Essay on Gender Roles and Their Effect on Women - 1525 Words

Throughout the history of society, women and men both have faced the constricting roles forced upon them, from a young age; each gender is given specific social and cultural roles to play out throughout their lives. Little girls are given dolls and kitchen toys, little boys are given dinosaurs and power tool toys, if one was to step out of this specified role, social conflict would ensue. Contrast to popular belief, sex is a biological construct, and gender is a social construct specifying the roles men and women are to follow to be accepted into society as â€Å"normal†. The effects of gender roles have had on women have proved harmful over the decades. Although the woman’s involvement in society has improved throughout the decades,†¦show more content†¦Sentimentalism in marriage changed the idea of the marriage between man and woman from one that was traditional and gave men the ownership of a woman to a more loving, compassionate marriage. Around this time, Republican Motherhood, the idea that women were responsible for bettering the future of society through raising children, became popular. During the Second Great Awakening in 1820, women began to hold more authoritative roles. Through religious roles in the Second Great Awakening, women found opportunities in church-sponsored academies. The right of education became more and more popular as women stepped into society and out of the home. Women activism proved successful after the Civil War. In 1920, the 18th amendment, suffrage for women, was brought into society. With suffrage, women would continue to lead themselves into an empowerment many had never seen before. From the 1700s to modern day society, women have held more of an equal role in society with the rights of suffrage, education, and reproductive rights given to them through Roe V. Wade in 1973, which aided women in their transition into the professional world. Although women hold a more equal stance than in 1700, there i s still a subtle, more â€Å"invisible† subordination present, negatively effecting women in America. The â€Å"gender role† refers to a theoretical construct in society that refers to the set of social and behavioral normsShow MoreRelatedGender Roles And Its Effects On Women2026 Words   |  9 Pagesfeminism as an issue that pertains only to women, but these people are not looking at the big picture. A large part of the inequality feminists are trying to rectify are the stereotypical gender roles the patriarchy has built for men and women, and unfortunately for a man, this may mean conforming to a sort of toxic masculinity. Not only are men expected to be emotionally shut off, they are also expected to be more inclined to anger and violence than women, and if they do meet this expectation, theyRead MoreGender Roles During The Years Men And Women Essay1594 Words   |  7 PagesGender Roles in Society Over the years men and women have been given gender roles that they are pressured to follow. According to Amy Blackstone, â€Å"gender roles are based on the different expectations that individuals, groups and societies have of individuals based on their sex†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2003). In other words, gender roles are social norms and expectations, created and accepted by society, based on a person’s gender. There have been different gender roles throughout the different time eras and in some erasRead MoreGender Roles Of Men And Women Have Been Present In Society1418 Words   |  6 PagesGender roles of men and women have been present in society for a number of years, and the traditional roles have stuck through all the cultural changes. What about the people who do not identify themselves with their born gender but, instead another? How are they affected by how society sees them for not conforming to the traditional gender roles? Transgender people are faced with many judgements from their community based on how they identify themselves, their actions and how they express themselvesRead More Gender Inequality: Sex Discrimination in Employment Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pages Gender equality is about equal opportunity for men and women to identify their individual potential. 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Also, it will outline the history and progress of women’sRead MoreEffect Of Gender And Gender Representation On Media1735 Words   |  7 PagesThe effect of gender and gender representation in media has been widely researched in various academic disciplines, including anthropology and communication studies. Similar gender role expectations are not just restricted to Western culture either. A study on gender representation in East Asian advertising by Michael Prieler is a demonstration of the influence of gendered communication. The research examines the male and female representation in the advertising of East Asian countries like HongRead MoreGender Roles And Their Effects On Prosocial Behavior1465 Words   |  6 Pages Gender Roles and Their Effects on Prosocial Behavior Kathleen N. Webster Salem State University â€Æ' Abstract The present study was designed to examine the effect of gender roles and prosocial behavior. More specifically, the goal was to determine which sex (male or female) would be more likely to engage in prosocial behaviors. Existing gender roles suggest that women are likely to be emotionally expressive, intuitive, and sympathetic, while men are assertive, dominant, and likely to takeRead MoreLeadership and Management- an Annotated Bibliography808 Words   |  4 Pages * This article spoke of the positions of power between men and women, and how policymakers and supervisors distribute that power to men and women. In the work place, when considering for advancement, employers have undefined criteria such as personality characteristics and potential managerial qualities. These standards become the cause of inequality in authority and power at work place. Jobs that are available for women have low wages and also less authority. Similar research studies haveRead MoreGender Identity : Gender And Masculinity Essay1509 Words   |  7 PagesGender plays an enormous role in every society around the world. There are debates about whether gender is defined by strictly biological characteristics or social attributes. Others argue that gender is a spectrum, rather than the dichotomy of male and female. Masculinity and femininity are sets of attributes, roles and behaviors that are associated with men and boys and girls and women, respectively. Both masculin ity and femininity have specific traits that are both biologically and socially definedRead MoreWomen During The Victorian Era Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the 19th century, especially during the Victorian era, gender roles became very distinctive. There were certain characteristics that the ideal Victorian man or woman were expected to have which emphasized patriarchal superiority. The patriarchal system meant that males had dominance in their homes, specifically over women. The ideal man during this time period would focus on achieving job related success which, in turn, would show that he is an eligible suitor to get married. It was seen