Gender roles is something I have been thinking about a lot in my life. Once during a conversation about it, I caught myself saying that everyone should not care about gender roles at all, because being indifferent to gender roles means you are free. During my life I have met some people, who seem somewhat trapped in ideas like "what a real man is", as if there are men, who are simply wrong, and vice versa "what a real woman is", as if, again, there are women who are wrong. It makes me happy to see people who are truly being themselves, and we simply need to move towards a society that celebrates all kinds of diversity like that. The end of strict roles is over. Some just have not noticed it, yet.
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Gender roles
- Thread starter Greening
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There have been many psychological studies on this topic over the many years. Whether one is studying personality or intellectual traits between males and females, the professional roles they have or seek out, or roles within the family, there is huge amount of overlap. So, when someone begins claiming that both genders can do things equally, this would be more, or less, true for 80% or so of the population. However, when we start talking about the extremes, the 10% of females on one end of the spectrum, or 10% of males on the other end of the spectrum, the differences are extreme. There's clear reasons for male and female sports, because the extremes make it quite apparent. When we start talking about "the patriarchy" we have to keep in mind, it's not males, in general, but rather the 0.01% of hyper-extreme performers. Given the billions of people in this world, 0.01% means that people can come up of many, many examples of old, white men that are multi-billionaires that seemingly "rule the world" and create these huge income disparities that people get pissed off about. The reality is that the other 99.99% of males, clearly are not included in this group, and for the most part, contribute to the vast majority of suicides, killed in war, killed on the job, do most of the hard, physical labor in the worst of environmental conditions, most likely to lose their children, homes, and money due to divorce, have worse health, lower life expectancy, and the list goes on and on. The statistics very clearly do not support the myth of males having some sort of advantage, in fact, quite the opposite. The patriarchy only exists for the tiniest fraction of us. Furthermore, now-a-days, there are many, many large corporations with female CEOs.
Gender roles have historically been, more or less, a result of this idea that the "father and husband shall provide" and the "mother and wife shall raise the children and run the household". Even now-a-days, despite the fact that women are more educated and are heavily in the workforce, men still are expected to provide and do the sorts of jobs that build our infrastructure and modern conveniences. Overwhelmingly, men build things. Most women are not signing up for these physically demanding professions. Many women are often choosing not to get married nor have children, and would rather focus upon their careers in other areas. To each, their own. Obviously, our society is experiencing a transition in our traditional roles, not better, nor worse, per se, but different.
Gender roles have historically been, more or less, a result of this idea that the "father and husband shall provide" and the "mother and wife shall raise the children and run the household". Even now-a-days, despite the fact that women are more educated and are heavily in the workforce, men still are expected to provide and do the sorts of jobs that build our infrastructure and modern conveniences. Overwhelmingly, men build things. Most women are not signing up for these physically demanding professions. Many women are often choosing not to get married nor have children, and would rather focus upon their careers in other areas. To each, their own. Obviously, our society is experiencing a transition in our traditional roles, not better, nor worse, per se, but different.
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I identify as me, I rather not be seen as woman or man, father or mother, just human and parent. If someone thinks gender is important, then that is exactly my point, and why I don't want to identify as either 
Edit: I reserve the right to change my mind at any time about this
Edit: I'm not trying to push my view on anyone, I fully respect anyone's feeling of identifying as either gender, or any thing in between.
Edit: I reserve the right to change my mind at any time about this
Edit: I'm not trying to push my view on anyone, I fully respect anyone's feeling of identifying as either gender, or any thing in between.
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This attitude on gender seems common in the autism population, but I don't feel the same as you guys. I like a gender society. Why does it need to be such a huge issue? My attitude is that nobody need be forced to conform to gender roles but at the same time nobody should question it either or try to change society by becoming offended by everything gender-related. Sometimes gender roles are important, it's part of the social world we live in, and is needed to attract each other so we can breed.
Most cultures are lucky, because gender roles aren't strictly different or unfair, not these days anyway. There are some cultures where women are treated awfully and if they break their gender roles they'll be punished or resented for being a dishonor to their community, and homosexuality is not only a sin but a crime. I could understand if women from cultures like that wanted there to be a change in gender roles. But in most cultures, especially the western society, we're pretty free and gender doesn't have too much of an effect on our life choices.
