Gender Roles

For years, men and women have been led to believe that they have expectations they need to acquire base on their gender. Men are suppose to be leaders, have bravery, be competitive, and to not get emotional or at least not express emotions were as women were ought to be sensitive, romantic, be dependent, and passive. Traditionally, men have been viewed as financial providers, whereas women have been viewed as caretakers. Physical characteristics and occupations have also been considered consistent or inconsistent with masculine or feminine roles. The readings “Women’s Beauty: Put Down or Power Source” by Sontag, and “How Men Really Feel about Their Bodies” by Spiker, explain how gender roles are perceived with great importance whether involving men or women. Both males and females are harmed by being confined to specific actions as well as expectations because going against it will bring conflict.
In her essay, Sontag focuses on the effect gender roles take on appearance and the actions chosen to perceive beauty, as well as how society puts pressure which leads to self-harm, depression, and doubts of sexuality.   Sontag states “a whole society, that has identified being feminine with caring about how one looks. (In contrast to being masculine-which is identified with caring about what one is and does and only secondary, if at all, about how one looks)” (118). Men should not stare at a mirror for more than a few seconds and women should freak out if something is on their face or they don’t have the figure of a sand clock. Men are supposed to worry about their persona rather than their looks otherwise they will be categorize as snobbish, selfish, egocentric and even question their masculinity. Men will get depress if frequently questioned or remarked, which will lack their confidence and have a great effect in their relationships. Sontag also mentions how females are perceive to evaluate their body as parts rather than as a whole and how males on the other hand can... [continues]

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