Gender roles. Roles of Men and Women in Society - Essay Example

I. Introduction It is a fact that gender roles have existed for almost as long as the human race has existed and it is quite possible that they will continue to exist in the foreseeable future. They are a part of the daily lives of individuals and are manifested within the society by observable factors such as how one behaves or appear Thesis - Gender roles can be considered to be patterns of feelings deemed appropriate or inappropriate because of one’s gender and they derive from the social expectations of how members of the different genders whether male or female, should behave II. The biological make up of an individual within a society has long been used to determine how that person should behave Biology is not necessarily a determining factor in gender roles In many of the societies today, there is a tendency to ascribe roles according to the biological makeup of the individuals within them Men were given the positions of power, not because they could do better than women, but because of their biological makeup III. The society plays a major role in determining the gender roles of the individuals within it The parents of a large number of people in society determine the gender roles of their children and rigidly enforce them. Society is a powerful force in the lives of the individuals within it It is often extremely difficult for individuals to go against the roles which have been set for them by their own societies IV. Culture is another major factor that determines the gender roles of individuals in the societies within which they live. There are many different cultures around the world and each has its own expectations about what roles the members of each sex should undertake Other cultures cannot be judged according to the western standards because of the fact that while there may be similar cultures, there are others which are completely different In a globalized culture, men and women are considered to be equal and tend to be given equal opportunities, with each sex performing those tasks which were traditionally reserved for the other V. The various roles that are ascribed to the various genders are mostly determined by the society within which individuals live as well as by its culture. Biology only acts as a marker to determine how the society is going to socialize an individual to behave and it is not in itself a definer of gender roles Within the modern world, gender roles are starting to become insignificant Women can take up the roles traditionally reserved for men with the same efficiency and the reverse has also been proven to be true The gender roles are today slowly becoming blurred and they may cease to exist altogether in future It is a fact that gender roles have existed for almost as long as the human race has existed and it is quite possible that they will continue to exist in the foreseeable future. They are a part of the daily lives of individuals and are manifested within the society by observable factors such as how one behaves or appear. Gender roles can be considered to be patterns of feelings deemed appropriate or inappropriate because of one’s gender and they derive from the social expectations of how members of the different genders whether male or female, should behave. An example of this is if a person considers themselves to be female, then she would be expected to display the characteristics which are typically associated with being female, such as being gentle, dependent and expressive of their feelings. There are various factors that are used to determine the gender roles in society and the most important of these are biological, social, and cultural factors. One would state that the biological make up of an individual within a society has long been used to determine how that person should behave. However, there is yet to be proof of the fact that whether one is male or female, he or she is born with the innate knowledge of the characteristics that are often ascribed to their gender (Zosuls et al 827). In fact, those who support the idea that biology determines gender roles cannot explain how or why some males become very emotional and cry in situations where they are expected to be strong and unemotional. This helps to show that biology is not necessarily a determining factor in gender roles and that perhaps it is the society within which these individuals live that makes them aware of their roles. It is a fact that in many of the societies today, there is a tendency to ascribe roles according to the biological makeup of the individuals within them (Berenbaum et al 804). An example of this is in the corporate world where it has for a long time been normal for managerial positions to be given to men while positions such as those of personal secretaries were reserved for women. As seen in this example, men were given the positions of power, not because they could do better than women, but because of their biological makeup, which was believed to be stronger than that of women. This might perhaps be responsible for the paternalistic nature of many societies today, especially towards women. For a long time, it has been noted that the society plays a major role in determining the gender roles of the individuals within it. These individuals learn about their roles in society through their interactions with their family members, their socializing with their teachers and friends at school, and through the influence of mass media (Van den Berghe 292). The parents of a large number of people in society determine the gender roles of their children and rigidly enforce them. Therefore, these individuals grow up knowing the roles which are expected of their gender and are not allowed to choose for themselves because of the set societal norms (Witt 254). Society is indeed a powerful force in the lives of the individuals within it since it is what determines how the individuals within it will behave as well as their roles in the society itself. It is often extremely difficult for individuals to go against the roles which have been set for them by their own societies, because to do so often results in their being shunned by the rest of the society. What remains for these individuals is to strictly adhere to the roles set for them whether they like these roles or not. However, there has been a movement towards the creation of equal opportunities for both sexes within the society, as it has been realized that the ascription of gender roles on individuals can be most restrictive of their potential. Culture is another major factor that determines the gender roles of individuals in the societies within which they live. There are many different cultures around the world and each has its own expectations about what roles the members of each sex should undertake. An example of this is that while in most Western societies the male is expected to be dominant in society (Gross 8), in other cultures such as in some Asian communities, women are very powerful players within the society and major decisions cannot be made without consulting them. The gender roles in different societies can therefore be said not to be universal and in fact, they often tend to be based on the culture that these societies have practiced for a long time. Other cultures cannot be judged according to the western standards because of the fact that while there may be similar cultures, there are others which are completely different. The western culture can be defined as being largely patriarchal but there are some societies, such as those of the Ashanti in Africa, where the society tends to be highly matriarchal. However, with the advent of globalization, the cultures of many societies are changing, and this is leading to societies conforming to the global culture which is increasingly becoming dominant (Noland 284). In a globalised culture, men and women are considered to be equal and tend to be given equal opportunities, with each sex performing those tasks which were traditionally reserved for the other. In conclusion, the various roles that are ascribed to the various genders are mostly determined by the society within which individuals live as well as by its culture. Biology only acts as a marker to determine how the society is going to socialize an individual to behave and it is not in itself a definer of gender roles. Within the modern world, gender roles are starting to become insignificant because it has been proven that women can take up the roles traditionally reserved for men with the same efficiency and the reverse has also been proven to be true. The gender roles are today slowly becoming blurred and they may cease to exist altogether in future. Works Cited Berenbaum, Sheri A., et al. "A Role for Biology in Gender-Related Behavior." Sex Roles 64.11-12 (2011): 804-25. Gross, Rita M. "What Went Wrong? Feminism and Freedom from the Prison of Gender Roles." Cross Currents 2003: 8, 20, 142. Noland, Carey M. "Listening to the Sound of Silence: Gender Roles and Communication about Sex in Puerto Rico." Sex Roles 55.5-6 (2006): 283-94. Van den Berghe, Pierre, L. "Sexual Selection and Social Roles: Two Models Or One?" Behavioral and Brain Sciences 32.3-4 (2009): 291, 2. Witt, Susan D. "Parental Influence on Children's Socialization to Gender Roles." Adolescence 32.126 (1997): 253-9. Zosuls, Kristina M., et al. "Gender Development Research in Sex Roles: Historical Trends and Future Directions." Sex Roles 64.11-12 (2011): 826-42. Read More