Gender Roles : The Harmful Effects

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

“My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals.” In 1890, when Oscar Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray, the attitude towards women was nowhere close to positive. Men did not look at women with much respect and only thought of them as domestic trophy wife. According to Oscar Wilde, they lacked intelligence and the ability to substance. These ideas were at one point a social norm. Everyone believed in them. Times have changed and these ideas seem too ridiculous to be real. In our society now we

In present day all around the world, society has certain expectations for the actions and behaviors of males and females. There are many factors in our everyday lives that contribute to the gender norms that society has set. This essay will discuss how situations in life can play a part in how people treat other people based on their gender. It is believed that males are the leaders of our world, but in present day woman can do as much as men can do. From The Journal of Marriage and Family, Hu states, “Differentiated gender roles in adulthood are rooted in one’s gender role socialization. In order to understand the persistence of gender inequalities in the domestic sphere, we need to examine the gendered patterns of children’s housework time.”(2015, P.1). Gender roles are society’s expectations of the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females that they must be taught. These roles define how females and males are viewed in society, their household, and workplace. In The Journal of Sports behavior by Hardin, he states, “Although gender role differences from biological and “Natural” exists in popular consciousness, research has long demonstrated that instead, many are long time socially constructed… Individuals understand their gender because they are given names and treated in particular ways, such as dress in pink for girls and blue for boys, that reflect social construction of gender. Bandura's social cognitive theory is key in understanding the factors in socialization”(2009, P.3). Bandura's theory of of social cognition is that behavior, environmental events, and cognitive factors are the main keys that shape attitudes and actions of an individual. Although, gender roles play a very big part in our society, specific genders are treated differently while dealing with peer influence, media influence, as well as employment.

The myth of gender roles plays a pivotal role in This Boy’s Life- A Memoir by Tobias Wolff. Specifically, the myth of masculinity shapes much of the actions and experiences that occur. Toxic masculinity is commonly described as socially-constructed attitudes that describe men as being violent, unemotional, and sexually aggressive. The rules of masculinity that are implied in the memoir include displays of physical dominance such as fighting against others, use of weapons for power and control, domestic violence, and trying to win at everything. Sexual virility is discussed as bragging about sexual conquests and talking crudely about women around other men but generally trying to be hyper sexual. Another, key aspect of masculinity is to not show any emotion as others will perceive you as being weak which leads characters being unable to express how they feel about themselves and their conflicts. Males are taught to not get mad but to get even; this means retaliating by stealing or other means in order to get revenge. Within the memoir, Tobias’ perception of masculinity and his idea of what man should look and act like is demonstrated through Roy. Qualities that include being: “an expert hunter, conventionally handsome, [a mechanic or handy in general], does not need to talk more than needed, having a tattoo”(14). The myth of masculinity pigeonholes males from This Boy’s Life- A Memoir by Tobias Wolff by making them believe that they must act in a certain way in order to be

Children are introduced to gender roles at a very early age especially in American culture. As a child, we are taught to follow the norms of society in a variety of ways. For example, by the way we are told to dress, typically pink colors for girls and blues for boys. The term "gender role" refers to society's concept of how men and women are expected to act and behave. Gender roles shape individual behavior not only by dictating how people of each gender should behave, but also creating issues for those who don’t confine to the gender norms of their

However, they also learn gender-role expectation from their own observations (Bandura, 1986, 1997). Peers, the media, children’s literature, and preschool classroom practices all influence a child’s gender-role development because they often apply stereotypes about “girl” or “boy” behaviors and capabilities (Alexander & Hines, 1994; Maccoby, 1998). Gender identity and sexuality or often confused as the same. Just because a 5-year-old boy wears a pink party dress it does not mean he is a homosexual. Gender identity is the roles that society place on men and women and sex is based on

Gender roles govern the way that most of the world’s population interact with one another. Many African cultures uphold deeply patriarchal gender roles which dictate how women and men interact with one another. Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie, a staunch feminist, gives readers a look into Nigerian gender roles in her short story Birdsong. Her writing in Birdsong and her TEDtalks explore and expose how these gender roles are harmful and how important it is for many stories of young women of color to be heard.

