Every Society Has Its Own Set Of Gender Roles

Every Society Has Their Own Set Of Gender Roles They May

Claire Gatesyevery Society Has Their Own Set Of Gender Roles They May

Claire Gatesy Every society has their own set of gender roles; they may believe in these roles because of religion, tradition or culture, no matter the reason gender roles create inequality between the genders. Traditionally they put males into a position of power and females into a position of weakness. Often gender roles justify poor behavior, for example when manhood is shamed gender roles allow men to act out in violence because they are in a position of power. There is no evidence that traditional gender roles keep society afloat, if we demolish genders society will not fall apart. Societies view on traditional roles negatively impact both males and females, they cause disruptions in home life and work life, as well as excuse poor behavior.

As a society, we need to destroy gender roles and create equality between men and women. There is a theory that gender roles sow the seeds of violence; this theory acts as an excuse for anyone acting in a violent manner. Carol and James Gilligan devote their time to studying what causes violence in both males and females. (Lehoczky, 2000) The couple supports the idea that when manhood is shamed, men are pushed to be violent. This idea implies that anyone who shames a man’s manhood is at fault for violent acts committed upon them. There are some people that believe woman deserve violence, or ask for violence because of the way they dress and act.

Male supremacy is a problem society faces. If anyone commits violent acts they alone are responsible for their actions. If the idea that violence from men is acceptable because that is their genders role than that would mean men are exempt from being victims of violence. This is not the case; males experience violence from both males and females. Violence does not discriminate against sex, age, religion, socio-economic status, or ethnicity.

People are shocked by sexual violence when it happens to a male, but when sexual violence effects females no one is shocked. We have become numb to sexual violence towards women. That it unacceptable, sexual violence affects both males and females and each gender deserves respect if it occurs to them. Gender roles are used to justify poor behavior; this is only one of many reasons society need to abolish gender roles. Traditionally female stereotypes are nurturing, submissive, passive, home-oriented, sensitive and emotional among other things.

Both males and females should have the option to embrace these characteristics, they should not be forced upon anyone. Females are beginning to break out of their stereotype by joining male dominated work forces and becoming the breadwinner in their family. In every one out of three households, the female out earns the male, a figure that has been increasing since 2000. (Goodman, 2008) The shift in financial power effects both men and women. Some men are supportive and have taken on the responsibility of household work while other men find it emasculating; in these cases, the men still expect their female partner to be responsible for domestic housework. Women who are the breadwinner will sometimes begin to feel resentful that they oversee both the household’s financial obligations and the domestic responsibilities.

To make these modern relationships work, couples need to have frank discussions early on, frequent communication and marital troubleshooting skills. (Goodman, 2008) Women becoming the breadwinners in families is fueled by the fact that more woman than men have college degrees. (Los Angeles Times, 2007) Women now make up close to half of medical and law students, which results in lucrative careers. Some women believe they need to be better trained than men to succeed, this belief is powering the education gap. The belief that a female must work harder than a male at the same job is another example of unfair traditional gender roles. (Los Angeles Times, 2007) Women are flourishing in their careers, they are balancing home life and work life, and working long past when their husbands retire.

In the past when husbands retired so did their wives, it wasn’t required but it was the norm. (Rubin, 1998) It is not only women who are changing employment statistics, men are also causing a shift by entering female dominated fields. There is an increase in male nannies or ‘manny’, which is traditionally thought of as a female field. Adam Good is a manny in Washington, D.C. He does the grocery shopping, laundry, and cooking. He is proud of his career choice, “I love being with kids. It’s weird to think that not hanging out with kids is considered manly. What does that say about our roles?†(Schulte, 2006) Females are considered the nurturing gender but that is not always true. It is misleading to say the vast majority of males don’t care, when the vast majority of females don’t care, either. (Schulte, 2006) Evolving gender expectations is a reason behind the increase in male caregivers. Another influence on the increase of male caregivers is unemployment rate. The nation’s unemployment rate is high which is causing both men and women to cross the gender divide in the workplace. The number of men in a basic nursing program grew from 6 percent in 2006 to 15 percent in 2010. (Rubin, 2011) Males are the not the only gender impacted by unemployment, women are becoming more numerous in fields such as information technology, criminal justice and fire science. (Rubin, 2011) Men and woman are making significant strides by breaking though gender specific work fields, it is one of the last barriers to true gender equality. Breaking barriers in the work place is a only step in breaking gender roles altogether. Creating conversations about how there are no definite rules or boundaries regarding gender roles is an excellent way to break societies view. Conversations such as the one led by Mary Ann Spina and Dr. Audrey Gordon, the pair co-led an interfaith class titled “Male and Female in the Bible†which examined gender roles and duties in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. (Liebenson, 2014) The description of the class was to examine “gender role definitions and how these roles came to be definedâ€. The goal of the class was to find common ground and to get people to see how we are more alike than different. (Liebenson, 2014) By presenting differences but not focusing on them the class could concentrate on the similarities that bring everyone together. The conversations created in this class broke down gender role barriers. If people felt more comfortable to openly live outside of their genders stereotype Some people argue that gender roles give a place to everyone in society. Everyone will know what is expected of them and how they should behave. In the case of females, they would be indecisive, emotional, nurturing, verbal, very desirous of security and sensitive. Males would be dominant, decisive, tough, aggressive, cruel, logical and analytical. However, both males and females have characters typically described for the opposite sex. Gender roles don’t make life easier; they don’t give people a place in society; they create divides and hold people back from their full potential.

