Gender Roles in Contemporary Society

Societal expectations of gender roles have traditionally been the men having the “breadwinner” duties and women the “caregiver” ones. These standards have extended to many aspects of life. In the workplace, men have been expected to be in more of the leadership positions and police making jobs, in the house the decision-making ones, and in the community the stronger, less emotional member of the family. Naturally, the women have been expected to be in professions that are more associated with giving care in some capacity, such as teaching and nursing. Personality wise, women have been thought of as the less assertive, more emotional member of the family. These criteria have been reinforced historically in the upbringing of our children, as well as our cultural and religious beliefs and traditions. Even in the media, shows and advertisements have been on board with this type of stereotyping. The results of these expectations have not always been the best. Limitations and inequality in education, careers, and pay as well as emotional suppression are just some of the consequences.

We cannot deny that while these traditional expectations still infiltrate our lives, our societies have taken great strides in challenging these assigned gender roles. Slowly but surely, the transformations in the presumed duties and behaviors of men and women have become apparent. Women have been more present in both higher education and leadership job positions. In the field of politics, it is worth noting Jacinda Ardern, who became the prime minister of New Zealand in 2017. She was the world’s youngest female head of government. Kamala Harris, who served as the 49th vice president of the United States of America from 2021 to 2025 was the first woman in that position. In the same token, men have been more comfortable and accepting of being the stay-at-home dads, taking on more of the caregiving and household chores. Showing male vulnerability has perhaps become less shameful over the decades and more respect has been given to the woman as an equal partner in making sound emotionless decisions concerning family matters. Social media, TV, and entertainment have had their contributions in challenging the traditional gender norms.

Despite the great changes and progress made regarding gender roles in our contemporary society, we have to admit that restrictions and previous assumptions are still entrenched in many of our populations. The gender pay gap and the stereotyping in job duties remain among the issues that we still face and hope to continue working on. Greater awareness and deeper conversations about the importance and benefits of role flexibility and fluidity are essential in keeping the dialogue and hence reformations in our expectations going. Shifts in the mindsets as well as actual policy changes will continue to create the necessary opportunities for growth and positive evolution in our society.