Cultures Gender Roles Are Behaviors

¶ … Cultures

Gender roles are behaviors and ways, which are socially constructed and culturally regarded as appropriately male or female (Burnham-Smith 1996). These roles are first learned through interaction with primary care givers and peers. In the American culture, the traditional male gender role requires men and boys to avoid behaviors, which display emotions and affections; reduce the tendency to seek help to a minimum; avoid intimate relationships; work hard and compete; and be invulnerable (Burnham-Smith).

The male infant's first and strongest relationship is with his mother until he is two years old (Burnham-Smith 1996). While the female infant identifies with her mother, the male infant begins to learn to disconnect with the mother and to connect with the male role model, usually or often the father. The little boy learns to do from his father, rather than to relate. This is how the little boy learns to be goal-oriented like his father. Like the latter, the former begins to measure his success through competitive work and sports. As a consequence, the little boy begins to view his relationship with his mother as something in-masculine and a source of shame. He now sees himself as different from her. He learns to deny his need for her nurturing in order to effect the separation and disconnection. He finds that he needs to do so in order to realize his gender, his "maleness." If the father is absent or far, the boy experiences the shame and disconnectedness even more.A consequence of this need to separate, successful or not, is increased vulnerability to separation and abandonment in later0life relationships. The man who cannot risk vulnerability and emotional connection with a partner often leads to difficulty. He develops coping logic and behavior, which women will not recognize. Although he has very deep emotions, he has not developed the means to adequate communicate them (Burnham-smith).

The typical American male fears and feels strongly against femininity and feminine values, behaviors and attitudes (Burnham-Smith 1996). He sees these qualities and feminine interests as threatening and dangerous to his manliness. He fears feeling what a woman feels and incorporating these feelings into his personality. His fear of femininity is so entrenched within the American culture that most of them are unaware of its impact upon their relationships and their lives. This fear extends to fear of homosexuality. He fears having feminine qualities. He is then unable to relate emotionally with other men. He is unable to enjoy physical closeness them beyond a quick and impersonal handshake or a nudge. These internalized and powerful forces alienate him from other men on an emotional level, whether he is aware of it or not. He is unable to find emotional outlet for his feelings with other men. Not finding male friends with whom he can be himself in an intimate way, he begins to feel that he is alone in his distress. His fear of femininity and homosexuality also deprive him of the opportunity of integrating feminine aspects into his personality as an important aspect of emotional development (Burnham-Smith).

The fear of femininity and homosexuality limit a typical American male's sexual expression, which should otherwise be available to him (Burnham-Smith 1996). Psychologists and sociologists believe that his strict adherence to gender role stereotypes thus limits his view of sexuality. He thus sees sex and orgasm as objects of pursuit or as a measure of his gender performance and masculine prowess. He may also see sex as distinct from an overall mutual and intimate relationship, which must be controlled in order to satisfy. His gender role compels him to perform well all the time and deprives him of a chance to express himself in case of dysfunction or when confronting assertive women of today (Burnham-Smith).

The traditional female gender role in American culture has been going through vast changes since the 0s (Blakie 2005). Modern gender has released the American woman from just being a homemaker. Her rights have increased as a result of many years of lobbying, picketing, suffrage and representations. But her traditional gender role is difficult to completely uproot. Although American women can now earn college degrees, establish their own careers, own property, vote and run for public office, gender inequalities remain and resist change. Children continue to be subjected to gender indoctrination early in life. Little boys are still taught to be strong, competitive, invulnerable and distant. Little girls are still given dolls for their gender role and taught to look pretty for the boys. Even fairy tales reinforce their respective gender expectations. The mass media conspire to make women look like objects and thus devaluate them. They are reduced into sex objects, who are still passive and made for pleasure. American women's and girls' preoccupation with physical perfection and beauty is a sign of consent to that culturally and socially dictated role for them. Their preoccupation with their bodies even creates health problems, such as anorexia, bulimia and depression, to an alarming degree (Blakie).

The modern-day American woman is still subjected to gender inequalities (Blakie 2005). More women attain higher education and pursue careers than men but the workplace remains male-dominated. Men workers still get higher positions and higher compensations than women even when they have similar or comparable qualifications. Men are also more quickly promoted than women, implying that women's work is not regarded as adequate as men's. Women also continue to work at home even when they work outside of it. When a man and woman decide to marry, the woman must sacrifice her career in order to keep the home and children. These inequalities will not be too easy to remedy. They instead underscore the stubborn social expectations of modern gender roles still prevailing in American culture (Blakie).

Gender roles in the traditional African culture are quite fixed (Bwakali 2001). Boy hunt and herd, while girls tend the home and perfect their home duties. When they become adults, they simply fit the roles they are indoctrinated into in childhood. While this strict separation of functions leads to successful home building and the survival of society, there are loopholes. The important task of rearing children, for example, is not confined to parents but belongs to the whole African society. Elder members of the community are expected to guide and provide advice to the younger ones. The care and discipline of children are the duty of society itself and not only of their parents (Bwakali).

African women are victims of an unjust set of gender expectations (Bwakali 2001). Boys are brought up with the expectation that they have to be strong, diligent and wise caretakers of their future wives, children and society. Girls, on the other hand, are raised to work hard too but in passivity and submissiveness so they could find future husbands to take care of them. Girls and women have no option to succeed for themselves. Therefore, they grow up without cultivating their natural talents and with no initiative. The devalued status of African girls and women is a norm (Bwakali).