Free Essays on Gender Roles

Child’s play has been a part of our culture since the beginning of time and is distinguished as a part of growing up. The world of play is an important aspect in the lives of our children. It is an introductory step into adulthood. When asked the question: Does swapping toys change the basic differences in the ways the genders approach play, my answer would have to be that it doesn’t. Our biological make-ups have created boys and girls to have very distinctly different characteristics. These characteristics are very innate and draw a fine line between the way we behave. Girls on one hand have more caring and nurturing qualities. They tend to be more loving and understanding and that is why they were given the role of mothers. Boys on the other hand are a hard, coarse type and are ever more competitive than girls. This aggressive behavior is a direct result from higher testosterone levels found in boys. These considerably different characteristics play an important role in the way genders perceive and approach play. For example, let’s say that a little boy is having a tea party with his younger sister. The sister would almost certainly perceive the play to be a formal gathering in which everything is nice and pleasant. The little boy, on the other hand, would see it as a bunch of cowboys, in a sense, bellying up to the bar. Whatever the circumstance s, the characteristics of children’s genders will guide their imaginations. Growing up in my family, I had two brothers and one sister. Sometimes my parents would give us the same types of toys to play with. I remember we all had toy trucks at one time. We boys would use our trucks to play in the mud, have races, and just do the things boys are meant to do. My sister on the other hand would use her truck to carry her family of dolls. We also all had blankets. My brothers and I would make tents in the living room and pretend as if we were camping in the woods, whil... Free Essays on Gender Roles Free Essays on Gender Roles In today’s growing population, gender roles are always playing major parts in our way of life. Through observation and general knowledge I think that certain gender roles are absent in single parented families. For instance, if there is a single mother who is the primary care taker, then a father figure is not always present and vice versus. I think this leaves the parent under a lot of pressure to provide their children with both a motherly figure and fatherly figure. For instance, in the story written by Tillie Olsen, a young girl is being described as being somber, depressed, thin, frail, and troubled due to lack of attention from both a mother and a father as a child. In this story there is evidence of absence of both parental figures. Emily the young girl being discussed in this story had a mother who is described as being young and distracted for most of Emily’s early stages of childhood, who also had a father that left the family when Emily wasn’t even a year old. Emily was neglected, put in day care, nursery school, sent off with relatives, and sent away to a convalescent home. Thus, leaving her confused and depressed about her life. I think Olsen is trying to send a message through this story that motherhood is important in all childrens' lives. Children need a nurturing figure in their lives. Although Olsen is defining motherhood in this story as a negative aspect in Emily’s life, I think she is really trying t o indirectly convey the message that because this mother was absent for her daughter’s childhood she not acting like the normal adolescent female that she should be. Therefore, motherhood should be defined as a female parent who holds authority, maternal tenderness or affection towards children. A mother should also be impressive or contemptible and have role model qualities for her children to follow. Emily’s mother holds none of these traits for poor Emily, and Emily sees that. She is jealou... Free Essays on Gender Roles Women’s roles have changed tremendously throughout history and literature. Women have changed from the roles of submissive servants to powerful beings with the ability to show their leadership. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, which took place in Mesopotamia, the women’s role starts at the bottom and they are steadily trying to ‘climb’ to the top. They had to stay at home with their children, caring for them, and were expected to remain loyal to their husbands. They had no power, had no ‘voice’ in the society in which they lived, and were seen as ‘civilizers’ (Berliner). In the epic poem Gilgamesh, the role of the mortal woman was only to benefit and please men. Men had no consideration as to how she felt and gave her little or no recognition. A perfect example of a woman’s value is that the most respectable profession at the time this poem was written, was prostitution. The woman in this poem was portrayed in the form of a harlot. She was seen once and wasn’t even given a name. Because the harlot wasn’t given a name, and had very few speaking lines, I, and I’m certain anybody else that read Gilgamesh was unable to view the harlot as a person with emotions. She sorts of becomes and remains an object of male control. Each time she is spoken about in Gilgamesh, she is referred to as ‘woman’ as to say this is her name, and is commanded, not asked, to complete a task. When the trapper takes her to find Enkidu, whom she is seduce, he says to her, â€Å"Now woman, make your breasts bare, have no shame, do not dela y but welcome his love†(p.64). The harlot is only an object of male pleasure. This also shows how women began to use sex as a weapon. The harlot changes Enkidu from a wild man, almost an animal, into a more human companion of Gilgamesh. She has the power that men need to transform him into a character that will benefit, instead of destroying, the society that they have created. From the beginning of Enkidu’s... Free Essays on Gender Roles Child’s play has been a part of our culture since the beginning of time and is distinguished as a part of growing up. The world of play is an important aspect in the lives of our children. It is an introductory step into adulthood. When asked the question: Does swapping toys change the basic differences in the ways the genders approach play, my answer would have to be that it doesn’t. Our biological make-ups have created boys and girls to have very distinctly different