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

Synthesis Essay on Gender Roles - Literature review Example

Cite this document
Summary
This literature review "Synthesis Essay on Gender Roles" discusses females that have made great strides in achieving legal equality with males, culturally speaking their advancement has not been nearly as great. There is a lag that still stereotypes males and females with differentiated roles…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93% of users find it useful
Synthesis Essay on Gender Roles
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Synthesis Essay on Gender Roles"

     The first source provided differentiates between sex and gender. (Abraham and Ahlbrand ) Although gender is often used synonymously with sex, this source delineates sex as the biological distinction between males and females in terms of their sex organs, whereas gender refers to the roles society expects people to perform because of their sex. For example, women are expected to be nurturers, expressive about their feelings, and readily show emotion, whereas men are expected to take charge, be strong and think logically. I would argue that this role differentiates dates all the way back to early hunter/gatherer societies when men had to go out to find animals to kill for food and clothing, leaving the women behind to look after the children and perform other domestic chores. Finally, while most people belong to either the male or female sex, transsexuals have organs of both sexes. This, plus the fact that they may identify themselves as more male than female or vice versa, may cause them great anxiety and confusion in a society that expects everyone to adopt either male or female gender roles.

                                                       2) Intimacy Unstuck

     This article states that in the past 30 years gender roles have been less specialized. I would argue this is a consequence of harsher economic conditions requiring both marriage partners to earn incomes, or sometimes for women to be the breadwinner if their husband loses employment ( Coontz 2009) This has made it incumbent on men to perform at least some of the traditionally female domestic chores. The article also discusses interesting research finding that same-sex couples tend to have better relationships with their gender-neutral roles than traditional opposite-sex couples with strongly differentiated male and female roles since they incorporate both perspectives and therefore can better understand their partners’ needs.

                                                     3)  What Motivates Us-Sex

     This source describes an anecdote involving President Coolidge and is therefore called The Coolidge Effect. (Bloom 2009) Space does not permit detailing the story, but the idea behind it is that men want more sex partners than women do. The article describes 2 theories behind this assertion. !)  men prefer sex with strange women and  2) this is sexist claptrap. While there is some truth to both allegations, I feel the second more accurately describes the current situation. The evidence for this is the swinging lifestyle. Men wanting sexual variety often will persuade their wives to join, but once in it is usually the women who embrace it more. When it comes to sex women are the physically stronger sex because they don’t have a refractory (or recovery) period before they can have intercourse again. In this lifestyle, it is the women who have the dominant role, as they control if and when they will have sex and if so who they will accept as a partner. Particularly in this lifestyle, the notion that the female role is to gratify the sexual “needs” of the male is breaking down as women are demanding at least equal consideration, and rightly so in my view.

                                                        4) Understanding Men-Roles in Dating

     While men ( justifiably in my opinion) are now experiencing some constraints on acting on their sexual urges, constraints in dating ( which I agree are necessary) can cause male anxiety which should be treated with empathy and understanding by women. (Talbot, Neal ) Traditionally men initiated dating and even expected female compliance with their wishes. In some strongly patriarchal societies, women couldn’t even refuse a marriage demand. Now fortunately women have the right to refuse both marriage and dates. However, while women have these rights and are and at least at times are encouraged to initiate contacts if they wish, because of past mores men are not used to risking rejection or dealing with forwarding women. It is not in their DNA. Their fragile egos have not yet prepared them to deal with such situations and move on if necessary. Therefore, while women should certainly have these rights, they should be used tactfully

                             5) Sources of Power-How the Female Ambition is Shaped

     In spite of the fact that women have gained many legal rights to education and employment access, and with affirmative action, they have not yet attained top corporate positions in the same proportion as their population. ( Nordel 2006  ) This source lists 3possible causes for the imbalance 1) they are averse to risk-taking 2) continued conscious discrimination and 3) unconscious bias. While I believe all 3 of these have some validity, I believe that point #3 coupled with the fact that many women still have domestic responsibilities largely accounts for the discrepancy. It is usually men who consider people for promotion and there is a natural tendency to select those who are similar to themselves.

