In societies all around the world, gender roles, expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females play a large part in how people socialize with each other. Whether at work, school, or just walking down the street, we change of we act towards a person depending on their gender.
Besides everyday socialization with strangers, gender roles also play a large part in how we act in our romantic relationships. Traditionally, men are considered the dominate sex. They are expected the protect the woman they care for, and shower her with lavish gifts and presents to show his affection towards her. The woman are suppose to be submissive towards the men, and let them be the bread winners, while they stay home bare footed pregnant in the kitchen.
I noticed just how large a role gender roles play in a relationship while going out the dinner with my boyfriend one night. We had agreed to go out together and split the bill between the two of us. However, before going into the restaurant, my boyfriend asked for me to give him my share of the money so it would appear he was paying for the bill himself. He felt as a man he should pay for the bill himself. He of course was not born with this kind of thinking. Years of the media and other people telling him the man must pay for dinner surly influenced his actions.
In the end, gender roles play a large part in our everyday reactions, but none more so then in our romantic relationships.
Interesting Amanda. This is very true and in some cases can be very problematic, with the rise of what I would call the independent woman. I know many woman that do not like to feel inferior to their male counterpart. Although, there are still many women in the world that embrace the gender roles, and actually "play it up," I know a few actually. I believe there is a rise with the independent, and the media should share that as well, but I do believe that has become better as of late, but still not enough. Ever since woman have began to dominate the numbers in the school system I believe this "independent woman" is bound to rise higher.
ReplyDeleteWhat if it's a relationship where both parties assume neither roles? Just asking, great post!
ReplyDeleteYou are right, men are traditionally concidered the dominate sex and women are traditionally suppose to be submissive to men but those ideas were created back when women did not have rights. Today I would say that most men are comfortable with women taking on more dominate roles and breaking away from those traditions. Also I would say that those roles put a lot of pressure on men to be successful, but now that women are taking on dominate roles men are not as pressured to make ends meet and two working members in a family brings up the financial and social status of a family as a whole and increases not only their own but their children's life chances. Great Post.
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