Gender Roles Essay

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 2056 words ( 7 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1

Page 1 of 7

Gender Roles

In the world today, the most common way in which human beings probably distinguish themselves is by their gender. All human beings, or at least the vast majority, are born as clearly male or female. Perhaps this is also why this distinction has, since ancient times, served as a factor in human relationships and indeed vast-scale human oppression and even slavery. Indeed, to this day many women suffer indignities at the hands of patriarchal societies with a sense of entitlement over the fates of half or more of their populations. Whatever one's personal views on this state of affairs might be, it is interesting indeed to consider ancient literature to determine the various cultural roots of many patriarchal societies and viewpoints that remain existing to this day. Often grounded in religious values, the male-female relationship is complicated not only by the "men are from Mars" ideal, but also by the cultural values encouraged by ancient religious texts. As such, the Odyssey, the Bible (and specifically the Book of Genesis), and the Ramayana, provides particular insights in the women and men of Greece, the Ancient Israelites, and India, how they regarded the ideal of woman- or manhood, and how they related to each other on these platforms.

In the Odyssey, men and women had very specifically assigned roles. Men, as a defined ideal in the Odyssey, were warriors, making great, epic journeys to accumulate wealth for their households. Women were expected not to accompany their men on these journeys, but rather to wait for their men to complete their journeys and return home. In the household itself, it was expected of men to do physical work, such as work in the lands while women were expected to do household tasks such as cooking and weaving.

From both of these paradigms, Penelope and Odysseus represented the perfect man and woman. Penelope is generally passive, waiting at home for her husband to return and pining for him. Although many suitors visit her home in an attempt to win her hand, she thwarts them by claiming that she would choose among them when she had finished her weaving, which she unravelled every night.

Another interesting element in this is that, as a woman, Penelope does not have the power or the right to dismiss the suitors from her home. Instead, she uses the wiles in her power to stave them off. This kind of chaos ensued due to Odysseus' absence from his home, which demonstrated the fact that, as a woman, Penelope and the rest of the household was absolutely subordinate to him. Although Telemakhos was the rightful head of the household in Odysseus' absence, hew as absolutely unable to establish himself as such because of his youth and inexperience.

A further element of the gender roles in this book is Penelope's desirability as marriage partner. For the suitors, winning her hand in marriage would mean a prominent leadership position by being associated with the demised leader's widow. Whatever else her charms may have included, this is highest on the list of appeals and also the reason for the many suitors overrunning the household.

As a man, on the other hand, Odysseus is concerned with material wealth almost to the point of obsession. After having been away from his household for some 20 years, he chooses to remain at sea yet another year to accumulate even further wealth. Property owned by the male in the society of the time was absolutely to be respected; this included women. Hence, when Odysseus returns to his household, he does so not only with sufficient wealth to offset the damage done by the suitors, but wreaks revenge for their violation of the social norm by killing them all.

In conclusion then, the role of women in the household and in society is very limited, with weaving and spinning considered to be most acceptable. For men, being warriors and gaining property by means of raiding and war were the most desirable activities. These roles were enforced very strongly, and were to be accepted by all men and women. Women, especially, who did not accept these roles were reprimanded or regarded as non-ideal in terms of their femininity.

Of the three works discussed here, the Book of Genesis probably has the most negative view of women. Rather than clearly delineated male or female roles, depending on which a woman or man is regarded as the ideal, Genesis instead sketches an image of women as continually coming in the way of God's plan for his nation.

Stuck Writing Your "Gender Roles" Essay?

View All Our Example Gender Roles Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

Indeed, the first woman to transgress is the first in a long line of female obstacles to God's plan for his people.

When regarded in terms of gender roles, Eve's first transgression, by eating the forbidden fruit and successfully tempting her husband to do the same, establishes her as rebelling against the role God created for her. She was to be Adam's companion in the ideal world of Eden. By succumbing to the lures of the paradigms outside of the role, Eve has effectively reduced womanhood to a subordinate but rebellious gender who would do all they can, either by design or not, to rebel against God and his plan. Later in Genesis, Sara's infertility nearly causes the loss of God's people, for example. In their ideal shape, women were therefore to be mothers, to bear children, and to perpetuate God's nation of patriarchs.

