Gender Roles In American Culture

In American culture many people expect those within our society to strictly follow gender roles that have been set in place and anyone who does not follow these roles are often judged harshly. Recently, a friend of mine had a son; her and her husband decided that he would take on the responsibility of being a stay at home father. When I first heard about this I was perplexed by the situation because fathers are “bread winners” for their family, not nurturers. The idea that men cannot be nurturing and mothers cannot be the sole financial support system of the family is deeply ingrained in our culture. Due to society’s idea of masculine and feminine roles, many people struggle with the idea of men and women behaving in ways that do not fit our

In our culture, a person’s gender can hold them back or propel them in the work force, in social situations, and even in childrearing. Girls are taught that more feminine qualities are important for them to obtain. These traits include being more caring, compassionate, and understanding, as well as quiet, and patient. All of these traits are seen as necessary to raise children. Boys are raised to have more masculine qualities, which do not include being patient, expressive of one’s emotions, and nonaggressive behaviors. Men are taught that they should be aggressive and able to defend their family. This includes being able to provide financially for their family. When this is not achieved men are quickly judged and scrutinized. Our society places a debilitating stigma upon men who are stay at home fathers; it makes them appear weaker and more feminine, which is a quality that is frowned upon in

The number one reason seems to be buried in the fact that men and women are told from a very young age that it is not the father’s job or responsibility to be the primary caregiver for their children, even if they are more fit for the position than the mother. Stay at home fathers are seen as “less competent, less affectionate toward children, and less involved in tending to physical needs of children” (Fischer, & Anderson, 2012 p. 17). This results in the belief that stay at home fathers are not fit to be primary caregivers for their children. The stigma that men cannot be good at taking on this position is also seen in reports that fathers receive negative responses for defying this gender role. Most of which comes from stay at home mothers according to Rochlen, Mckelley, and Whittaker’s 2010 study about stay at home fathers. Our society also holds unrealistic expectation of these men. Mostly, they are seen as more feminine, therefore can be considered less of a man. This leads to the belief that they no longer participate or even enjoy activities that are considered masculine. Even though these men are seen as less masculine, they are also seen as unable to offer the proper amount of emotional support and nurturance that their children may need. According to Fischer, and Anderson (2012), “men who are stay at home fathers have similar levels of masculine and feminine