The communities we grow up in shape our lives in ways that are not noticeable until it starts interfering with aspects that we do not realize hurt us in the long run. Gender roles, though they may seem like a simple topic, are actually very deeply present within the environment that we grew up in. Guidelines of our personalities are set based on gender and are intertwined with the person we believe we are on the inside.
Defining Gender Roles
The simplest way to define gender roles is how our upbringing taught us to act, speak, dress, and enjoy specific activities or colors based upon the assigned sex given to us at birth. It is all about the expectations that are placed on young girls and boys’ shoulders as they are supposed to adjust to the norms as if it were common sense. Young girls are taught to prefer the color pink while young boys are taught to favor the color blue. This bias grows into certain toys that children would be gifted such as cars for boys and dolls for girls. As they grow up, they realize that some industry professions are pre-supposed based on genders. For example, becoming a nurse, teacher, receptionist, or a social worker are deemed to be jobs that women would choose to pursue while it is assumed that men would become doctors, professors, engineers, or lawyers. The newer generations have brought about change as the stigma surrounding gender roles in employment are starting to change for the better. Now, there is now of how anyone can pursue their dream job, regardless of their gender, and that is based on applied skills.
The Mental Health Factor
Although the definition sets a black-and-white perspective, the reality of this issue goes a lot deeper. The psychological factors and the toll these gender roles take on individuals is far more damaging than we are aware of. As a personality, females are described as soft-spoken, nurturing, and polite while males are portrayed as strong, courageous, and fearless. Unfortunately, this common misdirection in the reality of gender has caused a gap between both sexes or genders. This gap can be described within the concept of toxic masculinity. A common misconception that most people believe is that toxic masculinity only refers to the male population when, in reality, both genders are equally affected by the norms that portray these roles. On a worldwide scale, the percentage of males that take their lives is on average two-to-four times greater than the rate of females, especially in the younger ages. As the children grow up, they become accustomed to the roles they were taught to conform to by their guardians and community. This slowly builds a gap that grows bigger and bigger as the child becomes an adolescent then transitions into adulthood. Among each other, males tend to carry the sense of masculinity that has taught them to push their emotions away and to “man up”, while most women are more in-touch with their emotions and portray it among their safe spaces.
It is crucial to provide a safe space to all genders equally with the same amount of respect and care given. At the end of the day, each individual has been conditioned into their beliefs without realizing the impact it has had on their lives. It is our responsibility to ensure to protect the wellbeing and mental health of our loved ones, especially when they need support during their difficult moments.