an essay i wrote on gender roles

“Differences in gender were used for millennia to divide, exploit and isolate women. So, eliminate the differences. Who in Western society could seriously argue, after the angry gender wars of the 1960s and '70s, that the ongoing liberation of women is anything less than a crowning moral achievement. Gender may mean less today than ever in history -- in our society, at least -- but it still means plenty. Boys and girls -- and a whole newly vocal rainbow of gender variants in between -- may be heading today toward the same bright future, but they continue to travel on a divided highway. The nurturing of parents, the impact of friends and the crushing influence of popular culture all have a huge impact on gender roles and expectations” (MacQueen, p. 26, 2003). Gender role does and should play a huge part in society.


A gender role is defined as a set of perceived behavioral norms associated particularly with males or females, in a given social group or system. It can be a form of division of labour by gender. It is a focus of analysis in the social sciences and humanities. Gender is one component of the gender/sex system, which refers to "The set of arrangements by which a society transforms biological sexuality into products of human activity, and in which these transformed needs are satisfied" (Reiter 1975: 159). Almost all societies, to a certain effect, have a gender/sex system, although the components and workings of this system vary markedly from society to society (Wikipedia,2008). Although some societies vary, in almost all societies the man is thought of as the provider. Likewise the mother is thought of to be the nurturing caring person responsible for turning a house into a home. That is why Gender role does and should play a huge part in society.

“What is male? What is female? Your answers to these questions may depend on the types of gender roles you were exposed to as a child. Gender roles can be defined as the behaviors and attitudes expected of male and female members of a society by that society. Gender roles vary. Different cultures impose different expectations upon the men and women who live in that culture. The United States has experienced tremendous upheaval and revising of its traditional gender roles in the last generation. These changes in gender roles affect the home, the workplace, and the school, and they affect all Americans to some degree. With the increased presence of women in the workplace, old attitudes and behaviors have had to change. Men and women are more aware of sexual harassment than previously; whereas 20 years ago a woman who refused to have an affair with her boss may have had to quit, she now has other options. Companies are now experimenting with policies that are family-friendly, such as flex time, job sharing, and on-site child care--policies that benefit both men and women” (Google, nd).

“For approximately the last 100 years women have been fighting for the same rights as men (especially around the turn from 19th to 20th century with the struggle for women's suffrage and in the 1960s with second-wave feminism and radical feminism) and were able to make changes to the traditionally accepted feminine gender role. However, most feminists today say there is still work to be done. Numerous studies and statistics show that even though the situation for women has improved during the last century, discrimination is still widespread: Women earn a smaller percentage of aggregate income than men, occupy lower-ranking job positions than men and do most of the housekeeping work. However, there may be some reason for this, as some studies have indicated that many jobs which were traditionally perceived to be male-dominated usually have longer hours, necessitate long periods of exposure to the elements, are higher risk and require a fair amount of physical strength. When feminism became a conspicuous protest movement in the 60's, critics often argued that women who wanted to follow a traditional role would be discriminated against in the future and forced to join the workforce. Many women, especially single parents are denied this choice due to economic necessity. In theory, feminism is the belief that a woman should have the right to make her own decisions” (Wikipedia, 2008).
“Gender roles in male prisons go further than the "Don't drop the soap"-joke. The truth is that some prisoners, either by choice or by force, take on strict 'female roles' according to prison set guidelines. For instance, a 'female' in prison is seen as timid, submissive, passive, and a means of sexual pleasure. When entering the prison environment some inmates "turn out" on their own free will, meaning they actively pursue the 'female role' in prison to gain some form of social power and/or prestige. Other, unlucky inmates, are forced to partake in 'female role' activities through coercion; the most common means being physical abuse. The inmates that are forced to "turn out" are commonly referred to as "punks". Other terms used to describe 'female' inmates are "girls", "kids", and "gumps". Some of the labels may be used as a means of describing one's ascribed status. For example, a "kid" is one that is usually dominated by their owner, or "daddy". The "daddy" is usually one with a high social status and prestige within the prison (E.g. gang leader). The "female" gender role is constructed through the mirror image of what the inmates perceive as a male. For instance, inmates view men as having strength, power, prestige, and an unyielding personality. However, the inmates don't refer to the female guards, who have power and prestige over the inmates, as males. The female guards are commonly referred to as "dykes", "ditch lickers", and lesbians. These roles are also assumed in female prisons” (Wikipedia, 2008)
In conclusion although gender does play a big part in our society, it should not be a reason to discriminate against a person. Just remember that gender roles are learned just as much as they are biological. Young men need older men to learn from, just as young ladies needs their mothers to teach them how to be young ladies. Some jobs are better suited for a man but if a woman wants to do it why not let her try? Society always wants to discriminate against someone. It is not just about race, or gender, or whether you are lower class or middle class it is about all of the above. It should not be that way but quite frankly it is that way and that is something that will probably never change.

References
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=35&hid=6&sid=5c9f6d6f-090a-490e-9f50-358be87cf54c%40sessionmgr3&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNvb2tpZSx1cmwsdWlkJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=afh&AN=9810352
Google. (nd). Retrieved December 11, 2008, from http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/8/Gender-roles.html
MacQueen, K. (2003, May 26). Ebsco. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=35&hid=6&sid=5c9f6d6f-090a-490e-9f50-358be87cf54c%40sessionmgr3&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNvb2tpZSx1cmwsdWlkJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=afh&AN=9810352
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_role#References