Before delving into this topic let's just clarify what gender roles are first. Gender roles are most commonly known by everyone as societal norms that are thrust upon people based on what gender they are. These roles tend to dictate the way people act and whether or not they are accepted by the people around them. Life is not simple and to overgeneralize anything is a disservice to everyone in the world. To say one person should be doing one thing or another based solely on their gender is ignorance at its finest. It puts pressure on people to conform to a certain standard that they just might not fit.
It's also a shame that when people try to break these gender roles they are often criticized to the point where they no longer want to break the norm. These roles and norms are thrust upon us when we’re young and follow us into adulthood. Boys are supposed to play with trucks and girls play with barbies. It stunts creativity in kids and potentially forces them to hide who they really are and stop doing what really interests them.
Although the most troubling thing about gender roles is that it creates stereotypes, preconceived notions of who people are based simply on their gender. These stereotypes lead to unnecessary prejudices by people in the world. Men are expected to be strong, dominate, take control of situations and be a leader. When they do not have these attributes they are considered weak or “feminine”. Meanwhile, women are expected to be feminine, submissive, delicate and whenever they do something like being a leader they face scrutiny and are called slurs like “bitch”. Gender roles are so strongly cemented into our culture than when people go against them its a rather big deal.
Looking at pop culture sensations in today's time people such as Ronda Rousey, or recently deceased David Bowie show the potential of people who were allowed to break the mold of their gender roles. They’re not just very successful career wise but also successful at breaking down gender barriers. Ronda Rousey has shown confidence, is muscular and could probably beat up most men she meets. While David Bowie beside being known for great music is also known as a man who was bold enough to wear dresses and makeup. They didn't let constraints of society prevent them from being who they are and it only helped them be successful.
Overall sometimes it may seem hard to get rid of gender roles since they are so deeply entrenched in our society, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. I can not stress it enough, boys and girls should be raised the same way, we need to let them decide their interest rather than force interest on them based on gender. They should be allowed to mold themselves into the person they want to be and not have predetermined attributes imposed upon them. If we allow more self-expression and allow people to be themselves it would allow for more creativity and acceptance in the world. People have become so out of touch with their own lives that they have issues with someone simply living theirs. The message that needs to get out is everyone should be allowed to express who they are without shame and scrutiny from others. Just because they can’t handle something because it's different from their preconceived notion of what the world should be like doesn't make it wrong.
