Anasol del Rivero Morfin

Professor Meinecke
Academic Writing
September, 12, 2016
Gender Roles
Since we are little we are taught to behave a certain way, either way we are a boy or
a girl. Boundaries are stated, dictating from what we should like to what we should said.
And if we are brave enough to dare to step out of them, we are condemned to be criticized
or pushed away by the people who swear by these boundaries and like to promote them.
These boundaries are referred as gender roles. Society should stop setting them because
they might change our self-perception and how we perceive others.
Sarah A. Chartschlaa. (2004). It is evident in North American society that there are
certain roles placed on boys and girls in accordance with their gender. These gender roles
are imposed on children from birth and are taught until eventually they are accepted as
absolute truth. For example, little girls are expected to wear flower dresses, bows in their
hair and pink sandals. Also, they are expected to be loving, affective, and comprehensive
with others. Because that is the way good mothers should be. Another example is that they
are taught to respect boys. Girls would not want to make them mad because boys could do
them wrong. That is because girls are taught they are not strong enough emotionally or
physically to take those offences. Girls are taught that they should be discreet because no

one likes a girl who calls for all the attention. Girls are taught that they do not have to be
strong because someone will take care of them now and later on in their life. In the same
way, boys must stick to a list of rules. First, they are not allowed to cry because only girls
can cry. Crying is considered a lack of manliness. Second, boys are not allowed to show
any kind of weakness because they are expected to be strong and take care of others.
Finally, they must like some kind of sport because anyone they know will give them the
look if they do not. These examples are a few of many rules and boundaries stated by the
society about how men and women should behave.
It is not easy for those girls and boys, who dare to wander outside the limits of the
stereotypes stablished by our society, to be part of it. These brave girls and boys may not
like to be as they were taught to be. Some people want to do more than what they are
expected to do. But when they do more, or they do different as they are taught, they are
criticized or pushed apart because of that. An example being, when a girl do not likes to
play with dolls. It becomes difficult for her to find someone to play with. Either she adapts
to what the other little girls want to play, or she just plays by herself. In other words, the
majority will not change for the minority. In result, the girls who do like dolls do not let the
girl who will not play with dolls enter to their circle of friends. Another example of girls
being pushed apart for being different, is when a girl says out loud her opinion. She may be
mocked by boys because a lot of people think that girls should not be taken seriously.
Similarly, tend to do so with other boys, but in a more aggressive way. As a case in point, if
a boy does not want to play soccer, or any sport as is matters, the other boys around him
star to call him a little girl.

Stablishing gender roles since a young age affect how people see themselves and
how they see others. An investigation by K. Durking and B. Nugent from the University of
Western Australia stated that children revealed strong gender stereotype expectations, and
these where the strongest in case of masculine stereotyped activities. Also they found out
that what childrens estimate of their own future competence also indicated stereotypical
beliefs, with the females more likely to reject masculine activities. As a consequence, girls
and boy self-segregate from the opposite sex. Children are rewarded or punished by society
and their parents because of their performance in the roles their genders are supposed to
succeed. Children will do the same, they will reward or punish their friends based on what
they like to do or play. Therefore, the activities available for the different genders al
limited. The rewarding and punishment of children, based on how they behave by their
gender, may have negative results physiologically while they grow into other stages of their
lives. Either they ignore the punishments for stepping out of their roles, or they grow
resentful of their parents and of society.
All in all, it is important, for childrens capability of self-acceptance, to eliminate
for once and for all the expectations society has set on gender roles. It is important because
if it is done, then people will not underestimate themselves and you will not underestimate
others. This way the society will turn into a more caring and affective one. People will treat
each other as equals, regardless of course of action and regardless of gender.