addition to being a female, must be feminine (Magner). In a more evolved and accepting society,

Men and women used to be held to high standards and taught to grow into certain gender roles defining their sexuality. Men were responsible to go out and work to provide for his family financially. Women had to get married to a man, start a family, cook, look after the kids, cook, clean, pleasure the man, take care of any responsibilities within and they were not allowed to work and provide for themselves. Men used to just work and come home to a clean home, dinner and kids, no chores, no input in home responsibilities. Women did not have the right to get a job because it wasn’t a women’s task or nature to work and support herself and family or have the husband help out with chores and duties around the house. Just a paycheck. These gender roles divided men and women in a sense more than just tasks but it was to be believed, to be followed, to make us feel different, masculine, feminine, fragile, weak, vulnerable, big, small or just afraid of someone different from us. Our generation has slowly broken those gender roles because in the sense that we are all equal, we must do things that make us equal, act upon your words. No woman is to be denied by a job, or be expected to be a housewife, clean, cook, have kids, or get married just like a man is not to be expected to only bring a paycheck home because all of these gender roles, stereotypes, expectations are way more unrealistic now in our generation than before.

Gender roles play an important aspect in shaping the experience of personhood in the United States. Throughout history, distinctions between male and female have been made by society that was placed on individuals. For example, this meant we were expected to act, speak, and behave based upon our assigned sex. Women are generally expected to dress in feminine ways and be nurturing while men are generally expected to be strong and aggressive. These social norms hindered the future and potential of people. As a result, this created different spheres between male and female, where each sphere had social rules that define society’s expectations of

In many ancient cultures, women were the caretakers of the home and men were the protectors and the main “breadwinners” of the family. Women were expected to cook, clean, do laundry, take care of the children, and do any household chores. Men were expected to work hard and to take care of the family’s needs. Males were suppose to act tough, strong, and be “manly” while females were suppose to be pretty and kind. In these ancient cultures, gender would define how you were expected to act and the roles you had to complete in order to be accepted by society. To be accepted into today’s modern society, people still have to follow the roles that are automatically associated to their gender and are criticized if they do not complete them. Gender is extremely prominent and salient in modern society and has been for thousands of years and because of this, gender roles have been affecting how people act, think, and make decisions. Due to negative gender stereotypes, people who do not follow their gender role can be criticized and reluctant to participate in things that do not fit their gender.

For many years society has embraced the idea that the difference between men and women were biologically determined. Others see not only the physical but also the social, emotional and intellectual differences between males and females. Though through traditions, media, and press, we act accordingly to how others view us. Each individual has pressure placed upon them based on their genders. Our sex is determined by genetics while our gender is programmed by social customs. Gender roles by definition are the social norms that dictate what is socially appropriate male and female behavior. Some theories interpret that a woman is tender and a loving mother, while on the other hand men are aggressive and are the dominant one of the family. An