Removing gender stereotypes from society would allow everyone to truly be who they want to be without judgment. One of the biggest groups taking a stand against gender roles are the Arts. Artists such as Lorna Simpson are challenging the way we look at people. In the early 1990’s she created a sequence of photographs titled “Sheâ€, which presents imagines of an ambiguous model dressed in a man’s suit. Through her art, Simpson takes viewers to a precarious edge where self-possession falls away within social structures and suffocating roles that deny individual identity. (Foerstner, 1992) The emotional impact of the artwork encourages viewers to shift their perspective on gender role. Visual communication regarding gender roles are just as important as verbal communication. It lets the onlooker to see how different the world could be without traditional gender roles. Gender roles in every society need to be demolished. Without traditional gender roles society, would flourish, men and woman would be allowed to reach their individual potential and create equality between the genders. Through both verbal and visual communication, we can break down gender role barriers. Removing stereotypical gender roles will bring humanity closer together. If we want to create equality at the work place and at home gender roles need to be removed. Cindy Krischer Goodman (04, June 2008). What Happens When Wife Earns More? Retrieved from Vikki Ortiz Healy (14, February 2012). The Increasingly Male Face of Caregivers. Men’s role in tending to loved ones with Alzheimer’s, dementia soars amid evolving views on gender roles, longer lives Retrieved from Donald Liebenson (05, January 2014). Interfaith class will examine gender roles . Retrieved from Etelka Lechoczky (08, November 2008). Chicago Tribune “Gender Roles Sow The Seeds Of Violence, Researchers Say†Retrieved from Daria Sokolova (10, May 2014). OCC Rally Focuses on Sexual Violence . Retrieved from Bonnie Miller Rubin (23, February 2011). Trading Places: Unemployed Challenging Gender Roles. Men, women trying hands at jobs typically associated with opposite sex . Retrieved from Abigail Foerstner (20, November 1992). Simpson Challenges Racial and Gender Stereotypes . Retrieved from Brigid Schulte (30, July 2006) ‘Manny,’ A Rate Bird, Flies in The Face of Convention . Retrieved from Los Angeles Times (12, February 2007) The Salary Situation. Many Wives Becoming The Main Breadwinners Retrieved from Bonnie Miller Rubin (8, February 1998) When He’s Retiring and She Isn’t. For Some Couples, Shifting Work Roles Lead to Conflicts. Retrieved from ICP 621 “Who Is?†Assignments Rubric 1. General guidance: a. Informal report, one page in length only , follows rules of sound grammar and spelling. b. Topic is the designated leader for the week in the academic term c. Describe the person’s leadership model i. What is their leadership model or what themes pervade what they do ii. What evidence supports this; actions or words iii. Compare these themes or model to information in Northouse. 2. Course Outcomes Course Objectives Questions Exemplary Acceptable Needs Improvement Read, think and communicate like a leader. Who is this leader, what are this person’s strengths and/or shortcomings? Described what made this person a great leader and addressed their shortcomings; provided evidence to support assertions. Provided general description of the leader. Little analysis of strengths or weaknesses. Little use of evidence. One-sided description, only strengths or weaknesses. No use of evidence. Discuss the various aspects of leadership theory and how different leaders are or are not effective Why is s/he was/is a leader? Used techniques like comparison and contrast to analyze the individual’s leadership behavior within the context of models in Northouse. Described person’s leadership model. Attempted analysis and comparison to Northouse but it was unclear or unfocused. No analysis, descriptive commentary on the person only. Understand the principles of leadership ethics and social responsibility What did you learn about ethics and social responsibility based this “Who Is?â€â€ assignment? Described how this leader was ethical or not. What social issues did or didn’t this leader address?

