Gender Role Essay

What is the role of a mother? Many would say, that the role of a mother is to provide support, show affection, and care for the wellbeing of her offspring. Although fathers are as capable as mothers in providing support, showing affection, and taking care of their offspring, there is usually a generalization bias that men are not able to look after, or even raise a child. Gender biases are an extremely common phenomenon in our society; from the belief that women are horrible drivers, to the expectation that males should surpass females in sport related activities, gender driven norms not only control, but dictate the way in which people interact, think, and behave towards one another. From the time a child is born, parents usually engage in …show more content…
Despite trying to keep an open mind in regards to gender differences, the social expectations of being a male have many times increased my level of stress. When I think about dating for instance, the social expectation during a first date is that a male should take the initiative. This particular dating script in my opinion, affects and restrict men in general because instead of focusing on trying to achieve a deeper level of connection with the other person, the male is trying too hard to live up to the expectation that males should initiate and be outgoing. Another way, in which I feel that gender roles and stereotypes have restricted me, is when it comes to my education. As a Human Development & Family Studies minor, I was once told that males for the most part don’t pursue this area of study, because females for the most part, are the ones who focus on child intervention, family issues, and overall familial development. Although I have kept my minor as such is something that interests me, I was surprised by how even in fields of study gender differences and expectations …show more content…
The accepted norm in past decades was that females stayed home and took care of the children; in today’s modern society, however, more and more fathers are staying home taking care of the child which in return indicates a gender role transition. Apart from this, I have experienced gender role transitions at first hand. The accepted norm when it comes to a babysitter is that females for the most part are the ones who engage in the task of caregiving and supervision. As a male who has babysat in the past, I find this to be an example of a gender role transition. Many gender role transitions are currently taking place in our society; all of which in my opinion, are necessary to decrease stereotypical assumptions based on