Social Construction Of Gender Roles In Society

When we think of gender construct in society we often associate characteristics such as strength and courage to males and fragility to women. Characteristics defined to be strictly that of male or female are often very far from accurate. Gender performativity is the idea that gender differences are socially constructed and are learned through observation. The gender construct we see in society today has been reinforced over time by the media as well as the strong beliefs of most individuals in society. The idea of gender performativity also states that gender roles are solidified through performing these roles and is not predetermined. People who live outside of social norms are often ridiculed and tortured verbally, if not physically. This
Keeping emotions bottled up can be a health hazard and may even lead to death. According to Gustafson (2014), health risks increase when people have no way of expressing themselves. Out of fear of being attacked, people who don’t fit into traditional gender construct choose to hide emotions, which is more harmful than it may appear. The only way to break down these social norms, which do more harm than good, is to have healthy dialogue and exposure. An ideal approach to increasing the amount of dialogue about gender roles in society is through films. Films are a perfect way to raise awareness and get people talking about a sensitive subject. One film that does well in pushing against traditional gender construct is Elle (Paul Verhoeven, 2016). There are several examples in the film of gender construct in society being challenged, one being the relationship between Vincent and
After following Vincent to Michele’s house, Josie storms in the house and up the stairs to take her baby back. She is met on the stairs by Vincent who grabs her to stop her from taking the baby. When he grabs her Josie immediately tells him to let her go, which he eventually does, but soon after Vincent practically breaks down on the stairs. Generally, when watching men play their roles in films a moment such as this is not shown. Showing weakness and strong feelings are not socially acceptable. Men are depicted as being strong even in the worse of circumstances.
A third example of Vincent and Josie’s nonconformity to gender roles is the scene where family and close friends were going to dump the ashes of Irene, Michele’s mother. While walking to the site, Josie asks Vincent for the baby’s pacifier. However, Vincent could not find it immediately and Josie proceeds to yell at him, saying he forgot it. Shortly after Josie finished insulting Vincent and storming off, Vincent finds the pacifier. Throughout the interaction, Vincent is quietly telling Josie to stop making a scene. Vincent is unable to assert his authority and Josie is the dominant figure to