In a random sampling of 127 males and females across a broad spectrum of age range, twenty key statements regarding gender roles and behavior were given to the participants (Holmes). They were asked to agree, strongly agree, disagree, and strongly disagree with a choice for no comment. While the results of this survey showed that strict adherence to traditional gender roles is waning, their continued influence can still be clearly seen through the data in this survey. According to the results, 76% of men surveyed strongly agreed and agreed that women should be responsible for practicing safe sex while 50% of the women surveyed disagreed. 58% of women disagreed that a teenage male should have a later curfew than a teenage female, while only 45% of men disagreed. 58% of men who had an opinion agreed or strongly disagreed that it is better for a woman to get her tubes tied than a man to have a vasectomy, while an even greater percentage of women overwhelmingly disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement. When confronted with universal drafting for war, a majority of men accepted the idea of women being drafted for war while a majority of women disagreed. .
To put these figures in perspective of traditional gender roles, one must recognize that what becomes apparent from the data is a schism between men and women. Men still seem to some extent to adhere to gender stereotypes such as women being responsible for safe-sex (including birth control), female teens having a later curfew, and that it is emasculating to have a vasectomy while a woman can go ahead with tying her tubes. However, it is interesting that men would want to send women off to war and I will touch on this in a moment. Women, however, seem to want to rid themselves of these stereotypical behaviors and to achieve greater independence from these. Why aren't the genders progressing equally towards gender-neutral positions on these issues? Why are women clearly very overwhelmingly independent in their thinking? What causes men to bitterly want women to join them in battle? Major factors in all of these are the women's rights movement and each sex" reaction to it.