Mrs Doubtfire Sociology

In 1993, Mrs. Doubfire, was one of the first movies to feature a cross-dressed gay and heterosexual man. During this period of time people were exceptionally homophobic. At this time, there was a scarce amount shows with gay characters and storylines. It has in fact been concluded that the release of Mrs. Doubtfire resulted in the increase in production of films containing gay themes. Americans have been in a constant debate about gender roles, and the effects and reasoning behind these roles. While differing gender roles have noteworthy outcomes on many things, the family unit is directly affected by gender roles. The movie, Mrs. Doubtfire depicts this perfectly. The themes shown in this movie can be explained by multiple sociological concepts including female gender roles, male gender roles, and theories on families.

Summary

The comedic film, Mrs. Doubtfire tells a story about a family

who is going through a divorce. The recently divorced father, Daniel, who is played by the actor Robin Williams, struggles with the idea of not being able to see his three children; Lydia, Chris, and Natalie. With help from his brother, Frank, Daniel decides to disguise himself as a British nanny in order for him to be close to his kids. Frank helps convince Daniels wife, Miranda, played by Sally Field, to hire a female British nanny, not knowing it is actually her husband, dressed as a woman. Throughout the course of the movie, Mrs. Doubtfire practically wins over his children. It was only a matter of time until the family found out that Mrs. Doubtfire was actually a man and non the less their father/husband.
Female gender roles
Gender roles can be defined as a “set of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one’s status as male or female” (Conley 2017:291). The differences between men and women have very little to do with gender differences, but instead on the positions men and women have. Over time, female gender roles have been associated with taking care of the family and the house. The traditional female gender roles depict women as kind-hearted and sensitive. The nanny, in Mrs. Doubtfire depicts this perfectly by cleaning, cooking, reading, and helping the children with homework. Mrs. Doubtfire fulfills the gender role of women with her exceptional nurturing behavior. It is not the same case for the mother, Miranda, as she portrays different gender roles. Miranda, being self-reliant and modern, does not partake in traditional activities like the stereotypical female, fulfilling specific gender roles. The mother, Miranda, is different from the traditional woman as she has a job outside of the household, forcing her to stray away from the female gender roles as the nurturer of her family. When the oldest daughter, Lydia was first introduced to Mrs. Doubtfire, she reacted aggressively and filled with anger. Lydia, as well as her mom both break the traditional gender roles as a female. When watching this film it seems to be a common theme for nearly all the female characters to partake in untraditional gender roles.
Male gender roles
In contrast to the women in the movie, the men seem to have compassionate roles.

Daniel encompasses the characteristics of a loving parent. He goes to extreme measures, such as dressing up as a female nanny, just to be with his his kids, Lydia, Chris, and Natalie. Another example would be the judge, settling the divorce, who expresses his belief in the importance of having a loving and compassionate father. The judge shoes compassion when he allows Daniel time to find a job. Daniels brother, Frank can be seen as another example of males fulfilling compassionate roles. Frank offers Daniel a place to stay at when he had no place to go. Frank is also the one that made Daniels transformation into Mrs. Doubtfire possible. In the beginning of the movie, Mrs. Doubtfire finds her job as a nanny quite difficult. When attempting to cook a lobster dinner for the family, she has no idea what she is doing as she frantically cooks, ending in a catastrophe as her breasts catch on fire. This scene in the movie emphasizes the traditional gender role that men are incapable of cooking like

women.
Family theories
Unconventional gender roles in marriage are seen throughout the movie, Mrs. Doubtfire. A majority of cultures believe that a man’s role is to provide for the family financially. The father, Daniel, does not follow this cultural norm, in fact he does the opposite of his ‘intended’ role in society as he struggles to hold a professional job. The male gender roles were actually upheld by Miranda, the wife, as she was the one with a professional job providing and adequate amount of money for their family. Another example of unconventional gender roles in this movie is that Daniel was the caretaker of the kids and the home. Since Miranda had a job, she was not able to be the caretaker. Miranda and Daniel essentially switched the conventional gender roles.
Miranda was the stern and stressed provider for the family, while Daniel was the loving, compassionate father to the children. The importance of having both a male and female parent are brought to the viewer’s attention. Sociologist Linda Waite and columnist Maggie Gallagher claim that the children of divorced families are at higher risk for child abuse, neglect, delinquency, and lower educational attainment. In this case, they also suggested that a child with married parents will have a better home life, as the parent’s focus on their children, have significant emotional connections, and resources to help their kids succeed (Conley 2017:488).
In the beginning of the film, after the divorce occurred and Daniel was absent, the children became depressed. Mrs. Doubtfire was used as a replacement for Daniel in hopes of cheering up the kids and helping out Miranda. When watching the movie it is obvious that the children love Mrs. Doubtfire, but are still in need of a father figure. Miranda began to realize that regardless of her and Daniels differences, the children needed him. Mrs. Doubtfire tells the children not to blame themselves for the divorce, and know that even if they don’t love each other, they love you. Perhaps Mrs. Doubtfire portrayed the most important gender role of all, by being caring and loving parents for the children.
Conclusion
While Mrs. Doubtfire may portray gender roles in a negative way, the movie looks at them in a positive way. Perhaps the most important role depicted in this movie is the love given to the children by their parents. For the most part, Mrs. Doubtfire expresses gender roles to be powerful influences that impact our daily lives. Mrs. Doubtfire’s loving and compassionate role can be seen when she receives a letter from a girl whose parents have split up. She says, that sometimes when parents get angry, it is better for them to be apart. She reassures the girl that she is not alone, and that many children experience the same things. Mrs. Doubtfire’s response demonstrates her fulfilling the traditional female gender role while addressing importance of family.