Do you believe in a status quo in regards to gender roles?

Such roles are ridiculous to me, and where I live and work we’ve certainly moved a great deal past that. I am not saying there is full gender equality, but things have certainly changed in the last 50 years.

I can’t call someone “sexist by definition”, they may just not know better from cultural restrictions. The culture itself may be sexist by definition.

Nope, and I may think someone is sexist for thinking there should be.

Egads no! I think each person should offer their gifts freely regardless of gender bias.
I am extremely thrilled to find so many middle aged men that have taken up cooking and want to cook for ME!
Oh what joy!

I would say that those of us in our 50’s have weathered quite a lot of gender stereotyped BS. In particular I think it is TRAGIC how men are conditioned to keep the stoic, stiff upper lip crap, and it is sad beyond belief that so many men have virtually no access to their emotional side thanks to the hardcore programming of past generations.
Contrary to the female stereotype of being the sweet little demure thing, I have always been a very independent, capable and take charge kinda gal and while I am very in touch with my feminine side, well integrated.
I have had men tell me that they think I am intimidating. lol

Not in an obnoxious way but in a self assured, confident manner.
I have a real problem with women that play the coy and seductively “fragile” card…so unattractive and manipulative.

I believe people will always display personality traits across the entire spectrum. Some are naturally stronger and more aggressive than others, and the opposite for others. However, to assign gender to these traits is not in the best interest of society.

I don’t think it matters how we “feel” about gender roles as long as we’re happy in our relationship if indeed we wish to be in one
. I actually enjoy backing down sometimes, not often, during a dispute but have no idea why I’m like this. I suppose I become weary and let it go. I never “play the role” of the sweet, demure flower. I am anything but that type. On the other hand, I’d love it if my s/o would cook and clean just as he’d like it if I could do heavy lifting. But in the end, these things really don’t matter as long as we’re content . Knowing that he will take care of the business end of things lets me relax; I want little to do with contracts and repairs. I enjoy playing the “weak female” card if it suits me. Let him make the phone calls and arrange purchases . I’ll go watch The Bachelor. HA.

They are appalling and outdated.

The caveman holds the answer.

“There are really not many jobs that actually require a penis or a vagina, and all other occupations should be open to everyone.”
—Florynce Kennedy

No, I do not believe in stereotypical gender roles. Neither does history. There has not been just one status quo over time that we are just now starting to get over. Men and women have played many different roles in different societies for most of time, which rather undermines the claim of each particular era that their standard is the only stable or correct one. Since men and women have historically played any number of roles—including roles that some eras considered to be solely the domain of one sex or the other—without society collapsing and humanity going extinct, I rather think we needn’t worry about making sure that everyone stays in their “proper place.”

@john65pennington Good point. Back then, men and women were of roughly equal size and power, leading to a much more egalitarian society. As you point out, then, there is no natural reason for men or women to hold any particular role in society. It’s a social contrivance that is ultimately quite foolish.

No, of course not. And of course, as a social liberal, my ultimate view is freedom. If you want to be a girly girl or a manly man, then you should be free to do so and there shouldn’t be a problem with that. The problem is when you think people should act a certain way. “Gender roles” are not needed, they do not make society better, and we are not “doomed” if people go outside their traditional gender roles.

No. Gender stereotypes are sexist and outdated.

I wish they were dead and buried, once and for all. Unfortunately I think they still exist almost everywhere, it is a question of degree.

I think they ebb and flow like fashion. What we consider Traditional gender roles only date back to the 40’s in many cases.

More women were graduating college in the 30’s than men. They had a major sexual revolution, remember the Bob haircut? In the old films, you can tell Lois was Superman’s superior at work.

They are out of fashion now, and being arbitrary and not based on any real gender differences, they may come back eventually.

@SavoirFaire – I loved that quote so I checked out Floryence Kennedy. I had never heard of her, but she is without a doubt my hero now. Thanks for that quote and for the enlightenment.

If that’s what a couple wants, it’s fine with me. At a personal level, I seek partnership, not slavery.

@rooeytoo You are most welcome! She was an amazing woman.

Fuck dominant males and girly women as a rightful structure to society. We already know that doesn’t work. Traits, abilities and skills should be recognized, but not blindly relegated to gender and whatever said gender is ’‘meant’’ to be, as decreed by social image.
I don’t believe in no damn status quo in this regard. Everyone should be able to be allowed to reach their full potential without any barrier, especially retarded barriers that don’t mean anything. It’s been proven that it can be done, even if societies still have a lot of that gender role shit going on. It remains a lot, but not as intense as before, and I believe it can go away. lol Not to hear it from my small redneck town, but then, that’s just a lot of people saying things, as opposed to making it reality, as had been the case, and still is in some places.
My post doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any stereotypes, but said stereotypes shouldn’t limit everything to everyone else. Whatever works, in an ideal world, I guess. Meh lol.

Do you believe in society, there should be the “dominant male” or the “girly woman” ? Personally no and in fact I find such expected rigid gender roles to be both unproductive and unattractive. However there is still a large fragment of society that still believes in traditionalism, as evidenced by the majority of advice from dating coaches and self-help bloggers/authors out there, as well as from regular men and women themselves.

Are such ideas foolish to you? Yes, even though I feel that there is enough evidence to suggest that there are likely some mental differences between men and women based upon biological evidence. However I still think the majority of these differences are the results of social gender role constructs which start out at birth in being blue is for boys, pink is for girls. I also believe that such rigid gender behavior expectations are extremely harmful to many people who feel that they can’t be themselves, so they fight themselves as a result.

Has society evolved in your area to where it doesn’t matter? Unfortunately no.

If someone does believe in such status quo does it mean they are in fact sexist by definition? Not necessarily, but I think that they’re foolish. Example, many conservative masculist authors/bloggers seem to think that their agenda actually frees males and allows boys to just be boys. However as far as I’m concerned any type of agenda that reinforces how an individual of each gender should behave because of their sex means anything but freedom for the sex/gender of the people it is targeting.

I favor the idea.