                                                                  Conclusion

     Gender roles dating back to the first appearance of humans on earth and were necessitated by the requirements of the time. Men were physically stronger and therefore did the hunting for food, and of course, only women could child bear so they did the nurturing and domestic duties.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Women's Social Success, Their Culturally Lagging Behind Men, Reasons f Literature review - 1, n.d.)
Women's Social Success, Their Culturally Lagging Behind Men, Reasons f Literature review - 1. https://studentshare.org/gender-sexual-studies/1762796-synthesis-essay-on-gender-roles
(Women'S Social Success, Their Culturally Lagging Behind Men, Reasons F Literature Review - 1)
Women'S Social Success, Their Culturally Lagging Behind Men, Reasons F Literature Review - 1. https://studentshare.org/gender-sexual-studies/1762796-synthesis-essay-on-gender-roles.
“Women'S Social Success, Their Culturally Lagging Behind Men, Reasons F Literature Review - 1”. https://studentshare.org/gender-sexual-studies/1762796-synthesis-essay-on-gender-roles.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Synthesis Essay on Gender Roles

Nature and Nurture: Coexistence

For many centuries, the determination of gender roles has often been linked to the continued saga between “nature” and “nurture,” of which many researchers postulate that either of the two wins over the other, or that both are key determinants in the formation of one's concept of gender identity.... By gender roles, a man is a woman, and vice-versa.... By gender roles, a man is for a woman, and vice-versa.... This paper discusses the interaction between hormones (the nature part) and behavior, and how these two determine gender identity....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Clementine breaks away from the conventional feminine roles.... n sum, with the emphasis on the irrational and examination of the conflicts between male and female interpretation of the world and sexual relations, and the brute force of emotional pain, this movie reflects cultural and gender stereotypes of male and female roles and body images which determines social standpoints and crucial role of sexuality and longing in modern culture.... gender and sexuality is a pervasive variable affecting all spheres of human activity....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Difference Difference Makes: Women and Leadership

Rarely do authors and instructors address the social perceptions of women in leadership roles; the general feeling is that there simply isn't a problem to be addressed.... A dichotomy emerges during the balancing act between the idea that gender should not matter when it comes time for promotions, and the fact that 'gender differences do make some difference.... Unfortunately, following the instructions in the real world brings women right up against gender bias....
17 Pages (4250 words) Essay

Heteronormativity and Gender Norms

This study 'Heteronormativity and gender Norms' was conducted to identify gender norms and heteronormativity in letters from editors in magazines.... After reviewing two magazine's editor's letters, the author reviewed them for gender-biased language and adherence of heteronormativity.... The author states that the use of language conveys much more than merely what is said; anything from a person's socio-economic background, education level, ideological beliefs, to a person's attitudes towards issues of gender....
11 Pages (2750 words) Assignment

Diaspora and Gender Identity in Asia

In the paper 'Diaspora and gender Identity in Asia' the author analyzes a central component of a person's conception of selfhood.... The author states that gender identity seems to be an even more basic component of a person than their national identity, but this too in many people seems to be flexible.... In this paper, he shall discuss two amorphous national identities, that of the Korean Diaspora in China and the Korean Diaspora in Japan and two amorphous gender identities....
16 Pages (4000 words) Research Paper

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory

Epistemology is also used in self-knowledge valuation when applied to social roles by the individual in the adolescent experience or young adulthood, as this is when the most comprehensive range of community exploration will occur as the individual seeks for definition in social roles.... n human development, the exploration of the natural environment in infancy and early childhood leads to a self-centered personality in the child which becomes more open, tolerant, and respectful of the needs of others through maturation as part of the process of greater socialization that occurs and the adoption of social roles that lead to self-fulfillment or self-realization....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

The Importance of Laboratory Facilities in an Integrated Stem Education

The InitiativeAccording to the American Society of Civil Engineers, each laboratory has its own essence in STEM education and the roles need to be played to make the initiative a success.... The importance of various laboratory facilities in integrated STEM education is discussed at large in the essay.... lgorithmic synthesis Laboratory (ASL) enables the students to investigate various modeling methods and theories, synthesize algorithms in the mechanical, biomedical, and industrial systems, and abstraction....
6 Pages (1500 words) Case Study

Femininity or Masculinity

any may look upon masculinity and femineity as being a masquerade to 'play' certain roles in society and hence, maintain the smooth functioning of households which are more often than not the unit of analysis.... This paper ''Femininity or Masculinity'' tells us that gender is seen as a 'social construct'; it is the very basis by which human beings are divided into the 'female' and 'male' categories.... arlier on, gender was defined as a 'social construct'....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay
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