Didn’t cover both ethics and social responsibility. Did not address the issue. Explain and discuss leadership issues intelligently and bring discussions and experiences into later leadership opportunities What could you gain from knowing more about this leader? Described the person’s leadership approach and lessons learned that the student could use as they develop as a leader. Described person’s approach; no lessons learned for student’s own development. Did not address the issue. 3. Other guidance -Always use the simplest and clearest explanation

Paper For Above instruction

The essay explores the pervasive influence of traditional gender roles across societies, examining their origins rooted in religion, tradition, and culture, and critically analyzing their negative impacts. It argues for the abolition of these roles to foster gender equality, highlighting how societal stereotypes limit individual potential and justify harmful behaviors.

Traditional gender roles have historically positioned men as figures of authority and strength, while women have been confined to submissive and nurturing roles. These stereotypes have often led to social inequalities, reinforcing power imbalances and enabling justifications for violence and discrimination. For instance, societal expectations that shame manhood can contribute to male violence, as supported by research from Carol and James Gilligan, who studied violence causes in both genders and linked shame of manhood to aggressive behavior (Lehoczky, 2000). Such roles can perpetuate violence, as they provide a social license for men to act aggressively under the guise of masculinity.

Furthermore, gender roles influence perceptions of sexual violence, which is often underestimated or normalized when affecting women, while shocking when males are victims. This discrepancy underscores how stereotypes distort societal understanding and responses to abuse, emphasizing the need to challenge these notions to ensure respect and safety for all genders. The stereotypical traits assigned to women—such as nurturing, passive, and emotional—are intentionally limiting, preventing individuals from expressing the full range of human emotions and behaviors. Conversely, men are stereotyped as dominant, decisive, and tough, which can inhibit emotional expression and reinforce harmful masculinity norms.

Progress in breaking traditional gender roles is evident in the workforce. More women are now entering male-dominated fields and becoming primary breadwinners, driven by increased higher education attainment. According to the Los Angeles Times (2007), nearly half of medical and law students are women, a significant shift from past decades. This economic independence challenges traditional dynamics, though it also introduces tensions, as some men perceive this change as emasculating, while others embrace new roles, such as stay-at-home dads or male caregivers. The rise of men in caregiving roles, exemplified by figures like Adam Good, highlights how changing social expectations allow men to participate in nurturing responsibilities traditionally associated with females.

These evolving roles have been facilitated by broader societal shifts, including unemployment and higher education levels among women. The increase in men enrolled in fields like nursing (from 6% in 2006 to 15% in 2010) demonstrates a breaking down of gender-specific occupational barriers. Simultaneously, women are advancing into careers in technology, criminal justice, and fire science, reinforcing the importance of deconstructing gendered professional boundaries for achieving equality. Conversations and educational programs, such as the interfaith class on gender roles led by Mary Ann Spina and Dr. Audrey Gordon, foster dialogue aimed at emphasizing shared human qualities over stereotypes (Liebenson, 2014).

Artists and visual communicators also play a role in challenging gender stereotypes. Lorna Simpson's photography series “She” confronts social structures that suppress individual identity, encouraging viewers to question fixed gender roles through powerful imagery. Such artistic expressions are vital in shifting societal perceptions and fostering acceptance of diverse gender expressions. Visual art, alongside academic discussions, creates a cultural environment conducive to breaking down stereotypes and promoting gender equality.

Ultimately, the evidence suggests that abolishing traditional gender roles would unlock human potential and promote societal flourishing. Allowing individuals to freely express characteristics and pursue careers unbound by stereotypes would diminish social divides and foster genuine understanding and respect. Society benefits when gender barriers are removed, as it enables both men and women to realize their full capacities, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive future.

References

• Foerstner, A. (1992). Simpson challenges racial and gender stereotypes. Chicago Tribune.
• Goodman, C. K. (2008). What happens when wife earns more. The Wall Street Journal.
• Lehoczky, E. (2000). Gender roles sow the seeds of violence, researchers say. Chicago Tribune.
• Liebenson, D. (2014). Interfaith class will examine gender roles. The New York Times.
• Los Angeles Times. (2007). The salary situation. Los Angeles Times.
• Rubin, B. (1998). When he’s retiring and she isn’t. The New York Times.
• Rubin, B. (2011). The increasingly male face of caregivers. The Washington Post.
• Sokolova, D. (2014). OCC rally focuses on sexual violence. The Guardian.
• Schulte, B. (2006). 'Manny,' a rare bird, flies in the face of convention. Los Angeles Times.
• Healy, V. O. (2012). The increasingly male face of caregivers. Vikki Ortiz Healy.