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Hunter Crawford

Mrs.Bowyer

English Period 2

22 March 2017

Power of Gender Roles

Gender roles are the roles or behaviors learned by a person as appropriate to their gender,

not only religion defines gender roles. Society makes gender roles for both female and male,

religious gender roles tend to have more severe consequences for not obeying their roles as men

or women.

Our society's gender roles would be that men are more superior to females. Boys don't

cry is a saying that implies that boys are stronger than girls, also be a man ; man up, is

hinting that all men need to be strong.

Gender roles isolate us from our opposite sex and ultimately define who we are as

humans.

Women are told being pretty means that you have to be lady like, wear makeup, put on

excessive amounts of jewelry and to kill their hair with heat for that perfect curl. As much as we

hate spending most our mornings getting ready in the bathroom, we also hate going into public

not feeling pretty. Why are we taught not to love ourselves in our own skin and ways. Our

society has helped generate these unrealistic images of beauty.

...his hips move back and forth in a feminine way, Judith Butler describes a story about

a boy that lives in a small town with a feminine walk in a youtube clip, Phylosophe

(Butler,45). This young man ended his life because he was humiliated every day because of his
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sassy walk which was not cool for a boy his age. The swish of his walk is not what killed him

but the people saying he was girly gay, all because men are not suppose to walk with a swish

in their steps. Our society does not think that is a manly thing to do, so this young man

committed suicide due to our cruel society and our gender roles.

Gender roles is a situation that is personally witnessed everyday especially being a

highschool student, these past four years I have recognized that guys always need to be better

than girls. I am currently a teacher aide for physical education and the fastest mile time was

completed by a girl and because most boys have the mentality that girls can not beat them he

screams she cheated. Hearing guys say that they would not date her she's fat but, while in P.E

the boys to tease the girls who work their butt off in class because it is manly.. The girls do

not like to hangout with the guys who are not athletic and masculine because they are weird.

Gender roles go affect both female and male after all gender roles define who we are.

Gender roles are very different in religious settings but still share the same main point

that men are superior to women. When watching the movie Sabah you get the insight of a

muslim family, and witness just how strict harsh they are when it comes to breaking traditions.

In the movie Sabah we see a marriage arrangement play out Sabah's sister wanted to feel

love, not to be forced into loving someone she knows nothing about. Sabahs sister Shaherra

presents herself as a religious freak, that wants six kids, to the young man that her family has

arranged her with. Everyone is mad at Shaherra because they want to uphold the family

traditions and religion. The man of the house told shaherra that she would not be welcomed in

this family anymore if she did not take the arrangement seriously.
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Now, let's look at a latino family in mexico in the movie Real Women have Curves

we see a young lady struggle with gender roles from her own mother. A seventeen year old

young lady, Anna has a mother who reminds her everyday that she is overweight and will never

have a boyfriend or even get married, because guys only like skinny girls. This latina mother acts

on and strongly advocates traditional masculine and feminine gender roles. Annas future has

been vigorously imbedded in her head by her latina mother, the future entailed that she needs to

get married. Anna was told not to further her education after high school to find a man. Anna

being the smart, independent girl she is decides not to obey her family she gives up the

traditional life of the common labor and enslavement to a husband. Annas mom is disgusted that

she is giving up the latino womens role to further her education. Anna rises above her traditional

gender roles to benefit her life.

The solution to overcoming gender roles seems so simple, just rise above them. The

solution is not that simple or else gender roles would have banished years ago.

Well, the solution starts with self love and confidence. You need to feel comfortable in

your own skin. You are beautiful/handsome no matter what anyone tells you. Girls you do not

need to know how to curl your hair perfectly, wing your eyeliner or even paint your nails. You

are beautiful with a naked face and your natural hair. Girls you are more than capable of getting

an education and providing for yourself. Boys we do not have to be the star football player, the

starter on the basketball team or the record beating track star. Feel comfortable being yourself

and doing what you want to do to make yourself happy.


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The second step to rising above gender roles is encouraging and understanding others.

Help your coworkers, peers and family to love themselves and stand up to the gender roles

around them.

The last step is to eliminate gender discrimination in your life, start speaking up for

yourself and others. Question people who are supporting our unfair gender roles.

Overcoming gender roles is not something that is going to happen overnight but that you

can avoid by having self confidence and loving yourself, also encouraging understanding others

helping to eliminate gender roles in your life. Gender roles is a serious problem that is dividing

us from our opposite sex.


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Butler, Judith. Phylosophe. Youtube. 23 Feb. 2007. Web.8 Sept. 2012.

Real Women Have Curves. Dir. Patricia Cardoso. 2002.

Sabah. Filem Negara Malaysia, 2003.

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