StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Gender Roles Issues - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The essay "Gender Roles Issues" focuses on the critical analysis of the major issues in the dilemma of gender roles. Since ancient times, there is inequality between men and women which has had a great impact on the cultural representation of both during the nineteenth century…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER92% of users find it useful
Gender Roles Issues
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Gender Roles Issues"

Through the character of Linda, Harriet Jacobs depicts that women's sexual abuse and physical violence are the main forms of humiliation and oppression. Sexual abuse of a slave woman is the expression of the male’s power and dominance of the owner. Jacobs describes that socially slave women used to be oppressed. They have no right to protect their dignity and freedom used to cultural norms followed by generations. “But I do earnestly desire to arouse the women of the North to a realizing sense of the condition of two million women in the South, still in bondage, suffering what I suffered, and most of them far worse” (Jacobs, 2003).

Similar to Jacobs, Frederick Douglass discusses the role of gender in society and its impact on relations between a slave and owner. Gender roles in ‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass shape not only how people identify themselves and view the world but also how others identify and relate to them and how they are positioned within society. “Slaveholders have ordained, and by law established, that the children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mothers” (Douglass, 1997). Both Jacobs and Douglass portray that women are traditionally associated with childbearing, child rearing, emotional caretaking, and responsibility for the physical maintenance of the household. In contrast, men are associated with the activities of wage labor, physical prowess, intellectual achievements, and political agency. “Slaveholders pride themselves upon being honorable men; but if you were to hear the enormous lies they tell their slaves, you would have small respect for their veracity” (Douglass, 1997). This gender labeling is so strong that even when women work, they typically do so in areas regarded as "women's work". Also, “Women are considered of no value unless they continually increase their owner's stock. They are put on a par with animals” (Jacobs, 2003). Labor markets are thus segregated horizontally by gender, with women and men differentiated in occupational roles.

The dominance of men adds aggression and cruelty to cultural dimensions and values. Both narratives under analysis describe masculine societies. Masculinity describes a society in which men are expected to be assertive, competitive, and concerned with material success, and women fulfill the role of nurturer and are concerned with issues such as the welfare of children. Lack of respect towards women results in norms and values which reflect gender roles. It means that men play a dominant position as keepers of traditions and customers in contrast to women who perform a reproduction function only. Jacobs portrays that even free women suffer from male oppression and low social roles. “Mrs. Flint, like many southern women, was deficient in energy. She had no strength to superintend her household affairs” (Jacobs, 2003).

Jacobs chose to write about gender roles faced with extreme violence and oppression during her young years. She underlines that emotional abuse is a socially accepted form of violence. The consequence of emotional abuse is that it causes the greatest distress resulting in betrayal of trust and responsibility involved. Douglass writes about gender roles because he was deprived life of a mother since his yearly childhood which caused great suffering and emotional distress to him. “But we, who were slave children, without father or mother, could not expect to be happy. We must be good; perhaps that would bring us contentment” (Douglass, 1997).

To avoid such situations, men show extreme domestic violence towards women. To some extent, this situation and women's oppression is caused by religious dogmas and traditions that play a crucial role in their communities. Christianity played a crucial role in the lives of all women. Christianity and the church was a strong force that dictated social norms and social order. Gender differences are evident in the following description of Christian values: If a man goes to the communion table, and pays money into the treasury of the church, no matter if it is the price of blood, he is called religious. If a pastor has offspring from a woman, not his wife, the church dismisses him, if she is a white woman; but if she is colored, it does not hinder his continuing to be their good shepherd (Jacobs, 2003).

The point is that stereotypes of gender (masculinity and femininity) have consequences for the difference between men's and women's experiences in, for example, work and exercising power.

