Gender Roles
Julia Rodriguez
January 14, 2014
Gender Roles: Feminism Expectation “We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons…but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters,” (Gloria Steinem, American feminist). Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture (Wikipedia). Gender roles are expectations of how an individual should act, dress, talk, walk, etc. based on their sex, which is biological. Gender roles shape the pressures and expectations society places on male and female individuals. For instance in the old American culture men had to be the main source of income in the family, while women were expected to stay home take care of the children and do the domestic housework. In the short story “Girl” Jamacia Kincaid illustrates the feminine roles her mother taught her growing up and the expectations she needs to meet as a women, a wife, and a mother. In contrast with Kincaid, Michael Kimmel’s essay “Bros before Hos: The Guy Code” explores the code of masculinity that young men are expected to follow. Traditional gender roles influence many individuals in a positive or negative aspect as they grow and either resist or give in to the expectations within society. Growing up as little girl, my mother would always teach me the social expectations of the feminine roles associated with our tradition. I would always be playing with dolls, dressing in skirts, putting bows in my hair, pretending to be a princess and acting like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz always clicking my sparkly red shoes. However, the pressures and expectations of the gender roles associated to your sex are more profound as you grow into an adult. As I grew into a young woman the expectations I had and still to this day have to meet are much more demanding and expected. Kincaid states, “This is how you set a table for dinner; this is how you set
January 14, 2014
Gender Roles: Feminism Expectation “We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons…but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters,” (Gloria Steinem, American feminist). Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture (Wikipedia). Gender roles are expectations of how an individual should act, dress, talk, walk, etc. based on their sex, which is biological. Gender roles shape the pressures and expectations society places on male and female individuals. For instance in the old American culture men had to be the main source of income in the family, while women were expected to stay home take care of the children and do the domestic housework. In the short story “Girl” Jamacia Kincaid illustrates the feminine roles her mother taught her growing up and the expectations she needs to meet as a women, a wife, and a mother. In contrast with Kincaid, Michael Kimmel’s essay “Bros before Hos: The Guy Code” explores the code of masculinity that young men are expected to follow. Traditional gender roles influence many individuals in a positive or negative aspect as they grow and either resist or give in to the expectations within society. Growing up as little girl, my mother would always teach me the social expectations of the feminine roles associated with our tradition. I would always be playing with dolls, dressing in skirts, putting bows in my hair, pretending to be a princess and acting like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz always clicking my sparkly red shoes. However, the pressures and expectations of the gender roles associated to your sex are more profound as you grow into an adult. As I grew into a young woman the expectations I had and still to this day have to meet are much more demanding and expected. Kincaid states, “This is how you set a table for dinner; this is how you set