Gender Role

Gender roles are the behavior patterns and mindsets that a society has laid upon its members. Different cultures have different behavior standards and expectations that it has imposed on the members. These play great roles in shaping the life of an individual in terms of thought patterns and values that the person grows to believe in and follow. In most cultures, the members are oriented towards values and roles that have existed and have been used as the basis of operations for generations that have preceded them.

These have aimed to cultivate respect, responsibility and positivity in belief, attitudes as well as excellence in character, performance and adaptation to the world while ensuring that the roles, norms and cultural standards remain unchanged despite changes that may occur. This has however proved to be an impossible target to attain since the world has changed so fast with the globalization trend that has allowed transfer of cultural behavioral trends across the world. This has led to the replacement of certain aspects of traditional culture mostly those that have promoted gender based discrimination and oppression. This has called for redefinition of the roles that are played by the genders and efforts have been geared towards enhancing identity and respect for all genders especially the ones that had previously been sidelined.

The need for equality has resulted in adjustments in the socialization of both male and female genders to enhance a proper perspective on their roles (Schaefer & Lamm, 123-54). There has therefore been a notable transformation in the gender roles of both genders right from the family setting, to the schools, workplace and the society in totality.