The Influence Of Gender Roles

Background literature: Previous studies about gender stereotypes enforced on people include; “Effect of infant’s perceived gender on adolescents’ ratings of the infant by Degelman, Dvorak, and Homutoff and Cowan (1983). These studies highlight feminine and masculine traits. They ask middle school students to rate a baby on each of those traits.

Imagine a young girl viewing the Disney film Cinderella. She watches as Cinderella's only purpose in life is to cook and clean endlessly. Will this little girl believe that she too is destined to the typical female role of a stay-at-home maid, one who spends her days doing chores for others? Will she begin to think of herself as unworthy of a higher profession? Children are exposed to gender stereotypes every single day in movies, and this is harmful to their development. Young children are especially impressionable, and these gender stereotypes may largely impact their thought process. These ideas also may influence a child’s future and what his or her plans are in life. Additionally, children may begin to think

Throughout history, humans have always been expected to act a certain way depending on their sex. These societal expectations are called gender roles. (Rathus, 2010, p.447). These roles begin to develop even before a child is even out of the womb. A mother may decorate their nursery pink if they are having a daughter because “girls like pink,” and “boys like blue.” Gender roles should not be confused with gender stereotypes. A gender stereotype is a narrow way of thinking about how men and woman are obligated to behave. For example, men have always been considered to be the breadwinners of the family. Females, on the other hand, are seen more as the gentle homemakers that stay home to clean and take care of the children. (Rathus, 2010, p.447). These types of stereotypes have caused certain out-of-the-home jobs to be mainly categorized for either women or men, causing an even more distinct line between the genders.

WRITER’S POSITION: 1ST POINT: TOPIC SENTENCE: Parents, teachers etc. with children in the early ages often are teaching their perception of gender stereotypes very subtly in everyday concepts. EVIDENCE SUBPOINT 1 These concepts are often learned by children and continued throughout their adulthood. Girls especially are affected because they have more thoughtful ideas about these gender stereotypes which affect their feelings.

From the moment of birth, certain gender stereotypes are instilled upon children. Gender stereotypes are widely held beliefs about characteristics deemed appropriate for males and females. These characteristics consist of males being the dominant sex while possessing masculine traits such as being active, aggressive, outspoken, self-confident, and adventurous. Females are perceived to have more feminine traits such as being passive, emotional, gentle, neat, and home-oriented. Children observe reflections of these stereotypes in everyday behaviors. These reflections are better known as gender roles.

At a young age, we are taught to adhere to norms and are restricted to conform to society’s given rules. We are taught that straying away from stereotypes is anything but good and encouraged to build our lives upon only these social rules. Recently, stereotypes based on genders have been put into the limelight and have become of high interest to a generation that is infamously known for deviating from the established way of life. Millennials have put gender roles under fire, deeming it a form of segregation and discrimination by gender. Researchers have followed suit. Mimicking millennial interests, numerous studies have been published that detail the relationship between gender, stereotypes, and the effects of the relationship between the two. Furthermore, gender roles have been used as a lens to study socialization; tremendous amounts of interest have prompted studies on the inheritance and dissemination of norms, culture, and ideologies based on the stereotypes that cloud gender. For sociologists, determining the extent of the impact of gender stereotypes on socializing our population has become a paramount discussion. Amidst many articles, the work of Karniol, Freeman, and Adler & Kless were standouts and between the three pieces, childhood served as a common thread; more specifically, these researchers studied how gender roles impact socialization from such a young age.

There is evidence that increases gender stereotyping and allow the different gender institution. a. Example stereotypes, for every adult female who feels “tied down” by her children and the human race, will deny the total joys of shared

In this paper I will discuss how the role of gender and the stereotypes of the sexes relate. I will also discuss the child’s perception of their male and female superiors and in the way they carry out their own behavior in regards to what has been introduced to them. In this paper I want to also expand on the basic stereotypes that we as individuals portray toward a gender. Gender and stereotyping is among a broad spectrum. There is an expansive amount of content, but the concept still remains the same. Everyone has an influence on one another. How could such an idea like stereotyping become of something without some kind of a societal domino effect?

By and large, gender socialization is a major contributor to identity and self- concept. Gender therefore becomes a characteristic that defines other’s perceptions and evaluations of us. People come to manage gender along with aspects of other aspects of the self by making sure that we are acting in gender-appropriate way (Goffman, 1959, Libby). In itself, the self is a product of social forces and it emerges through socialization. Being that gender is a major function of one’s identity, stereotypes about gender affect the individual’s perception of his or her self. Two elements of the self from Charles Horton Cooley look at the self as emerging through interaction in groups and the self as basis for social control. Through interactions with others, in this case peers, children begin to develop their self-concept and the perceptions that others have on them create the normative expectations . When an individual becomes aware that his or her behaviors are not conforming to the norms and expectations related to their gender, they become aware of their peers perceptions towards them as either being positive or negative. This in turn can alter the way the individual presents his or her self. According to Carter (2014:257) “boys and girls learn what behavior means and henceforth attach identity expectations to behaviors” and they become identity standards that are “strengthened by repeated comparisons between the internalized expectations and subsequent appraisal of behaviors”.

This paper explores various facets of gender roles in order to understand this topic such as what role males and females are expected to play in today's society, how gender roles are decided, affected and exaggerated by stereotyping. Futhermore, this paper will draw attention towards how stereotyping leads to gender biases.

Ever since the dawn of time, women and men have been associated with specific gender roles that can be seen controversial in the eyes of many. Traits and roles associated with a specific gender can be either innate or learned over time. Looking into the deeper concept of gender roles and stereotypes, it is clear that these fixed gender roles are not naturally born with, but rather taught, learned, or influenced by external forces.

Parents pressure their children into fitting gender roles. A gender role is quite literally the role that a gender is expected to fit based on societal standards (Kerr, Multon 183). “Masculinity and femininity can be described as an individual’s endorsement and internalization of culturally defined norms about the male and female gender role, and individual men and woman may embrace or reject these roles to different degrees (Bohart, Terrell 441).” When children are forced to fit into a particular gender role it will add struggles to their everyday life. Gender roles put onto young people will affect them negatively at their current age and down the road.

Sex-role stereotypes may have both positive and negative effects on females and males in society. If the stereotype of the described sex group is negative, it could have negative effects on some members of that group and vice-versa. The following are the main effects of sex-role stereotypes on individuals:

Gender Roles In today’s world are different patterns of behaviors, mannerism, interests, personality traits and attitudes that are regarded as either male or female by one’s culture. Gender Roles now are largely based on how the society dictates it to be. As Society changes its gender roles also change to meet its needs. Gender roles might also be based on how one was raised from his/her childhood to adulthood. Many Research studies show that both genetics and environment influence the development of gender roles. Male and female gender constructs cultural beliefs that dictate there are two biological sexes male and female in common point of view. However, I think that both the genders (male and female) are running on societal needs rather

Parents are the foundation for children to develop gender stereotypes. They have a significant role of fostering their values into their children. At the same time, parents also introduce gendered ideals through their interactions and by unintentionally falling back on the traditional ideals they were brought up with. Such ideals will include clothes with gender connotations or having the child perform gender related housework. Because parents are the basis for their children’s ideals of gender, the parents can have an effect on the children’s rearing, behaviors and beliefs, and education opportunities.