“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a short story contained in her collection of stories written in 1983,“At the Bottom of the River.” This story is about a mother giving advice to her daughter on how to survive and succeed in the society that they are living in at about 1950-1960. The story portrays a mother’s urgent repetitive voice to save her daughter from sexuality, by teaching her how to become a good woman in the society of Antigua, a British Island. The setting of “Girl” affects the relationship of the characters by the mother dictating a way of life to her daughter and reinforcing the gender roles in society.

#3 While children are growing up, gender roles are highly defined by parents and teachers as well as societal influences. Boys were taught to do "boy" things and girls are often taught to do “girl” things. However, it is sometimes an uphill battle when these stereotypes are maintained by what children encounter outside school, through the media, their own families or other influences of society. Stereotyped ideas about what’s suitable for boys or girls can limit children’s opportunities to learn and develop. Teachers can help create an environment that encourages children to think of themselves as individuals, rather than editing their choices through a gender

At the time we are born we fall prey to our gender, with little choice in the matter, we are expected to fulfill a role to that gender, to develop into an individual with characteristics focused around that particular gender (Stern & Karraker, 1989). Conclusions are drawn to what colors we will be dressed in "beginning with the pink and blue blankets used with babies"(Wood, 2011), what kind of toys we will play with, and what kinds of jobs we will possibly hold later on in life. But as we develop our perception of that gender 's role shifts and change according to

Gender roles are a crucial aspect of society. Gender roles are attitudes and activities that are linked to sex by a society (Macionis 2016: 277). Children are constantly being directed towards the accepted gender roles of

People can be impacted negatively by the society in which they live due to the social constructions which are formed within that culture. Gender roles, the roles that society sets for both males and females, is an example of a social construct that can have a damaging effect on the people subject to these roles. These people feel obligated to conform to these roles, as that is what society has told them to do in order to be accepted by others. Accordingly, the adverse effects of gender roles are explored by many authors in their works. In the short stories, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and, “The Curse” by Andre Dubus, the effects of this social construction are displayed through the characters of Louise Mallard and Mitchell Hayes.

Due to my minor in Woman and Gender Studies, I have particular interest in gender roles, assumptions, and practices. Gender is such a performing art that we as people seldom recognize the behaviors we exhibit that are manifested through societal norms. In example, the typical assumptions and norms we have created about the difference between men and woman is this: Men are strong and aggressive, woman are softer and better at empathy. People argue passionately that these differences in the gender are innate and natural.

To put it in simpler terms, gender roles are basically a generalization that is made about the roles or behavior that is deemed appropriate based on gender. CNN releases an article by Emanuella Grinberg and Victoria Larned on September 20, 2017 that discusses how gender roles directly affect both boys and girls in their childhood and adolescence. The authors provide examples of generalizations made about both males and females. Study was made that concentrated on the health inequities that stemmed from gender roles. The digital news writers suggest that enforcing gender roles can lead individuals to feel the need to conform, to have low self-esteem, and fear ostracism. It is proposed that children and teens should be advised about sex, relationships, and identity at an earlier age to reduce the impact made from enforcing these gender stereotypes. Based on the research and study, efforts should be made to reduce the negative effects of gender roles on society.

Gender roles can have a humongous impact on a person’s life because it can shape and mold the very way of how a person will live, look like, and act for the rest of their life. A gender role are certain actions, behaviors, or characteristics that are associated with a certain gender. Gender roles are based on socially constructed norms, practices, and beliefs. Due to the fact they are usually cultural or religious, that means that any gender roles can hold a power over an individual. There are multiple methods on how gender roles can be spread in society, for example, cultures, media, and in sports. If the individual does not conform to any gender role that is associated with their gender it will have numerous negative repercussions. For example, if a man does not have a deep voice or a woman that does not have long hair individuals that live around their society will not accept or shun them for who they want to be. In society, there are multitudes of gender roles that are associated with both sexes, and this must be addressed due to the fact that majority of those gender roles have a negative impact, which can change their lives and the people around them.