Inmy encountering world eligions class, Dr. Sayers said during his lecture, "...caught not taught." He was referring to gender roles in society when he made his statement. In our society people do not hear from their mom "this is what you need to do to be a woman" or vice versa with fathers and their sons. This sparked my attention. Gender roles are just assumed and I never really thought about it until now.
Girls are supposed to like dolls, the color pink, sparkles, flowers, and princesses. Boys are supposed to like action figures, getting dirty, sports, the color blue, and hot wheels. These stereotypes arise in society about how a boy or girl is supposed to act. They don't change even when girls become women and boys become men. Women are to cook, clean, take care of others, and have the man of the house work. Men are to be supportive, work, and provide for the family.
But now these typical gender roles are getting reversed. Women are starting to work more while they also take care of the family. They are interested in getting degrees and achieving more. Men now also take care of the family and share household responsibilities equally.
There is more to gender roles than meets the eye. No one taught me how to act like a lady, dress, or put on makeup. We observe others to fit in. When someone is not like the rest of society, they stand out (in a good or bad way). This goes back to the 'caught not taught' idea mentioned in class. Caught in the sense that no one said how to act, behave, or dress. We are not taught these
things when we are born. Gender roles blend in with everyday life and how we grow up.
Recently it has become more acceptable in society for people to
be gay, women to have political power, and men to be stay at home dads. Times are changing and the ideal role for each gender is not the same as it used to be. Just look around you, observe others and their behaviors. I am sure there are many things that will stand out to you. You will most likely start to question what is acceptable in society.
Perhaps one day you will make a bold move and change your clothing style or pursue your interests (even if it is bizarre). Be who you want to be, don't let society hold you back because it isn't the social norm. Be different, random, spontaneous, and more importantly be YOU! The world is only going to continue to change and maybe one day these so called gender roles won't even exist anymore. We can use this 'caught not taught' phrase to evaluate all things that people accept without really knowing why we do it. Take a minute and think about it, what else in society is
something we just accept?
Girls are supposed to like dolls, the color pink, sparkles, flowers, and princesses. Boys are supposed to like action figures, getting dirty, sports, the color blue, and hot wheels. These stereotypes arise in society about how a boy or girl is supposed to act. They don't change even when girls become women and boys become men. Women are to cook, clean, take care of others, and have the man of the house work. Men are to be supportive, work, and provide for the family.
But now these typical gender roles are getting reversed. Women are starting to work more while they also take care of the family. They are interested in getting degrees and achieving more. Men now also take care of the family and share household responsibilities equally.
There is more to gender roles than meets the eye. No one taught me how to act like a lady, dress, or put on makeup. We observe others to fit in. When someone is not like the rest of society, they stand out (in a good or bad way). This goes back to the 'caught not taught' idea mentioned in class. Caught in the sense that no one said how to act, behave, or dress. We are not taught these
things when we are born. Gender roles blend in with everyday life and how we grow up.
Recently it has become more acceptable in society for people to
be gay, women to have political power, and men to be stay at home dads. Times are changing and the ideal role for each gender is not the same as it used to be. Just look around you, observe others and their behaviors. I am sure there are many things that will stand out to you. You will most likely start to question what is acceptable in society.
Perhaps one day you will make a bold move and change your clothing style or pursue your interests (even if it is bizarre). Be who you want to be, don't let society hold you back because it isn't the social norm. Be different, random, spontaneous, and more importantly be YOU! The world is only going to continue to change and maybe one day these so called gender roles won't even exist anymore. We can use this 'caught not taught' phrase to evaluate all things that people accept without really knowing why we do it. Take a minute and think about it, what else in society is
something we just accept?
RSS Feed