¶ … traditional gender roles. First, women have moved into the workplace, and compete with men at almost every level of almost every profession. Second, the sexual revolution made it physically possible for women to engage in casual sex in a manner similar to men. Both of these changes have contributed to changes in social interactions between men and women; women can pursue men and are no longer dependent upon marriage for support. However, it is important to keep in mind that none of these changes has been complete. Women continue to earn less money when engaged in the same employment as men. Women and men are also treated differently if they engage in casual sex. Despite the fact that many men are open to the idea of women pursuing relationships, people of both genders still place the onus of pursuit and wooing on males. Furthermore, once men and women do enter into marriages, it seems as if most families continue to adhere to traditional gender roles. Women are expected to take care of the home and family, while men are still expected to be the primary breadwinners. Therefore, while there have been substantial changes in gender roles and expectations over the past few decades, it is clear that traditional gender roles continue to shape people's expectations about male-female interactions and behavior.
The most dramatic change in male-female relationships has occurred in the workplace. Prior to World War II, there were...
Because the draft during World War II greatly depleted the supply of available men in the workplace, women went to work in traditionally male areas like production and manufacturing. Although the number of women in the workforce declined dramatically after the war, it marked a dramatic change in the composition of the American workforce. Today, women and men work in roughly equal numbers in a wide variety of jobs. In fact, women make up the majority of entering workers in some traditionally male-dominated fields, such as law and medicine. However, women continue to earn less money than men for the same jobs. In addition, women still lag far behind men in upper-management positions. Therefore, while women have achieved a modicum of workforce parity, men continue to have gender advantages in the workplace.
Traditional gender roles also continue to influence opinions about sexuality. While women are no longer constrained by biology and can take action to prevent unwanted pregnancies, women and men are still regarded differently for engaging in sexual behavior. Promiscuous women continue to be treated with little regard, as if their sexual behavior determines their entire character. On the other hand, women are expected to engage in a certain level of sexual behavior, and refusal to do so results in them being labeled frigid or abnormal. However, men also suffer as a result…