In sum, during the period of slavery, gender roles determined social and family relations resulting in the low status of women and the dominance of men. Both authors express the same ideas concerning the oppression of women as s result of cultural development and traditions. The main forms of violence among women were sexual and physical abuse as a reflection of gender roles and slavery.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Gender Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1509278-gender-role
(Gender Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1509278-gender-role.
“Gender Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1509278-gender-role.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Gender Roles Issues

The Role of Irony, Symbol, and Setting the Issue of Gender Differences in Susan Glaspell's Trifles

The use of irony, symbol and setting in Susan Glaspell's Trifles helps define the various differences between the gender roles of men and women during the time when the play was written.... However, as the play progresses, one gets a glimpse of how men and women in America in the early 20th century would define their roles according to their gender.... (Name) (Professor) (Subject) (Date) The Role of Irony, Symbol, and Setting in Defining the Issue of gender Differences in Susan Glaspell's Trifles On the outset, Susan Glaspell's one-act 1916 play Trifles seems like a mere investigation of a man's murder, which is allegedly committed by his wife....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Contrasts between the Male and the Female Species

From all the years that Gender Roles Issues have gone through, modern day gender dynamics is an outcome of years of reforms and challenges in bringing gender equality in all aspects of the society.... Despite the remarkable changes gender roles leaped over the years still women are encouraged not to rest among these victories.... The modern feminists are focused on sexual rights and issues of women that the movement for more significant changes for societal benefit lies behind....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

A Personal Reflection on Nursing Philosophy/Human Diversity

Further, the nurse must cultivate an awareness of the socio-political issues within her community which will impact on decision-making of patient care, such as gender roles, issues of multiculturalism, and social protection of the socially excluded (e.... It is clear from my observations within adult cardio-surgical patients, that human diversity is a complex issue for the nurse, that has many inter-linking facets providing novel situations, ethical dilemmas, and also a wealth of skills, knowledge and competencies to solving critical health and social care issues....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Developing Nurses Cultural Awareness

Further, the nurse must cultivate an awareness of the socio-political issues within the community that will impact the decision-making of patient care; such as gender roles, issues of multiculturalism, and social protection of the socially excluded (e.... This paper "Developing Nurses Cultural Awareness" reviews education theories' contribution to developing nurse's patient cultural assessment skills, presents responsibilities of nurses to multicultural issues, and how awareness of the needs of ethnic minority patients can be taught to nurses....
8 Pages (2000 words) Assignment

The Analysis of the Multicultural Health

Further, the nurse must cultivate an awareness of the socio-political issues within her community that will impact the decision-making of patient care, such as gender roles, issues of multiculturalism, and social protection of the socially excluded (e.... The paper "The Analysis of the Multicultural Health" tells that human diversity is a complex issue for the nurse, that has many inter-linking facets providing novel situations, ethical dilemmas, and also a wealth of skills, knowledge and competencies to solving critical health and social care issues....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Issue of Gender Roles in Society

The paper "The Issue of gender roles in Society" highlights that the main obstacle is the pride of some men who perceive themselves to be stronger and brighter than their female counterparts and thus consider themselves somewhat higher placed in society in terms of value.... The issue of gender roles in society has been a big topic over the past years as the era of male chauvinism finally comes to an end and equality becomes more than just a perceived concept for the future....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Gender Roles Set in Stone

In doing this, they communicated specific thematic issues key among which is gender roles.... ndorf and statue of a kouros are among the most famous prehistoric sculptures that provide a perfect representation of ender and the gender roles in the early societies.... The lack of clothing at the time gender roles set in stone Art has remained the most appropriate media used to criticize and represent the society.... In doing this, they communicated specific thematic issues key among which is gender roles....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Identification of Gender Roles

This coursework "Identification of gender roles" analyzes why men are not moving into jobs that in the past have been identified as feminine jobs.... he attitudes of people regarding gender are shaped by an evolutionary process and this is the reason why women are expected to perform certain roles in society.... ender roles are inculcated in the minds of children at a very early age.... gender inequalities still exist even in a developed country like Canada....
9 Pages (2250 words) Coursework
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us