characteristics. These characteristics are very innate and draw a fine line between the way we behave. Girls on one hand have more caring and nurturing qualities. They tend to be more loving and understanding and that is why they were given the role of mothers. Boys on the other hand are a hard, coarse type and are ever more competitive than girls. This aggressive behavior is a direct result from higher testosterone levels found in boys. These considerably different characteristics play an important role in the way genders perceive and approach play. For example, let’s say that a little boy is having a tea party with his younger sister. The sister would almost certainly perceive the play to be a formal gathering in which everything is nice and pleasant. The little boy, on the other hand, would see it as a bunch of cowboys, in a sense, bellying up to the bar. Whatever the circumstance s, the characteristics of children’s genders will guide their imaginations. Growing up in my family, I had two brothers and one sister. Sometimes my parents would give us the same types of toys to play with. I remember we all had toy trucks at one time. We boys would use our trucks to play in the mud, have races, and just do the things boys are meant to do. My sister on the other hand would use her truck to carry her family of dolls. We also all had blankets. My brothers and I would make tents in the living room and pretend as if we were camping in the woods, whil... Free Essays on Gender Roles In the article â€Å"Incarcerated Mothers† a lot of valid points and strong arguments are made. We learn in the beginning of the article that majority of the women in prison are mothers, and their needs are often neglected. Women’s healthcare needs and services are often ignored compared to male inmates. Majority of women mothers take care of themselves and abide by the rules simply to get out of prison as soon as possible so that they can see their children. Would it be a different case if we were discussing fatherhood? Yes, I think it would. For instance, incarcerated males receive many of the necessary services, such as, medical, dental, recreational, vocational, and educational services. However, does the male population of inmates deserve to have these benefits? I think that the men take advantage of these benefits. I do not think the main thing on their mind is getting out of prison to see their children. Many of them may not even know they have kids, they may be in jail for sexual abuse and therefore not care about their offspring. For instance, on page 262 the given quote is saying that men get in trouble for more harsh things, they try to escape, they don’t wear the proper clothes that they are supposed to, they get in fights with one another, and are rowdy compared to the women who abide by the rules and are quite so that they can go home and see their families. Clearly, if men are acting in such a manner then they are not concerned about acting properly in prison so that they can get out and get back to their families. Fathers in prison don’t necessarily have to prove themselves worthy of fatherhood, they don’t have to prove competency. Where as mothers have to prove this without expecting support for their mothering role. It is terrible to see that men don’t have to work as hard to get out to see their children. Both genders should have to equally prove themselves worthy of being a parent rather than t... Free Essays on Gender Roles Gender Roles(Human Sexuality) Gender Roles While I was growing up, gender roles were highly defined by my parents and teachers as well as all other societal influences. Boys were taught to do boy things and girls were taught to do girly things. The toys that children play with and the activities that are encouraged by adults demonstrate the influence of gender roles on todays youth. In my formative years, the masculine traits that I learned came out because of the activities that my parents had me engage in and the things that they expected from me. The expectations that my parents held for my sister, on the other hand, varied from those that they had for me, and this was made apparent through the different activities that occupied her time. My parents treated us in completely different regard. We had different toys, different friends, and we were supposed to like different things. When I got hurt my parents would say things like shake it off, or that didnt hurt that much, but when my sister would cry, they would gi ve her attention and pull her aside to take care of her. I got into a lot more trouble throughout my life than my sister and this was, in part, overlooked as the boys mischievous nature. I played with GI Joes and He-Man action figures, while my sister played with Barbie Dolls. I remember when she and I would play together and the GI Joes would be married to the Barbie Dolls. When I made the action figures fight over the Barbie Dolls, my sister would always get mad. She was more interested in the wedding ceremony. My parents always encouraged me to do things like skateboard, ride my bike, or take karate classes. My sister would jump rope or hullahoop. I remember when my sister wanted to skateboard because I was doing it and my parents would not let her because they said she would get hurt. My mother would cook with my sister, but never with me. My dad would take me to basketball and soccer games. When youre ... Free Essays on Gender Roles In today’s growing population, gender roles are always playing major parts in our way of life. Through observation and general knowledge I think that certain gender roles are absent in single parented families. For instance, if there is a single mother who is the primary care taker, then a father figure is not always present and vice versus. I think this leaves the parent under a lot of pressure to provide their children with both a motherly figure and fatherly figure. For instance, in the story written by Tillie Olsen, a young girl is being described as being somber, depressed, thin, frail, and troubled due to lack of attention from both a mother and a father as a child. In this story there is evidence of absence of both parental figures. Emily the young girl being discussed in this story had a mother who is described as being young and distracted for most of Emily’s early stages of childhood, who also had a father that left the family when Emily wasn’t even a year old. Emily was neglected, put in