Theoretical Perspectives On Gender Roles

Abstract
Theoretical perspectives try to explain to us how our society works. In fact, gender roles are an essential part of society. Even times have changed the gender inequality still affecting men and women. People can see every day how a man still getting more opportunities than women even they have demonstrated how capable and able they are to perform any “men’s” activity. But this is a result of all those stereotypes that have passed from generations and is too difficult to eradicate them completely because every person perceives society in a different way. But, stereotypes, also affect men in bad ways as they do in women. This article is going to explain the characteristics of gender roles based on the three most important sociological
(2015) stated: This perspective is a macro-level approach most identified with the writings of German philosopher and sociologist Karl Marx (1818–1883), who saw society as being made up of individuals in different social classes who must compete for social, material, and political resources such as food and housing, employment, education, and leisure time. (p. 16). This theory believes in the existent differences between society’s members. Social classes give positions to people based on their income and possessions. Social classes compete for power, food, goods, or proprieties everyday, since resources are limited. Low-income people cannot have the same things and opportunities that high-income people have. However, conflict theory not only is focused on economic issues but also things like gender roles. According to Lindsey (2015), “Household labor is unpaid and associated with lack of power, the homemaker (wife) takes on virtually all domestic chores (Lindsey, 1996a; Riley and Kiger, 1999). The more powerful spouse performs the least amount of household work” (p. 54). Women during generations have been educated for serving men and perform domestic activities putting them at the lowest place. It’s true when people say that being a mother is the hardest work. Homemakers perform the most difficult works without pay because is their obligation as “women” being always available to their families’ services and necessities to gain the title of good mothers and
(2015) found that: Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among individuals within a society. Communication—the exchange of meaning through language and symbols—is believed to be the way in which people make sense of their social worlds (p.17). Symbolic interactions are what give meaning to our society. People share values and beliefs that make them perceive their environment in a certain way. Also, Lindsey (2015) stated, Gender roles are structured by one set of scripts designed for males and another designed for females. Although each script permits a range of behavior options, the typical result is that gender labels promote a pattern of between-sex competition, rejection, and emotional segregation (p. 58). The symbolic interaction between gender roles is clear. Males and females interact with each other based on how they understand their social environment. Men and women have labels between them and based on those labels they know what is socially appropriate and what is not at the time they are interacting with each other. For example, it’s well known that if a man wants to attract a woman he probably will have certain behaviors like giving her flowers, opening her the door, paying the check, and things like that because he based his conduct on what stereotypes about women have taught him about how to impress a