Gender In Society: The Dominant Ideas Of Gender

The dominant ideas of gender is socially constructed through language, in other words, social construction did not exist on its own, it was merged and formed through human interaction and everyday life. These dominant ideas of how men and women are expected to act have been shaped and controlled since the beginning of time. They have been rooted entirely in culture and continue to have a great impact on both genders. Although these notions may appear natural to the world, there is nothing natural about it, these interrelated beliefs reinforce the status quo and serve the dominant interests of society. Men and women cannot resist the dominant ideas of gender for they were born into it. Society/culture continues to shape the experiences of men and women through enforcing the ideas and fundamental characteristics of gender. Since the beginning of time the world has continued to shape and enforce dominant ideas of gender norms and expectations. A quote by Aristotle “The male by nature superior, and female, inferior; and the one rules, and the other is ruled; this principle, of necessity, extends to all mankind” (p.49), shows how far back these gender norms and roles were established. The bible is another early example that shaped gender roles. The second version out of the five creations of the …show more content…
The media has the ability to manipulates/influence society through ads, television, movies ect. It sends a specific message to viewers on how men and women are expected to behave in society. The film Codes of Gender is an example of how the media influences the roles that both men and women are expected to play. In the film, men were portrayed as being dominant and protective, while women were either viewed as being weak or child like. This alone shows the expectations of both genders, being masculine means having power and dominance while feminine means being