The Importance Of Gender Roles In Today's Society

In Kay S. Hymowitz’s essay “Where Have the Good Men Gone?” published in the Wall Street Journal she claims that all men go through a phase known as pre-adulthood, and that this phase does not bring out the best in them. Pre- adulthood is when young men live in an in-between state of adulthood and adolescents. “Today’s pre-adults are…a major demographic event.” Hymowitz discuss the way a man’s place in society has drastically changed since they began entering pre-adulthood. Men are remaining in this state of pre-adulthood and in turn they are allowing their female counterparts to get an advantage, women are graduating college and getting higher paying jobs at higher rates than men and much of this is due to men remaining in pre-adulthood. Another reason why men appear negatively with this pre-adulthood idea is because they are picky when it comes to jobs.

The Wampanoags and the Puritans have 2 very different methods on raising children. Both have their own benefits and downsides. In a standard Puritan household the male gets the opportunity to receive formal education. The female is raised to believe that they should be good wives in the future and prepare by doing housework all day. When Bethia tries to learn some Latin her father says this, “Bethia, why do you strive so hard to quit the place in which God has set you?” His voice was gentle, not angry.

In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., it is the year 2081 and the society was finally considered equal. However, not everyone found this new environment fair or equal in any way. Stronger and more intelligent citizens were to use handicaps to weaken their talents and abilities. Everyone coped with the pain except for the strongest, most handsome, and intelligent man in town, Harrison Bergeron who had “carried three hundred pounds” (Vonnegut 4). Three hundred pounds is a lot of weight compared to any other person at the time.

The reading also talks about gender stratification and how it ranks men above women. Men are often seen or treated better and of more importance than women. Looking at most businesses men are the ones that are the head. Many women are not seen as capable of doing certain jobs or are not allowed to do certain jobs. I heard a statement before that stated that a women cannot run a country because she is more emotional and will make emotional decisions unlike

The slaves would handle the housework. Because they actually had some freedom Aristotle thought that they were out of control. For him, an ideal wife had to stay at home and take care of the house. I 'd characterize the woman in Aristotle 's way as virtuous and obedient. I believe Plutarch says they had those types of liberties for the fact that the husbands would be on campaigns which led the woman to do things on their own.

Analyzing their personalities individually (Peacemakers, Hostesses and The "Monster"), have all demonstrated different tasks to the society of Beowulf and the plot. Readers have discovered that the stereotypical views of women are present. However, the women show a great deal of independence, strength and violence. Their stereotypical characteristics start to disappear once you analyze and realize their importance to men. The male dominance is present to an extent, but without females being accounted for, tasks and responsibilities would not be completed; men depend on the women in the society of Beowulf.

These findings are unlike those from previous generations and are rooted in the entrance of women into the work force. Because women are entering the work force and want their male partners to be involved parents, men must find a balance between work and family as well. Generally, men remain in the breadwinner role as they see it as part of their identity. However, Gerson reports that 30% rejected the primary breadwinning role and expect their partner to be self supporting, an idea unheard of thirty years

Though it was not the ideal lifestyle, women did so much to contribute to both the society, and families of others and their own. In response to the disappearance of the men who were positioned in factory and manufacturing work, women were the ones who took over and took action

Female colleges were created to educate and help the women in the home environment. Women were mainly used for reproduction, and keeping the homestead up and running, and had no identity other than her husband. Men had more justification than women. Not to mention the fact that as the children (boys) of these vicious men grew up in this time period, they were raised to be thought of as higher than the ladies around them. The growing children was also a heavy influence on the attempt to make a change for the women in saying that they did not want their son to be boastful and skeptical like their fathers.

Education is not just reserved for Hmong men anymore as women roles are slowly adjusting and in many cases the roles switched where more women are now the main providers in the home. The ways of the American dream can longer support the traditional cultural structures that Hmong long established back in Laos. Hmong can no longer afford to stay the same anymore by enriching the mind of Hmong men and women with the capacity to grow through education. Lee (2001) substantiated that educators need to support these gender role changes that are at odds with family expectations and dominant culture as Hmong cannot afford not to do so in order to move forward in the 21st