Why Are There Gender Roles - 1934 Words

Why are there gender roles in every culture and society? To what purpose do they serve? In the United States, we find that gender roles are the basis of the society, but we don’t really understand them. In fact, many are outdated, yet the whole society continues to follow them despite its feelings about them. After all, we are told throughout our lives to â€Å"be ourselves† and not to â€Å"fall to peer pressure.† The first part to understanding gender roles is to understand genders. According to the dictionary, gender means â€Å"either the male or female division of a species, especially as differentiated by social and cultural roles and behavior† (dictionary). Male or female? Still according to the dictionary, female means â€Å"a person bearing two X chromosomes in the cell nuclei and normally having a vagina, a uterus and ovaries, and developing at puberty a relatively rounded body and enlarged breasts, and retaining a beardless face; a girl or woman† and a male is â€Å" a person bearing an X and Y chromosome pair in the cell nuclei and normally having a penis, scrotum, and testicles, and developing hair on the face at adolescence; a boy or man† (dictionary). These definitions would be fine, but they don’t take into consideration people who are, perhaps, transgender or gender fluid. Therefore, we should not have gender roles because they constantly discr iminate against those who deviate from the â€Å"traditional† way of life. Part of the â€Å"traditional† gender roles in America, and in mostShow MoreRelatedWhy Gender Roles Weaken Women And Progress As A Whole Essay937 Words   |  4 Pages Why Gender roles Weaken women and progress as a whole: The gender chasm in America â€Å"As has been long observed, men are people, but women are women Acclaimed British-Canadian Author and Psychologist, Cordelia Fine, Delusions of Gender: How our Minds, Society and Neurosexism Create Difference. Published 2005 Throughout recorded history and even well before, there have been specific specialized roles for members of societies based largely on Gender. These roles loomed particularly large inRead MoreGender Roles In Same Sex Relationships885 Words   |  4 PagesHowever, isn’t it ridiculous to impose gender roles on couples? Today many gay couples are victims of people imposing gender roles upon them, and if you answered yes to the above question. Isn’t it still ridiculous to do this within a same-sex relationship? 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Gender roles can be defined as the behaviours and attitudes expected of male and female members of a society by that society. Basically to make it clear the pattern of masculine or feminine behaviours of an individual that is defined by a particular culture and that is largely determined by a childsRead MoreDid You Know That Kids Every Year Are Sent Home From School1355 Words   |  6 Pageswearing a football jersey? You could be curious why, or just concerned about how stupid this sounds. This is an example of gender roles and how they need to be loosened to protect our freedom of expression and our choice of how we lead our lives. The gender roles that are considered normal today could be represented as two parallel pink and blue lines, not ever coming together to form a different color. 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This is the result of gender stratification. Gender stratification refers to the issue of sexism, â€Å"or the belief that one sex is superior to the other† (Carl et al., 2012, p. 78). The theory that men are superior to women is essential to sexism. The negative consequences of sexism has led to the