Another frequent transgression that women in Genesis committed was seduction. Indeed, throughout the Bible, the role of the seductress was to be the downfall of god-fearing men. Most notably, Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, was forced to flee when the wife of his master claimed that he tried to rape her. She did this in reward for his refusal to accept her sexual advances.

Hence, in Genesis, the original sin committed by Adam and Even set the roles of men and women in the rest of the book. Men were to work for their living, while women were to bear children with great pain. When the laws of Moses were further developed, women were told to be submissive to their husbands and "honor" them. While men were to be the protectors of their wives. As such, the main conception of women were not only that of sinful creatures, but also of weaklings in need of protection.

While the role of submission was also prominent in Odysseus' Ithaca, Penelope was not seen as any more sinful than Odysseus. She was certainly not considered rebellious against the gods for overstepping the boundaries of her gender on occasion. The Book of Genesis therefore contrasts strongly with the Odyssey in that women are far less recognized for their potential virtue than for their potential vice. Although Penelope and her counterparts in The Odyssey are certainly capable of vice, there is a clear delineation between the virtue of the main female character as cohort to Odysseus and those women who would tempt him away from her. For Adam, on the other hand, there is only Eve, both the cohort and the temptress. For Abraham, there is only Sara, who, by her infertility, disobeys God's command to "multiply." For Joseph, there is no virtuous counterpart to his master's wife. In effect, God stages himself as the only perfect partnership with a sinful and rebellious people, the worst of which are women.

Hence, Genesis creates a rather gloomy vision of women in its gender role divisions. Women have the role of bearing children. However, when they are unable to do this, they are regarded as almost worthless. In fact, whenever a woman cannot conceive, she bears this as a burden and a shame as opposed to other women of the nation who can bear children for their husbands. Furthermore, bearing sons is considered a virtue over bearing daughters.

There is no such specific focus on children in the Odyssey. The gender roles in the Greek work are far more specific to the existing people of the time than to the ideal of procreation. The "household" is seen as women, servants, and children, without any specific focus on a singular biological function as the most important reason for a woman's existence. As such, the role of women in Genesis, and to some extent that of men as well, is far more passive than those portrayed in the Odyssey.

In the Ramayana, the subordinate role of the ideal wife is also emphasized, as in the other two works. This epic poem, however, creates a far clearer delineation between the ideal and its opposite for both men and women than either of the other works. Whereas Genesis delineates God as the only good as opposed to sinful humanity and the Odyssey creates absolute virtue in Odysseus and to some extent in Penelope, the Ramayana represents virtue by means of its main characters and vice by means of their opponents. This is also the case in terms of gender roles.

In the Ramayana, Rama is considered to be the….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


Related Essays

Gender Roles

of one’s own gender. Therefore, males will not like the gender roles society puts on them; the same things happens to females. The following stage occurs when transgender individuals find themselves identifying with the opposite gender or sex. This stage usually involves secret or open desires to have the genitalia of the opposite sex. The next stage is to begin dressing like… Continue Reading...

Gender Roles in Traditional East Asia

Asia, especially in China, Korea, and Japan. Confucius teachings affected many things in these societies including fixing gender roles between women and men. Based on these teachings, which influenced nearly every facet of life in the conventional Korean, Japanese and Chinese societies, placed women at a disadvantaged position. The teachings contributed to the development of a patriarchal environment in these societies, which worked to the disadvantaged of women. This paper examines how women exerted power and influence in a patriarchal environment in these three societies and what it teaches us about gender in the traditional East Asia. Patriarchal Environment in Traditional East Asia Family organization in the… Continue Reading...

Media Depictions of Gender Role Stereotypes

homes and people,” (Wood, 1994, p. 32). Different types of media capitalize on different gender roles, to promote consumer behaviors that reflect gendered patterns of spending. Advertising on television is another media form that portrays women as being homeward bound, focused on house cleaning, beauty, and child care as opposed to being interested in driving large trucks, drinking beer, or playing sports. It is not that any of these behaviors are inherently bad or problematic, but that they are not necessarily gendered behaviors. The media can often make such behaviors, appearances, and roles seem inevitable. Only when consumers start to change their own concepts… Continue Reading...

Gender and Sexuality

sexuality have a big significance in people's lives in today's society. Sexuality encompasses gender roles and identities, sex and sexual orientation, intimacy, reproduction, pleasure and eroticism. Its expression can be found in behaviors, thoughts, roles, relationships, values, attitudes, desires and fantasies. While all these expressions characterize sexuality, an individual may not express or experience all of them. Interactions between psychological, economic, cultural, legal, ethical, religious, spiritual and biological factors influence sexuality (Ilkkaracan & Jolly). The Link between Gender and Sexuality The Institute of Development Studies defines gender as the widely shared set of norms and expectations linked to the way men and women,… Continue Reading...

Gender Equality in Arabia

are a number of reasons responsible for this situation. Firstly, these countries are all predominantly Muslim. Traditional gender roles (and stereotypes) largely exist in Islam and in countries which adhere to this faith as their national religion. Women are supposed to remain covered up in their raiment and relegated to domestic roles. The problem is that women account for approximately 50 percent of the population in the GCC countries, yet only constitute approximately 25 percent of the labor force in those countries (World Bank). Therefore, these countries are disadvantageously affected in certain aspects of economics and society because of the lack of female contributions in both of… Continue Reading...

The Role Media Plays in Relation to Gender Stereotypes

by social setup. The media overlooks the socio-cultural development that influences the development of such gender roles as shown. The continuing shift in social positions and roles in modern day is rarely reflected by the media sources (Šramová, 2014). While the media audience is at liberty to choose what media content to follow, it is the media that possesses the ultimate power to decide the gender roles that are visible and the ones that won’t be. Such a stance is what the agenda setting, tendency by the media, theory explores. In short, he media decides what is to be talked about and what will not.… Continue Reading...

Presentation of Gender in Mary Shellys Frankenstein

self-centeredness in his poor relationship with his closest friends and relatives. Theme 3 Female gender roles as bulwarks of the social order The major question the novel poses is if it was the abnormality of the process which created the monster or the abscondment of Frankenstein that turned it into the heartless being it became. Nevertheless, if we are to see nature… Continue Reading...

Effects of Gender Related Bullying and Harassment

a profound effect on the manner in which young people are socialized concerning gender roles as well as their perspectives concerning equity later in life. To determine the facts about these issues, this paper provides a review of the literature to develop a discussion concerning the issues of bullying and conflict in relation to learning about gender and other forms of equity and the implications these have for students and teachers. Finally, following this discussion, a summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues are presented in the conclusion. Review and Discussion In a school context, bullying is defined by Isernhagen… Continue Reading...

Main Themes in the Film Yentl

Gender Roles and Interactions Yentl's middle sequences with Avigdor and Yentl's romance are the best, with the lead actors doing a very fine job indeed of enacting a few beautiful affecting moments. The movie blurs the gender line with characters developing almost-homosexual attractions despite the movie essentially maintaining a conventional heterosexual sensibility. Yentl yearns only for Avigdor, although being wed to another woman. This unconsummated marriage is actually comic. As Yentl reveals her true self to Avigdor, hoping to gain his love, she clearly proves herself as heterosexual (Rigney, 2003).… Continue Reading...

Film Talk to Her by Pedro Almodovar

almost becomes a frame narrative. Personal Interpretation & Director's message Gender roles and stereotypes are refreshingly nuanced in Habla con Ella. Right from the beginning, the audience is aware that Almodovar has transcended gender binaries and rigid stereotypes because Marco is passionate and emotional; he even allows himself to cry. Benigno also has no qualms about telling Alicia's father he is gay, which is ironic given that Benigno is actually in love with Alicia. Then, Almodovar develops the character of a female matador -- something that is almost unheard of, to the point where it is practically an oxymoron. A… Continue Reading...

Alternative Sexuality in Mainstream Media

also highlights the extent to which gender roles can be mutable in the strength shown by female as well as male dancers in the dance, and the softness male dancers likewise can communicate in their responsiveness to the music. If heteronormativity… Continue Reading...

