Gender Roles

                                                   By: Krystale Bradley

Have you ever heard one of the women in the kitchen or respect the hand joke? To some individuals they may seem funny and harmless but to women such jokes are degrading and hurtful. The jokes are implying that women are only good to cook and should obey men. Then you hear guys tell their friends to “be a man” or “to suck it up” when they feel like breaking down. It makes men feel like they always have to be strong and can never show weakness. Who taught them to think this way? And why?

The gender roles have been passed down from generation to generation. While many people have out grown that way of thinking, majority of people are still stuck in the past and refuse to think that times have changed. Whether parents believe it or not they teach their kids these “roles” without even realizing it. Kids don’t just learn it from their parents; TV, books and magazines are influences as well. An example is when children hear fairy tales they are often about a big strong man rescuing a helpless woman in need. This shows them boys are strong and girls are too weak to defend themselves. On the older TV shows and movies the loving father goes off to work at his job to support his family. While the woman stays home take care of the children, cook and clean. Even though it’s not as major as it used to be it is still exist.

It’s harder for women to gain respect when they have successful jobs because men think that the women aren’t good enough for this job. On the other hand it’s hard for men to get jobs such as nurses because most people think that men should have a job that requires more physical labor. When people do things that jeopardize gender roles they are sometimes picked on and degraded. These gender roles keep us stuck in this box because we feel limited by our gender.

A good example of men being judged is the movie “Daddy Day Care”, about two dads who get fired from their jobs and have to be stay at home dads. One of the fathers decides that he wants to start his own daycare. When people come to sign up they see the daycare will be run by two men and then they reconsidered their choice to sign up. They feel like men aren’t capable to do what women do and can’t take care of young children. This is based on the stereotypical gender roles that women are the caretakers and men are the workers.

I’m sure plenty of men have been told the phrase “be a man!’.  Many men hear this when they cry or try to talk about how they are feeling. They are told that real men don’t cry and don’t express their feelings because is make them vulnerable and weak. Females hear the phrase “be careful or don’t hurt yourself”, which makes them feel like they aren’t strong or smart enough to take care of themselves.

I personally believe that people shouldn’t be limited of what they can do by their gender. People these days are stepping out of the box and doing what they want. Women are becoming cops, firefighters and are joining the military. Men are becoming nurses, fashion designers and singers. It’s these people, who stand outside the box that are making it easier for society to see the change in gender roles. I believe that as times begin to change, the gender roles will be done away with. To make this happen, people need to start teaching their children that they are capable of doing anything they set their mind to no matter what their gender.