Gender roles are actions that male and female are expected to do in the course of their life.
Wiki says that a gender role is a social role encompassing a range of behaviours and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person’s biological or perceived sex.
As today`s world is a very modern place, I cannot stay aside when a lot of people talk about feminism, equality and human rights. These topics used to be not so important when I was younger but now I think a lot about all these issues, read articles and try to form my opinion on what is going on.
So, what do I think about gender roles?
My opinion walks in step with the times. That’s so not because it’s cool, popular and got its fuller recognition in the 21st century. It’s because this point of view is rational and reasonable.
I think that gender roles have no strict borders (specification) now. A man can do the job, which the woman used to do, and vice versa. Washing the dishes is no longer a woman’s ‘privilege’. Fixing a car, cooking a meal, setting the furniture and so on… All this is mixed now and it doesn’t matter, who does this or that. Am I right?
I guess a lot of people have ever heard such words: «You`re the girl, go cook us dinner «, «You’re the man, you must know how to fix everything» and so on.
I can’t deny that the gender of a person in a large extent reflects masculine or feminine features of an individual. Most attributes do exist nowadays and masculine ones are still characteristic of men, and feminine ones — of women but at the same time, the situation is constantly changing. As we see, the woman has far more responsibilities than she used to have even some decades ago. Women often have to raise the family alone, so they are more skilled nowadays, They can drive a car, work as a mechanic, earn more than a man and so on.
I must add that I don’t see much difference in men’s responsibilities. I don’t mean to be a man-hater but it seems to me that men tend to lose their original roles and not take new ones at all. That’s where the problem of gender roles appears. It hurts when women have to cook after a hard workday whereas men sit in front of the TV, for example. Why not cook dinner together or share responsibilities? It’ll contribute to the partnership and better relationships.
However, there’s surely division between men’s and woman’s work which would be better called «work of abilities, willingness and respect for each other». If I am ever married, I’d like to be a wife to a man, who respects my desires, free time and the need to relax. So will I. I hate when people tell me ‘You’re the girl, go tide up the room’, ‘YOU ARE THE GIRL, you must be always neat and shining’ and so on. What!? The same applies to men. They mustn’t be big and tall, be ‘the earner’…
Well, gender roles? Maybe skill and ability roles? Maybe goodwill and desire to do something? Maybe kindness, non-laziness, patience and love?
