Understanding and appreciating perceived gender roles in our society is both difficult and controversial. Our cultural upbringing is overshadowed by a variety of factors, including but not limited to religion and family background. This cultural upbringing can inform our understanding of gender roles and can color the perceptions in which we see the world. A black mark on American History is the historic legal and social oppression of females in our nation. Women were forced into roles of domesticity and were not given the chance to discover themselves and to reach towards their highest aspirations.
Over time legal barriers have fallen away. Women now have the franchise and are protected under state and federal statutes in employment and other matters. Thus, de jure, legally, women and men are on equal footing. However solely looking at how things are de jure, would fail to fully put together the pieces puzzle and provide a complete picture of how the situation is in fact, de facto, in fact. Throughout my upbringing in attending public schools, I have seen stereotypical behavior and comments from both male and female classmates. One memory that remains distinctly in my mind was an in class discussion in high school regarding whether or not women should be permitted to serve in certain roles in the military roles. Virtually all my male classmates except myself, and some of my female classmates relied on ancient notions of gender including physical strength to perform such roles. To be clear, there needs to be a set of standards, however to assume that no woman would be capable of meeting such a standard is simply a stereotype that is based in prejudice and not reliant on facts. Additionally I have observed discussions regarding the role of men and women within the family unit. Many have attempted to cling onto the ancient notion that men are suppose to be the breadwinner and that women are suppose to care for the household and children. This notion is deeply harmful to both women and men.
Womens' dreams have been extinguished in the effort to compel them to fit into the role that some in society have attempted to preordain for them. Men have been deprived of the opportunity to fully interact within the family unit and to enjoy the pleasures of raising children and watching them blossom into the people that they are meant to be. Both men deserve better. As we come to terms with our identity as a society we must note that although we have made progress we still have a significant ways to go in order to eliminate discrimination.
