Gender Roles
By Nona Nixon
I was engaged in a debate recently on gender roles. The person I was debating with actually believes in roles that are set forth for each of us according to our genders within the many different cultures which do exist. I wanted to quickly nip this statement in the tail but unfortunately, this person had facts to back up their statements, not only was this a belief but it was a standard set forth within our world and unfortunately there was truth behind the words of his statements.
My argument was whereas there are gender roles which do exist universally this does not make gender roles moral. I do believe in equality. In saying this, where I believe in equality I do not feel this should be due to “Affirmative Action”. I feel moralistically this should be a given. I grew up in the South and even though I love the South and am very proud of my roots, I do not miss the “gender roles” I was forced to face while growing up there. I can remember being awakened in my bed to make my brothers breakfast, solely because I was a woman.
I was so angered that I had to continually keep performing this task for my brothers that I made sure they never wanted a breakfast cooked by myself again. I salted their eggs so much they were crying upon eating their breakfast and the burned toast which they demanded I make in the oven and not the toaster was so hard they could not eat it. That problem was solved, I never had to cook for them again. My point in relaying this story is that the only reason I was forced to prepare breakfast was on the fact that I was a female. I could go on and on with many great examples of stereotypical gender roles in the South, but instead, I choose to focus on the present misconception instead of the past. Why can’t we accept one another as equal human beings as well as dispose of “gender roles”?
Men as well as women have always worked side by side in many different roles throughout our history. Why does this have to be such an issue? I have also found that men face the same predjudices upon entering into female dominated work fields such as Nursing, Interior Design as well as other fields. Our society focuses on “Man vs. Woman” so often that we tend to ignore the overall picture here. If we women want true equality, then do remember that we can take out our own trash as well as learn to fix our own cars, this is not a job specifically set forth for a man to perform. Men can cook as well as clean a house, it goes both ways. I say we should eliminate these so called “Gender Roles” and coexist together and realize it takes a team effort, whether it’s marriage, a partnership or a work place relationship. The only “role” we should partake in, is the role of treating one another with kindness and respect. Upon performing our daily activities in such a manner, this will truly reflect true equality.
