Gender roles in society and culture

Gender roles, which is to say the way that society expects men and women to act based upon what society and long standing tradition says is appropriate for men and women to act, have been open to interpretation in recent generations due to both a better understanding that gender roles are one, but not the only standard of behavior and that each person is unique and as such may behave in a unique way in terms of what their gender expression might be. In this paper, various dimensions of the terms and expectations of gender definition will be explored in an effort to better understand the topic itself.

Socially Defined Terms-Masculinity and Femininity

Reflecting back once again on what society defines as the appropriate expression of gender and more precisely how those who are biologically born as male or female are expected to act, it is vital to first understand exactly what society demands of genders. The classic view of gender roles maintains that the male should act in an aggressive manner, using forcefulness and even violence if necessary to relate to other people, resolve issues, and conduct daily life. Conversely, females are expected to be delicate, more reserved, less aggressive, and to act in a conservative way and use logic and intelligence to maneuver through the situations of life, rather than the stereotypical brutality of the male gender definition (Devor, 1989). Importantly, it must be clearly communicated and understood that these gender definitions are what is socially acceptable by those who set the pace of how society should function. The reality of gender expression is a different matter entirely, as seen when a close look is taken at external sources that show although gender roles are upheld in some situations, they are also violated.

Outside Sources that Uphold and Violate Defined Gender Roles

Because of the proliferation of mass communications of an audio-visual nature, such as the invention of motion pictures and television, the classic ideas of what gender roles should be was indoctrinated into the minds of the viewer and served to try and reinforce what was in many cases a worn ideal. While for years the average person felt that every man was the one who went to work everyday and brought home a paycheck to his subordinate wife who waited at home with a hot dinner and made sure that the children and home were well taken care of, there were likewise examples that defied the set gender roles.

Male Gender Roles- Followed and Violated

The role of the male in terms of gender has been put into a set pattern for generations; examples of this abound, from the anxious little boy who likes to play in the dirt and teases innocent little girls (Suarez) to the vision of the victorious and masculine athlete who is the hero of the football game, the champion boxer, and on. Such has been the pattern for as long as the human race has existed. In fairness, however, there have likewise been examples of the traditional male gender roles being violated. These examples range from little boys who prefer to try on mom's makeup rather than playing baseball with dad, young men who shy away from confrontation and aggression, and males who express an interest in fashion, grooming and so on, acting in a fashion that has been called metrosexual in recent years.

Whatever the case the main point to understand regarding male gender roles is this- the established "normal" gender role has been blurred due to free expression of true self as well as a feeling in society that this is acceptable behavior (Devor, 1989).

Female Gender Roles-Followed and Violated

Similarly to the male gender definition, the female gender role has been defined and forced upon society by longstanding traditions, perceptions of what the true expression of feminine behavior should be, etc. All of this, of course, is amplified by mass media, entertainment, and in the present day, the Internet. Loyal following of the female gender role can be seen in advertising for department stores which depict women as mind numbed robots who will buy every dress in sight because it exists, the dutiful mother serving fresh baked cookies to the children, and icons such as Martha Stewart who make it seem perfectly normal to be a domestic servant of sorts.

Reflecting back to the 1940s, however, one of the women who broke down many of the stereotypical barriers of the female gender definitions was actress Marlene Dietrich, whose choice of male clothing and husky voice portrayed a woman who was more masculine than feminine (Borich, 1999). Additional examples of the shattering of the female gender restriction exist in the open expression of homosexuality among women in public and the fantastic, yet amusing assertion put forward that while some women are not well suited for childbirth, perhaps some men are (Quindlen, 2000).