English: Reflecting on the gender narrative
What one becomes in the future tends to be determined by one’s gender in most societies. Gender is defined as the anatomy of a human body, which reveals whether one is male or female. Our communities have set standards for how they expect men and women to dress, behave, present themselves, among other things. The expectation of a particular gender to conform in a certain way by society is called gender narrative. It is also believed that specific roles and professions are reserved for one gender and others for the other gender. However, in recent years, the narrative that one’s destiny is determined by gender has been refuted by claims that gender should not define individuals the way it has in previous times. Therefore, it is essential to make it known from a young age that gender should not limit individuals’ futures/destinies.
Stereotyping is a widely accepted judging of a person and, in this case, of a particular gender. Stereotypes about gender cause unequal or unfair treatment, commonly referred to as sexism (Grossman, 2013). The basic kinds of stereotypes are based on personality traits, whereby society expects women to be accommodating and empathetic while men are expected to be self-confident and aggressive. When it comes to sedentary behaviors, women are expected to cook and tend to children, and men take care of their finances. On occupation, people assume that teachers and nurses should be women’s professions while engineering and doctors are reserved for men. Finally, on physical appearances, women are expected to be curvaceous and men muscular (Grossman, 2013). These extreme gender stereotypes do not allow people to express themselves fully. Society assumes that men are not supposed to express their emotions fully, which may lead to the development of mental illnesses. On the other hand, women are expected to depend on men, especially financially limiting their abilities. The current millennial society discourages gender stereotyping and encourages both genders to ignore gender limitations and fulfill their dreams and desires.
A gender role is a social role incorporating an array of behaviors that are considered acceptable based on a person’s gender (Lippa, 2002). Gender roles prescribe how people should be instead of recognizing who they are. These roles are usually centered on the concept of masculinity or femininity and are dictated by the environment and the needs of society. Society presumes that men are leaders in charge of finances and making important family decisions while women are nurturing. Therefore, they should stay at home and take care of family fulltime. The specifics regarding these gender expectations vary from culture to culture, although some characteristics may be shared through a range culture. These roles are ingrained in people’s lives from a young age. Gender roles influence a wide range of human behavior, including the clothes a person chooses, the career they pursue, and the type of relationships they enter.
Gender myths and controls are also common in our societies today. In most parts of the world, gender myths and controls hold back half of the society’s members, primarily since most of these myths affect women, keeping girls out of school. In such communities, men dominate positions of power, leaving the women behind. Myths such as women having a smaller brain and, therefore, not capable of holding a leadership position are predominant in countries and societies that forbid women from getting an education (Eliot, 2019). This myth has been refuted in most parts of the world where women take up leadership roles, such as being CEOs of massive companies dominated by men and even being presidents of some countries. The belief that girls/women cannot handle science and math has been challenged as in recent times, we have witnessed a series of female scientists and other professions that were previously reserved for the opposite gender. There have also been numerous campaigns aimed at refuting these myths and empowering the affected gender (women in most cases), which have contributed towards the rise of female professionals in today’s world.
Gender narratives have indeed been a great contributor to the destinies/future of individuals in our societies today. Most of these narratives are embedded in the lives of individuals from birth, whereby a girl is expected to wear colorful clothes and start acting like a young lady. Likewise, boys are exposed to leadership and decision-making at an early age too. However, gender limitations are being phased out by the new millennial generation, where individuals are open-minded and do not subscribe to gender conformities. Individuals in this modern age are encouraged to be whatever they desire to be.
References
Eliot, L. (2019). Neurosexism: The Myth That Men and Women Have Different Brains. Nature, 566, 453-454.
Grossman, P. J. (2013). The Persistence and Dominance of Gender Stereotypes. Economic Inquiry, 51 (1).
Lippa, R. A. (2002). Gender, nature and nurture. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers.