Throughout life human beings are faced with culture and gender roles on a day to day basis. We see it on TV, in magazines, newspapers, books, at work, or even at home. We use these messages to understand gender roles and how to function within society. The implementing of gender roles in cultures begins from birth or early adolescence. From birth we learn about the expectations of being male or female and what it means to be male or female. For example, girls play with dolls while boys play with cars. From an early age, girls are taught to be nurturing, to grow up and take care of their children, do the laundry, cook dinner, and clean the house. Tamara Buckley and Robert Carter have stated that "theorists have also described early adolescence
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Gender roles are social and cultural virtues that refer to male or female. It is the patterns, behaviors, and ideals that societies assign for female and male. There are many different cultures with different views on gender roles. However, culture helps shape our expectations of gender roles. Hirschberg's reading explains that “socialization determines how each of us assimilates our culture's ideas of what it means to act as a male or female" (Hirschberg 107). Yet, each culture has their own meaning or rather expectations for gender roles. For an example, Hirschberg mentions that "in male-dominated Islamic Middle eastern societies, the gender roles and relationships between men and women are very different from those in modern Western societies" (Hirschberg 107). However, throughout history the characteristics that define gender roles vary widely throughout history (Hirschberg 107). In readings for unit three, we are introduced to characters who "address the changing cultural expectations attached to being male or female as well as psychological and social stresses produced by these changes in redrawing the boundaries of gender roles, marriage, and parenthood" (Hirschberg …show more content…
Brazil was a country obsessed with “beautiful, svelte, sensual bodies” (Hirschberg 116). In the Brazilian the middle-class women wanted to look and act like the Upper-class women. It was frowned upon to be below Middle-class and women feared living in poverty. Yet, in Brazil, you are rich based on your body type and skin color. For example, Kulick and Borges mentioned that the whiter you are in Brazil, the richer you are” (Hirschberg 177). Everything about the Brazilian culture revolved around being white, skinny, and educated. However, women who did not belong in the Upper-class were determined to makes their bodies seem “rich, advanced, and white” (Hirschberg 118). This culture taught women that white skin, and skinny bodies means you are attractive, rich, and desirable (Hirschberg 121). However, this particular culture can has a great effect on young women and their self-esteem. They are growing up in a world where being white and skinny is pretty and anything else is not. Their culture is telling them what to look like, what not to look like and how to
Gender roles are social and cultural virtues that refer to male or female. It is the patterns, behaviors, and ideals that societies assign for female and male. There are many different cultures with different views on gender roles. However, culture helps shape our expectations of gender roles. Hirschberg's reading explains that “socialization determines how each of us assimilates our culture's ideas of what it means to act as a male or female" (Hirschberg 107). Yet, each culture has their own meaning or rather expectations for gender roles. For an example, Hirschberg mentions that "in male-dominated Islamic Middle eastern societies, the gender roles and relationships between men and women are very different from those in modern Western societies" (Hirschberg 107). However, throughout history the characteristics that define gender roles vary widely throughout history (Hirschberg 107). In readings for unit three, we are introduced to characters who "address the changing cultural expectations attached to being male or female as well as psychological and social stresses produced by these changes in redrawing the boundaries of gender roles, marriage, and parenthood" (Hirschberg …show more content…
Brazil was a country obsessed with “beautiful, svelte, sensual bodies” (Hirschberg 116). In the Brazilian the middle-class women wanted to look and act like the Upper-class women. It was frowned upon to be below Middle-class and women feared living in poverty. Yet, in Brazil, you are rich based on your body type and skin color. For example, Kulick and Borges mentioned that the whiter you are in Brazil, the richer you are” (Hirschberg 177). Everything about the Brazilian culture revolved around being white, skinny, and educated. However, women who did not belong in the Upper-class were determined to makes their bodies seem “rich, advanced, and white” (Hirschberg 118). This culture taught women that white skin, and skinny bodies means you are attractive, rich, and desirable (Hirschberg 121). However, this particular culture can has a great effect on young women and their self-esteem. They are growing up in a world where being white and skinny is pretty and anything else is not. Their culture is telling them what to look like, what not to look like and how to