Gender Roles Pros And Cons

Gender Roles- Rough Draft

From the moment babies are born, their gender plays a huge role in their lives, the first question people always ask is whether it’s a boy or a girl. Based on the answer to this question babies are either wrapped in a pink blanket or a blue one. We live in a world where we are very gender specific, we divide physical features, behaviors, toys, careers, names, and even colors into two categories: feminine and masculine. These gender stereotypes influence our lives so much that even children as old as 10 months can understand gender-related information. According to Gary Levy, Ph.D., director of the Infant Development Center at the University of Wyoming, babies were shown “videos of certain objects paired with either a male or a female face… children became accustomed to seeing certain objects with a man's face and

others with a woman's face, and they recognized when the [pattern was violated]” (Solomon). From a very young age children are being taught how to be a boy or how to be a girl which forces them into gender roles that affect them for the rest of their life.
There is no doubt that gender inequality is still an issue in today’s society, women are still seen as housewives and men are the ones who supposedly hold all the power.

According to The Guardian it is shown that more women have jobs in social work, education, and nursing, while more men have jobs as doctors, engineers, and police officers (Rogers). This is because of gender roles, women are not encouraged to do a “man’s work” so often times they don’t feel good enough to pursue those types of careers. Men are affected by this as well, they are told from a young age that they have to be successful and support their families so they are looked down on for going into more “womanly” careers. Women also have to deal with the fact that they don’t get paid as much as men or have as many opportunities. Not only that but men and women still have unrealistic expectations set upon them, women are constantly being sexualized and are judged for not looking a certain way, and men get made fun of for being too emotional. As you can see there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before gender equality can fully exist in this

