Essay Sample on Gender Roles: The Cycle of Expectations in Society

Introduction

The social identity I chose is gender. Gender differentiates between masculinity and feminism in society by describing how each should behave and roles for ether man or woman. It is more of a role differentiation between men and women and not biological differences between a man and a woman.

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Components of the Cycle

The Beginning

When one is born, he becomes a part of the already existing society. Society has a previously set way of behavior and expectation. It depends on whether one is born a woman or a man. The biased system of role assigning is carried imposed on one from a young age (Bobbie & Maurianne, 2000). One does not have a choice but to follow the set way of doing things. For example, in gender stereotyping, as a young boy, one was not expected to cry a lot.

First Socialization

The first point of socialization for a child is by family members. Depending on the sex of the child, the parents and relatives will have a set of behavior for each, thus giving the gender roles and expectations for the child (Bobbie & Maurianne, 2000). The concept of gender is shaped by the relatives of the child at this stage. It is instilled in ways that are impossible to reverse. For example, young girls are trained to spend time with women, while boys are trained to spend more time with men and act like them.

Institutional and Cultural Socialization

Institutions such as churches and the family reinforce what has been instilled by the parents about gender. The institutions themselves are products of society, and their view about gender roles is the same (Bobbie & Maurianne, 2000). They socialize the child by reinforcing the gender differences between boys and girls. In the church, female priests were subordinates to men priests. Women-led most church cooking events.

Enforcement

Enforcement in the society is the system which promotes the gender socialization process. It reinforces the gender differences created in the mid of a boy or a girl by rewarding or punishing if a contrary behavior is exhibited (Bobbie & Maurianne, 2000). Gender roles are enforced by the parents or relatives who are close to the child. Reinforcement would be through getting a beating or being denied gifts such as sweets.

Results

Gender socialization denies the child an opportunity to decide which roles best suit them. The biased society system forces one to be identified with a particular gender without considering whether it is of interest to them (Bobbie & Maurianne, 2000). The result is a society divided into two genders with biased roles, especially for women. Gender denies one an opportunity to explore life fully as they wish. It is more biased to women compared to men.

Actions

If a person realizes at a later stage in life that they are trapped, they then have to take action. The activity can help to let the status quo remain or make a personal change. For example, a woman who decides to be a truck driver despite the gender role, making it looks like a man's role.

The result of the gender social identity was a biased separation of roles and expected behavior. Men were expected to handle many challenging tasks and women the easier ones. A free society should allow both men and women to choose their roles.

Impact of Gender Social Identify in personal and Professional Life

Gender identity has impacted my social life and professional life. Some roles are reserved for women based on gender stereotypes. For example, it is easy to find a woman secretary and no man. Understanding the gender social identity, I am always intentional in my personal and professional capacity not to discriminate any person based on the biased gender role orientation.

Motivation to Take Action

It motivates me to take action. It makes me feel obligated to undo what was biased as a gender role. I believe all men and women are equal, and thus gender should not be used to propagate inequality.

At a very early age, I was exposed to influences such as the work I could do and the work I could not. For example, men were not expected to cook. There was a set of clothes for either gender, and one was expected to dress according to the gender. The society should do away with biased gender identities that mostly disadvantage women.

Reference

Bobbie, H., & Maurianne, A. (2000). The cycle of socialization. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice. In Adams et al., ed. New York: Routledge.