So just quit wanting to change society to some sort of genderless one and just accept the way it is.
Most cultures are lucky, because gender roles aren't strictly different or unfair, not these days anyway. There are some cultures where women are treated awfully and if they break their gender roles they'll be punished or resented for being a dishonor to their community, and homosexuality is not only a sin but a crime. I could understand if women from cultures like that wanted there to be a change in gender roles. But in most cultures, especially the western society, we're pretty free and gender doesn't have too much of an effect on our life choices.
So just quit wanting to change society to some sort of genderless one and just accept the way it is.
Cam you elaborate on what you mean with a gender society?
Is it just that there are x genders, or does it include these genders having assigned roles, like females are caregivers and men are providers?
I don't have a problem with the genders, it's the expectations to them I find hard to deal with for my self. I understand others might have it easier on that point, and it can be very different depending on the culture of the people you are amongst.
When people talk about gender roles, it sounds like many of them think it's something someone invented or made. Like people had a meeting a long time ago and decided which roles people should have and then forced everyone to do that. But it's just nature, it happened organically. People did what fit them best or what they found natural to do. Instinct maybe. So I'm not sure what we are supposed to change or why.
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"A gender role, or sex role, is a set of socially accepted behaviors and attitudes deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity, although there are exceptions and variations.
The specifics regarding these gendered expectations may vary among cultures, while other characteristics may be common throughout a range of cultures. In addition, gender roles (and perceived gender roles) vary based on a person's race or ethnicity.[1]
Gender roles influence a wide range of human behavior, often including the clothing a person chooses to wear, the profession a person pursues, manner of approach to things, the personal relationships a person enters, and how they behave within those relationships. Although gender roles have evolved and expanded, they traditionally keep women in the 'private' sphere, and men in the 'public' sphere."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_role#Major_theorists
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/sex-and-gender/gender-roles
https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/personality/sex-gender-roles/
The specifics regarding these gendered expectations may vary among cultures, while other characteristics may be common throughout a range of cultures. In addition, gender roles (and perceived gender roles) vary based on a person's race or ethnicity.[1]
Gender roles influence a wide range of human behavior, often including the clothing a person chooses to wear, the profession a person pursues, manner of approach to things, the personal relationships a person enters, and how they behave within those relationships. Although gender roles have evolved and expanded, they traditionally keep women in the 'private' sphere, and men in the 'public' sphere."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_role#Major_theorists
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/sex-and-gender/gender-roles
https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/personality/sex-gender-roles/
Gender roles is just part of culture and feels practical. Fashion is also a social construct but it still feels important, even though it can be difficult at times. I find fashion difficult when I'm going to a type of social situation where I'm required to dress a certain way. We could all just say ''what is the point in fashion and dress codes? It's just cloth we wear on our bodies, why is it so significant to humans?'' But, it just is. It's part of how life is. It's hardwired into humans to use things like gender, fashion, money, and other social constructs, as a tool to survive as social beings. It is what it is.
I start to realize why I failed in society... I think I'll just continue with my jigsaw puzzle and focus on the things in my own little world, I'm who I am, I can't change what society thinks anyway
I think a lot of these things people call roles and constructs that they want to change is not constructed at all, it's just human nature. It happened organically over time, it wasn't forced or decided. And changing human nature is not something I think anyone can do.
Reading the comments I think there is a misunderstanding between gender roles and gender. Two different things .Gender roles can indeed be roles, you are told to act as. Like women in the 1950s, for instance, being told that they belonged in the kitchen, while the man went to work, and that her place in life was to provide a good life for the man, to be of service in some way AND be happy about it. And this was sold as being a natural thing, but it is not. If it were, it would always be like that. Gender on the other hand is about what gender you have, and / or identify as, which can be as simple as being cisgender, you are born a man and you feel like a man, or transgender, you are, for instance, a woman born with, what is called a typical, male body. So when I write about being indifferent to gender roles, I am referring to the importance of not playing a role, that is not you. It is about authenticity to yourself, which often means removing all kinds of layers of indoctrination, "upbringing" (that brrings you down, makes you invisible) and other factors.
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