world.
I witness children being pushed into certain gender roles every day, I see moms encouraging their daughters to wear pink dress, watch Princess movies, and get their nails done together, and I see dads playing catch with their sons, teaching them how to mow the lawn, and taking them to baseball games. Sure the children enjoy these activities but perhaps that’s because they think they have to, or that’s all they know. I’m sure if young girls engaged in sports more and young boys gave Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty a chance they would be just as happy, but instead we get parents who stick to the traditional ways of things forever keeping us split into two categories. Fathers wouldn’t dare raise a son to play with dolls and mothers would prefer a daughter that is girly instead of a tomboy, but why? What is so wrong with expanding our interests? It will only lead us to further opportunities and an open mind. Let’s say good-bye to what is feminine or masculine, what is girly or boyish, let’s say good-bye to gender roles and hello to freedom and an open future with no limitations.
Many people, especially older generations, will say that gender roles are relevant and important because they give people a place in society. Perhaps they feel this way because that’s how the majority of them grew up; the wives would cook and clean and the husbands would go to work and make money and everyone was happy, right? Wrong. These old fashioned ideas that people are categorized into groups and have to behave a certain way are extremely unfair and completely outdated. Just like with anything else change is unavoidable and necessary, if we were still living with the idea that women are strictly the caretakers of the family, then women today wouldn’t be able to have jobs or even attend college. Having women work not only makes them feel more powerful and worthy, but it also benefits their families by having two incomes instead of just one. Having women attending college makes for a more educated society overall, and how is that a bad thing? People may also say that gender roles are in our nature, now I very much understand that males and females are different, and these differences cause them to act and feel certain ways that are specific to their gender, however, society forces these differences onto us, making us think that’s what defines us. Sure as a whole girls may be cleaner and neater and may be more interested in raising children than boys, however that doesn’t mean that’s all they’re good for or that they’re wrong for being messy or not wanting children. The same goes for boys, they may be interested in sports and action movies overall but that doesn’t mean all boys feel that way or it’s inappropriate for girls to have those interests. Maybe at one point gender roles were necessary to bring order to a household, but times have changed, and it’s complete nonsense to still act in such a way that belittles women and place men on a pedestal. As you can see gender roles simply limit us and if gender roles were as strict as they used to be then the world wouldn’t be as successful as it is today.
The focus on gender inequality nowadays almost always focuses on feminism, and while it’s certain that women face struggles of being treated unfairly, the same is true for men. After reading “What it Means to ‘Be a Man’” it’s pretty clear that feminism is not only for women, but for men as well. The gist of the article is that men are taught at such a young age to be powerful and hardworking so sometimes this leads them to be more aggressive and lack in things like empathy and respect. Young boys may sometimes to be afraid to really show who they are because if they show interests in art, theater, or music they could be categorized as “gay.” Young boys are always being told that they must “be real men” so to them that sometimes means they have to block out their true likes and passions in order to fit in. Boys also don’t seem to know how to properly express their feelings because doing so gets them made fun of yet again, it’s easier for boys to hide away then to share their emotions and concerns. It’s important that boys know how to cope with their feelings because if not their teenage and adult years could be a lot more difficult than intended. If young boys realize they are not fitting the stereotype of being “a real man” they could become violent and frustrated which can end up being dangerous. It’s about time that boys start speaking up without feeling ashamed (Olson). The reason men act so tough and strong is not always because they feel that way but because they feel like they have to feel that way, if men could just learn how to be vulnerable and the rest of the world can learn how to be supportive of that, then perhaps the world could run a little more smoothly.
Gender roles force males and females to look a certain way, act a certain way, and develop certain interests, now maybe people grow up in these ways because that’s who they truly want to be; or maybe it’s because they were taught that’s how it’s supposed to be. Parents, teachers, and the media have strong influences on the way we grow up and they are encouraging gender roles, maybe without even realizing it. It has been studied that mothers and fathers parent differently; mothers tend to tell stories with a lot of emotion, while fathers tend to tell stories involving success and achievement. Furthermore, mothers and fathers parent differently depending on if they’re interacting with a daughter or a son, parents tend to be more gentle and friendly with daughters and tell more stories involving love and relationships, while parents tend to be harder on their sons and tell them stories involving power and might (Olayia 14). Not only that, but it is noted that teachers teach differently based on gender as well. Since it is said that girls are more teachable than boys, “males demand and receive more attention from their teachers and therefore receive more specific, instructive feedback from teachers” (Olayia 13). This encourages the boys while discourages the girls, just because they are doing fine in class does not mean that they don’t need any attention, this causes the girls to have lower achievement and lower self-esteem which if continues, affects them for the rest of their life.
The media plays a huge part in enforcing gender roles as well, you’re constantly seeing images of women always looking a certain way: pretty, tall, thin, and flawless. Not only does this make young girls feel bad about themselves when they don’t look the same way, but it also makes it seem like the only thing women are good for is looking beautiful and sexy. The media displays men as strong or busy at work making money, this makes it seem like men are the only ones who can have power and strength. It’s not so easy to just shut out the media and ignore the way they depict men and women because everywhere you look the same depictions are being shown. Whether its advertisements, movies, commercials, or television shows, gender roles are being shown and encouraged. We may not always notice these types of things but if you really think about it, the media is constantly displaying these gender roles upon us:
Women are more often presented in commercials, because they are seen as responsible for making everyday purchases. Men generally advertise cars, cigarettes, business products or investments, whereas women are shown rather in the commercials with cosmetics and domestic products. They are also more likely portrayed in the home environment, unlike men, who are shown outdoors. Another important distinction is the face-ism phenomenon in the commercials, which consists in showing the entire figure in case of women and close-up shots in case of men. The first method lowers the receiver’s estimation of the intelligence of the person on the photo. The second one more often evokes positive associations. (Wolska)
Something so simple never seemed like a huge deal until now, I’ve never actually realized how often women are belittled through the use of commercials and how men are seen as superior. We’ve all just become so used to these ideas that women are less and men are more because we see it everywhere we go, and we never question why the roles are switched, we just accept it and expect it. The media is brainwashing us to believe that these gender roles are suited for our society, they’re trying to convince us of our “proper” places. Mixing this together with how parents and teachers interact with boys and girls differently and it’s no wonder why gender inequality still exists. Sure it seems small but the media actually does play a huge part in why gender roles still exists and why they’re not leaving anytime soon.
Gender roles force us to associate things as either masculine, or feminine, but why does that need to be the case? Why can’t people just behave in whatever ways they want to without worrying about being judged because they don’t fit into their gender role? Gender roles are completely unfair, they set limitations upon us and don’t let us fully expand who we are. Why is it that we only care about men’s sports over women’s? Why is it that when women get raped it’s a huge deal but when men get raped it’s overlooked? Why is it that “when a man commits domestic violence he is punished very harshly [?] But when a women commits domestic violence she gets cheers and chuckles” (Bystrova)? We live in a world of double standards and both gender are affected by this. We even do these types of things without even realizing it, for example in our language; if we are talking about a female nurse we just say nurse, but if we are talking about a male nurse, we specify that (Kirca 6). We are so used to gender roles that we act upon them on a daily basis without even intending to.
We have the power to eliminate gender roles and gender stereotyping, we have the power to inform young girls that they are capable of more than just cooking and cleaning and being a pretty face to look at. We have the power to encourage young boys how to express their emotions and do what makes them happy even if it is seen as girly. We have the power to create open minded individuals that don’t place every color, behavior, or style they see into categories of masculine and feminine. It will definitely take some work because these ideas are so ingrained into our brains, however it’s worth it for the outcome. Barbara Solomon gives some great tips on how to solve this ongoing issue. She says parents can encourage mixed-gender playdates, this way each child is exposed to interests, games, and toys that differ from their own. Parents can also do a better job of being honest with their children and sharing their feelings, this will help young boys see that it’s okay to be emotional. Parents can also try not to generalize so much but instead be more specific and encourage their children to do the same, if you’re starting a sentence with “all girls” or “all boys” that’s probably not a good idea. From a very young age children need to be taught that they can do anything they put their mind to regardless of their gender, girls can be strong athletes, and excellent doctors and lawyers, and boys can be interested in the arts and make awesome teachers. Children should not live their lives stuck in a certain gender stereotype but instead live it through a combination of both, and by doing so more well-rounded, powerful, confident individuals will begin to fill our society.
While it’s true that males and females are different, society pushes these differences upon us, forcing us into gender roles. All our lives we are categorized as either male or female and we are treated certain ways because of that. Gender roles prevent females from being more successful and confident, and prevent males from feeling vulnerable and knowing how to deal with their emotions. If the media stops portraying women in sexual ways and stops suggesting that men are the only ones who can have strength, and parents and teachers become blind to gender then we have a way better chance at eliminating gender stereotypes. It will take some patience and work but it’s important that we stop shaping people to act a certain way based on this one difference because it’s taking away from people becoming who they really are, it’s taking away from greatness.