Importance of Sex(Gender Role)

The “gender role” refers to a theoretical construct in society that refers to the set of social and behavioral norms

In Stephen Mays’ essay “What about Gender Roles in Same-sex Relationships?” published in They Say I Say, the author discusses how people often assign gender roles automatically, even with gay and lesbian couples. Mays stresses the concept of femininity and masculinity, and also shows the difference in their roles, supports them with vivid imagery, and gives a rare example of gay male preferences, all while using the correct diction when referring to personal experiences. Although the author reiterates gender roles and their effect on same-sex relationships, he gives clear examples that support the idea of masculine or feminine qualities.

The gender of a person is the masculine or feminine attributes of that individual with respect to the psychological and biological role in society. (Magar, 2009) A gender role can be defined as the way that a person lives in society with respect to its lifestyle. It can be argued that over time the major differences between men and women’s gender roles have faded. In the past traditional roles have been based in their society by their biological orientation. (Magar, 2009) Gender roles can also be described as the behavior and attitudes that are expected of men and women in a society. (Faqs.org, 2011) Although different cultures impose different expectations, many cultures have the same basic gender roles.

Gender roles have played a major part in society. According to the book “The Psyche of Feminism” “A gender role is a theoretical construct in the social sciences that refers to a set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate

In society, heterosexuality is a principal method of organizing institutions and regulating individual behavior. A culture based on ideas of heterosexuality values relationships that are between men and women; as a result, sexual contact occurring between same sex individuals is seen as deviant and labeled as homosexual. In her book, Ward explains how straight white men can have sex with other white men while retaining their heterosexuality in addition to gaining a masculine appeal. Ingraham and Namaste’s discussion of heteronormativity, heterogenders, and supplementarity aids in understanding why straight white men are not labeled as homosexual and how this functions to reproduce inequalities based on race, gender, and sexuality.

Gender roles describe the normative expectations of a culture group regarding the position that both sexes should hold in society. It also refers to the division of labor tasks, differences in behaviors, preferences, abilities; personalities that society expects of specific genders, (Kaiser, C. R., & Miller, C. T. 2009). It concerns the processes of how gender roles socialize and interact with each other in society as a whole and as an individual, (Stockard & Johnson, 1980; Thomas, 1986). Gender role deals with identity and at times are conceptualized as the acceptance and identification with social roles and behaviors associated with

A gender role consists of characteristics that refer to a set of social and behavioral norms that are widely considered appropriate for either males or females. Gender roles are different throughout society and cultures. One gains gender roles unconsciously, consciously, or genetically due to cultural rules (Princeton).

A set of social norms that are generally accepted, appropriate, or desirable based on a person’s sex or sexuality are referred to as gender roles. Gender roles play a large role in how a society and its people are shaped and how people should behave according to their sex. Gender roles are based on social norms or standards that are created in a society. In many cultures, being masculine is traditionally associated with having or showing strength, aggression, dominance, and to never reveal any significant signs of emotion that may show weakness. On the other hand, being feminine is traditionally associated with passivity, nurturing, and being submissive.

Heteronormativity. When you announce that word to a group of people, you will most likely be met with blank stares. It may be a bit of a mouthful, but it is a topic becoming more of an issue in our society, and one I wish to acknowledge. To put it simply, heteronormativity is the belief that everyone falls into complementary genders (man and woman to you and me) with roles in life, and within these roles heterosexuality is the only acceptable sexual orientation. This pigeonholing exists in all parts of life, but let us turn our attention to school; that blissful utopia where opinions about what is acceptable begin to form. Allow me, then, to take you back through time to your first day of school: trembling and quivering you sit on a colourful carpet and your teacher begins to read...

The logic of compulsory heterosexuality is grounded on a model of binary gender difference. In other words, compulsory heterosexuality relies on the underlying assumption that people are either men or women and upon this assumption is layered another: that men and women are the proper sexual pairing and that men and women are the exclusive objects of each other’s emotional and physical desire.

Gender roles are set of societal norms dictating the types of behavior which are genrally considered acceptable , appropriate based on their actual or perceived sex or sexuality of the person. Gender roles are also determined by the prevailing cultural norms. Gender stereotypes also alters the the attitudes, traits, and behavior patterns of males and females. Gender stereotypes on the basis of sexism, or the prejudiced beliefs that value males over females. Common forms of sexism in today’s society include gender-role expectations, such as expecting women to be the caretakers of the household. Sexism also includes of how a members of a gender group should behave. For example, women are expected to be friendly, nurturing and passive; when a woman behaves in an unfriendly or rude manner, she may be disliked or apprehend as aggressive because she has violated a gender role . In contrast, a man behaving in a similarly unfriendly or rude way might be apprehend as strong or even gain respect in some circumstances

Heternormativity is the idea that there exist two distinctive classifications of the genders, males and females, with customary roles in society. The idea asserts that heterosexuality is the only normal sexual orientation of people and that all sexual and marital relations must abide by this norm. Society has adopted this belief and constructed it into a standard of life. It is normal for people to automatically presume that most other people are heterosexual and that heterosexuality is the default sexual preference. Thus, all other sexualities that are nonheterosexual are a deviation of the default. Heterosexuality is the most appreciative and is the most acceptable sexuality for a man and

Gender roles play a huge part in society. Gender plays a role in shaping an individuals identify and beliefs. It also helps identify what is masculine and what is feminine. Certain tasks, duties, and jobs are classified by gender. However, gender appropriate behavior should not be enforced in our society for numerous reasons and can be seen on an individual level and be demonstrated by social learning theory and sex segregation.

Heteronormative behavior is an expectation. Lind places this reality into perspective by stating that, “hegemonic sexuality is central to people’s everyday lives, forms of expression, intimate arrangements, and forms of desire” (Lind 2). These behaviors have been engrained in various institutions, such as religious establishments that evangelize strict male and female romantic relationships. Hegemonic heterosexuality is perceived as appropriate, whereas “same-sex forms of sexual practice and identity, along with other

Gender roles determine how men and women are expected to behave. They have a set of