Gender is the general identity that defines a person’s biological differences as well as their sociological differences used by to emphasize the distinctions between males and females. Gender roles are the stereotypes that are assigned to a specific gender by the general culture; these roles help people distinguish their gender differences but at the same time create inequality between the two sexes. A strong example of gender roles implemented by society is children and their awareness of their own gender identification. Children’s strive for appropriate behavior according to their stereotypes is largely influenced by their parents and early surroundings. Since the birth of a child, their environment is instantly influenced by the gender stereotypes in the culture. Because the parents wish for their babies to be masculine or feminine, boys are never dressed in pink as it is considered to be a "feminine" color. In the given articles about gender roles along with my personal experience as a female and my brother’s experience, stereotypes of men creates standard for male behavior and inequality to the females in our society.
Masculine mainly possess aggressive, independent and self-confident behavior and these stereotypes en
trap them with high standards but also provide them with an advantage in society. Based on my experience of being a male, I definitely agree with this theory. My brother’s aggression is greatly derived during his childhood when he was taught that “boys never cry” and was given guns and cars as toys since his fourth birthday. This trait of aggression reinforces my brother in different areas of society such as education. In school, his teachers and parents always expected him to excel in studies, being the male child of the family. My brother was given maximum pressure for academic standards and was expected to be successful while I never got much pressure and had a more relaxed environment through education. Along with the pressure, my brother was not allowed to be helped because my mother wanted him to be an independent and strong man. My brother was injured on a sport day when he was in junior high school. He went back home with a crying face and asked my mother if she could take care of his wound. But she said, “You are a boy! It’s not big deal! Don’t show me your crying face no more.” These stereotypes pushed my brother to work harder and strive for success in his future. Because of these standards given by gender roles, he is constantly trying to improve himself and avoid losing in any competitions in life.
In Holly Devor’s article “Gender Roles Behaviors and Attitudes,” the author defines the typical appearance of masculine should be expansive and tough. I agree with this perception of the male
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