Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes

Q.: I really don't have any questions. The questions I have I answer them myself.




A.:In today’s society, there are clearly outlined rules and guidelines that explain how men and women should act. Although they might not be specifically written down on stone, gender roles definitely exist in popular culture. In his article, "Gender Role Behavior and Attitudes", Aaron Devor discusses not only what men and women’s gender roles are, but he attempts to explain why they have become so unflinchingly strict in today’s society.  He says masculinity is usually characterized by dominance and aggression, where as femininity is characterized by passivity and submission.  How exactly did the roles become established? Devor claims that gender roles are the result, rather than the cause, of status inequalities. He explains this hypothesis by saying that the ideology behind gender roles postulates that the cultural superiority of males is a natural outgrowth of predisposition  of males toward aggression and dominance. While females gender roles are based on evolution of the species, such as childbirth and breast feeding, essentially reflect the view that femininity revolves around heterosexuality and maternity.