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What Are Gender Roles In American Culture

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Aishat Adebayo
WGSS 2010 – 12 PM
Cultural Influence on Gender Role
Ever since I was little, all I have ever dreamt about was becoming a successful doctor and living in a beautiful modern home with my husband and many children. You could say that I’m aspiring for my version of the “American dream.” My parents, who I look up to, portray a glimpse of this future that I hope to achieve. Since I grew up in a Nigerian Muslim household, with conservative parents, my sister and I were raised to uphold certain beliefs regarding gender roles. In a traditional African culture, it’s customary for women to be raised as ‘housewives’ as men are believed to be the ‘breadwinners’ of the household. From a very young age, I was taught to cook, clean and care for my future family. As extra ‘motivation’ my parents would often tell me how shameful it would be to fail as a 'housewife' and unable to marry as a result. Just getting married, does not cut it, women are also expected to birth a child for their husbands (notice the FOR) otherwise, they are looked down upon. My parents always made sure to tell my sister and me, that for us to obtain a happy marriage, we should look for an African Muslim …show more content…

Although I believe women should care for their husbands; I also think marriage is a two-way street, and a man should be treated like a King, and the wife should also be treated like a Queen. When I think about who my future husband is, I see an African Muslim man, with great qualities that exemplify characteristics resembling my father. Because of this, I rarely give men who do not display these characteristics, the time of day (Hence why I’m still single). Recently, I came across a situation in which a male individual revealed the mindset of a typical ‘egotistical man.' Situations such as this only reinforce my beliefs that good men no longer

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