The Glass Ceiling Effect

behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females” when it comes to gender roles in society (slide 4). Trump was able to maneuver these expectations adequately enough to win the White House: he came across as a strong masculine leader, despised by half of Americans, loved by the other half. Hillary, on the other hand, came across as confident and strong in her way too—but also despised by half and loved by the other half. Many people, however, did not want her to lead because they did not like her husband and did not like her condescending attitudes at expressions at time—for… Continue Reading...

The Relevance of Anthropology Today

still remains unresolved with respect to extent to which the environment influences modern gender roles, most especially those included in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer (LGBTQ) communities. This paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning these issues, together with support for the guiding hypothesis which is discussed further below. Finally, a summary of the research and key findings concerning the usefulness of anthropology in a globalized society are presented in the conclusion. Review and Analysis For the purpose of this study, the guiding hypothesis would be that the combination of biological as well as environment factors is the more… Continue Reading...

Adolescent Development and Film Breakfast Club

any individual. At this stage, individuals not only experience biological changes, but also become more aware of gender roles and expectations and experience cognitive development. Family and school become social incubators that trigger changes and psychosocial responses in adolescents. The film The Breakfast Club shows how a group of five adolescents go through critical changes in this stage of their life. This paper will highlight the developmental markers observed in one character depicted the film, Claire. Clare will be used as a case study to explore developmental issues related to gender, biology, and cognition. The paper also highlights various socialization agents (specifically school and family) and how… Continue Reading...

Feminism Article Review

most of them had a different perception of gender roles. The author conducted a study with a group of 20 undergraduate students who were taking Women's Studies within the university. The participants were from different cultural backgrounds i.e. Anglo-Australia, Croatia, German, Greek, New Zealand, Philippines, Turkey, Ukraine, Italy, Malta, and Vietnam and they were all aged between 17 years and 20 years. The purpose of the study was to establish the perception change on gender within the society and individually. From the article, it is clear that most of the women believe they had more freedom than their… Continue Reading...

Cultural Interaction and American Revolution

There are significant cultural differences in perceptions of time, communication styles and gender roles between the two cultures. When I feel hungry among these people with a very different culture, I will choose to go to a restaurant. This is based on the knowledge about restaurants as universally accepted eating places across all cultures. In my interaction, language is likely to be a barrier to communication (Fontaine, 2007). For effective communication, I will seek a person from that culture who understands my language to interpret my request and guide me through the culturally acceptable foods within that culture. An example of miscommunication… Continue Reading...

Women in Positions of Leadership in Business

“Google Memo” incident shows how determined Wojcicki is to transform gender roles, norms, and organizational cultures in all business sectors. Wojcicki started out as Google’s marketing manager and fought her way through the “boys’ club” of what is now one of the world’s biggest firms in any sector (Wojcicki, 2017). Whereas many would have quit in the face of rampant covert and overt forms of discrimination and harassment, Wojcicki pressed on. As she points out in an article written for Vanity Fair, explicit gender discrimination is easy to detect and to point out for its illegality. The real problem with… Continue Reading...

Feminism in Frankenstein Introduction

the story calls into question male and female gender roles. Women play supportive roles at best in the novel, as if deliberately drawing attention to their lack of political power or status. Shelley herself states of her origins as a writer, "I was not confined to my own identity," (16). By this, Shelley means that she refused to conform to gender codes and stereotypes, partly because she had long been a part of progressive literary circles and views herself -- outright affirms herself -- as an equal… Continue Reading...

Emotional Development of Children

what to believe about religion, what to think about politics, how to view gender roles or how to view different races or ethnicities. For children, the emotions and the regulation of the emotions are the main behaviors that are learned through socialization (Raval & Walker, 2019). Children perceive how others react in certain situations, and they imitate their behavioral responses often in similar contexts and situations (Raval & Walker, 2019). They are especially attentive to how their parents demonstrate emotion, which is why there are two main parental emotional socialization strategies that parents typically use: their emotional expressiveness and their reactions to children’s… Continue Reading...

sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Gender Roles" (2013, October 21) Retrieved May 7, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/gender-roles-125269

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Gender Roles" 21 October 2013. Web.7 May. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/gender-roles-125269>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Gender Roles", 21 October 2013, Accessed.7 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/gender-roles-125269
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example