Stereotypes and idealism.
Characteristics that embody the ideal female and male both include being healthy, attractive, generous and well-mannered. Gender roles are portrayed through the media and influence people’s perception on what the ideal woman and man should be. They have certainly come a long way in the past 100 years. An example of this is how women’s only responsibilities were to make and take care of family and men’s only responsibilities were to provide for it and now women work as much as men do in having the same level of jobs and household responsibilities. Another example of how gender inequality has improved is how domestic violence was considered immediately the woman’s fault, but now both genders and situations are considered for fault before concluding anything. Cultural movements such as second wave feminism have allowed women to be considered more than what they were in society and led to possibilities such as having the right to vote in 1920.
These qualities of males are expected from women and vice versa. Constant makeup, a skinny yet curvy figure, and perfect hair are what is portrayed as the ideal woman’s image. Similarly, the ideal man’s image is portrayed as having abs, full hair, and a height of at least 5’11”. Both should be hardworking, accepting and independent. However, there are also portrayals of both genders that still exist in today’s society. Women are not given as much respect and fair treatment as men get. Females are still considered less able than a man in the workforce and household. This is where feminism comes in. Feminism is not just standing up for women's rights, but fighting for both men and women's equality.
The ideas of what the ideal male and female are lead to issues such as low confidence, self-harm, and the pressure to always be perfect. People will do unhealthy things to fit in and try to fit the ultimate profile. Personally, the ideal male is supportive of his family, hard working and respectful to women. The ideal female to me is confident, comfortable in her body and respectful to men. The progress of what society demands females to be has thankfully improved, but unfortunately, a double standard still exists with both gender roles. Even more of a reason to continue fighting for gender equality and to stray away from the limited stereotypes.
