Gender Roles

From the time we are born, we are taught how to behave like a boy or a girl. Boys are supposed

to be tough, never show fear, and never, shed a single tear. Boys are taught to be brave and strong while

girls are taught to be polite, proper, and always say thank you. Girls grow up believing they are meant

to become a housewife and mother, taking care of the children while tending to the house. Most women

are stereotyped as weak and emotional while men are considered the heroes. Because of this stereotype,

many women struggle with activities that they are excluded and/or discouraged from: activities such as

sports, to fighting in the military, to miscellaneous things like playing video games.

One of the most common stereotypes of women are that their purpose is to reproduction and

becoming a housewife. In the 1950s, a typical wife and mother was only a wife and mother. She had no

career, she only had the job of taking care of her children, cooking, and cleaning her home. Her

husband took up the career part, being the provider for the family. To this day, a lot of men still believe

in that stereotype. They believe that they should have the career and be the provider of the family while

the women stay home, take care of the children, cooking, and cleaning the house while the men are

away at work. Some women do choose this path because they want to, but the matter is that the

stereotype should not exist at all, letting all men know that women are only good for those few reasons.

But being a housewife and mother is not all fun and games: it's very hard work, though some men may

believe it's not. In “Daystar” by Rita Doves, the speaker talks about how sh...

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... is the best solution to this sexist society and its stereotypes of women. Women

have been disrespected all through history and just now, women are making their way into those

activities that were probably created just for men. But men still stereotype women, believing that

women are not strong enough/tough enough to do anything but housework and take care of children. A

lot of men believe that they are stronger and tougher and stereotype women as weak and emotional

housewives and mothers. Children are still taught to fit their gender roles. Boys are still told to always

be the brave, strong family supporter while girls are told that their purpose is to bear children and look

good for their husbands. But women are making their way into the same activities as men, and

eventually, one day, it is possible for that stereotype will fall.