Gender indicates cultural
meanings stuck to being masculine and feminine, which impacts personal
identities. Gender includes men, women, transgender, intersex, and genderqueer.
The function or responsibility assumed or part played in a specific situation
is called role. Gender roles are also known as sex roles or social roles. They
are roles that incorporate a range of behaviours and attitudes that are
socially and commonly considered allowable and suitable based on the person’s
sex. They are usually focused on femininity and masculinity. Gender roles are
socially determined, changing over time and space, and influenced by social,
cultural, and environmental factors that characterize a particular community,
society, or historical period. Gender roles aim to set boundaries between what
is considered appropriate for women and men in society in terms of society and
the private sector. Such roles were accepted as ‘natural’ and incorporated into
girls and boys from a very young age, through the Gender models they learned
about their social environment. In many societies, people are strongly
pressured to follow such models, not only by family or community, but also
indirectly by people who are fundamental social models - labour market, social
policy, tax system, etc., which often act as barriers to social change. Gender
is not something one is born with, it is learned through primary or secondary
groups or even through indirect means. Society has created gender roles and has
been passing them on for years. It is very important to consider the function of
society and culture when speaking about gender roles.
It depends on what culture you
belong to and along from one culture to another, parenting styles, and how one
is as an individual. It is what is expected out of an individual based on sex
like how to dress, speak, and groom. Some of the gender roles that are harmful
to society are incorporated in us as a child. For example, Women are expected
to cook and feed men, women are encouraged to be homemakers and men are to do
work, Boys are handled with cars, and girls with dolls. This gives rise to
stereotypes like men are aggressive, independent, dominant, tough, and do not
cry. Even though most people fit very well in the masculine and feminine
category, some people do not know their gender identities, they are stuck
because society does not include them in the spectrum of roles expected by
them.
References- Sociology 11 th and 12 th Textbook HSC
link Written by- Saloni trehan Roll no- 277