day care, nursery school, sent off with relatives, and sent away to a convalescent home. Thus, leaving her confused and depressed about her life. I think Olsen is trying to send a message through this story that motherhood is important in all childrens' lives. Children need a nurturing figure in their lives. Although Olsen is defining motherhood in this story as a negative aspect in Emily’s life, I think she is really trying t o indirectly convey the message that because this mother was absent for her daughter’s childhood she not acting like the normal adolescent female that she should be. Therefore, motherhood should be defined as a female parent who holds authority, maternal tenderness or affection towards children. A mother should also be impressive or contemptible and have role model qualities for her children to follow. Emily’s mother holds none of these traits for poor Emily, and Emily sees that. She is jealou... Free Essays on Gender Roles Abstract: Why do we put so much emphasis on gender? From the moment children are born they are classified as male or female, boy or girl. They are dressed in pink and blue so that others can tell them apart. One of the most noticeable characteristics between all people is the fact that some are male and some are female. How society views them is termed gender roles. When a baby is born, the doctor looks at the proud parents and says three simple words: â€Å"It’s a boy,† or â€Å"It’s a girl!†. This is such a happy time in the parents’ life. But before a newborn child even takes his or her first breath of life outside the mother’s womb, he or she is distinguishable and characterized by gender. â€Å"We have a strong need to classify that baby as male or female so we know how it fits in, so everything will be in its place and make sense.† (io.com/~wwwave/men/roles.html) The baby is then brought home and dressed in clothes that help friends, family, and even strangers identify the sex of the child. Baby boys are dressed in blue and baby girls are dressed in pink. As the boy begins to grow, he is given cars and trucks to pay with. The girl is given dolls and Barbie’s to play with. When they get older, boys are encouraged to play sports. Girls are encouraged to join classes such as Home Economi cs. This sounds pretty normal, right? But the question is: What is normal? When each of us was in our mother’s womb and shortly after we were conceived we did not have anything or anyone influencing the way we acted. After birth within a couple of months, although we do not remember but we can observe, our fathers and mothers were bearing an influence on our lives. â€Å"Our parents are the first significant others who teach us our part in this symbolic division of the world. Their own gender orientations have become so firmly embedded that they do much of this teaching without even being aware of what th... Free Essays on Gender Roles Gender Essay In America’s pastime, a common stereotype has been that mother’s are always the better parent. For this reason mothers often are the recipient of the children in a custodial battle. The sad fact is that custody is frequently granted without any regard to who is actually the better parent and what is truly best for the children. In the essay I, Am a Good Parent by Dorsett Benett , Benett writes about his personal case with his former wife and what he went through. The big issue with Bennett and his essay is that people still have the same view as they did years ago which is men are the working figures while women are the ones who stay home and take care of the kids. Times have changed and women are now working and men are taking the roles that women once had. Although it is very hard to imagine society has changed. Particularly in Bennett ‘s case he is trying to get custody of his children. He put his case together very well, he video typed testimonials from witnesses. Bennet says â€Å"The state legislature can pass laws that says neither parent is favored because of their gender. But it is judges who make the ultimate choice.†(Across Cultures,105).Most judges are older and have the perspective from the times where women were home and nurtured the children. This makes a difference in the decision the judge will have. In the trial Bennett’s ex-wife argument was â€Å"I am their mother†.(Across C ultures106). Although Bennett had a good case and a better custody evaluation than his ex-wife ,the judge still granted the mother custody.... Free Essays on Gender Roles Gender Roles By: Anonymous Question at Issue Affirmative action was implemented with the idea and hope that America would finally become truly equal. The tension of the 1960's civil rights movement had made it very clear, that the nation's minority and female population were not receiving equal social and economic opportunity. The implementation of affirmative action was America's first honest attempt at solving a problem, it had previously chose to ignore. However, there are many people that don't see affirmative action as a positive solution to this major societal problem of racial inequality. These people feel that Affirmative action uses reverse discrimination to solve the problem of discrimination in the workplace. The Enthymeme Affirmative action uses reverse discrimination to solve the problem of discrimination because Affirmative action makes employers have to choose from the best available employee from the minorities, instead of having the possibility to choose simply the best employee. A= Affirmativ e action v1= uses B= reverse discrimination to solve the problem of discrimination Because A= Affirmative action v2= makes C= employers have to choose from the best available employee from the minorities, instead of having the possibility to choose the best available employee. Assumption: Anything that makes employers have to choose from the best available employee from the minorities, instead of having to simply choosing the best available employee uses reverse discrimination to solve the problem of discrimination. Assumption and Audience The assumption for this paper will appeal to employees who do not qualify for Affirmative action, as well as employers and minorities. Employees not qualifying for Affirmative action feel shortchanged due to the fact employers, for a lesser skilled employee, bypassed them. They feel tricked by the government or the minority therefore firing up racism among the bypassed group, while Affirmat...