Have gender roles become obsolete?

[Satya]

The more we move into the information age, the more androgynous we seem to become. The metrosexual movement for men has seemly been the counterpart to the feminist movement for women of the 70's; noticeably with a lot less bra burning. The trend seems to be the slow but sure obliteration of the gender roles in society. What consequences may occur as a result?

 

[Blind Bandit]

I fear we will have people who will not gender to sling with as the genders differences become less and less. I also see issues with role of the genders causing problems. As the roles of gender are broken. I can see more and more having less of a purpose because their gender doesn't give them one by default. For example as now what dose it mean to be a man or a women? What role do we now play? If there are no gender roles how do we know what to expect of others.

 

[ZcM4xzkjgzCjytBc]

No, but we are approaching it.

I tend to believe that you'll always find differences when comparing to the past

 

[bamf]

God I sure hope so. I hate it when people yell "Stop emasculating our boys!" Freedom from gender roles isn't about that, it's letting the boy "act like" a boy if they want to.

Side-note: While I'm sure some women burned their bras, it's largely a myth about the feminist movement.

 

[AUM]

Probably it's a stupid and obvious question but, how exactly did we end up with gender roles to begin with?

How come women got stuck on the role of the "submissive" and "caring" portrait, and the man as the "aggressive" and "domineering" asshole?

Hormones, patriarchal roles , and tradition could play a role in this, but is it the be all of what actually happened?

 

[TheLastMohican]

Minimization of gender roles can only go so far. As long as conventional reproduction is the norm, pregnancy and childbirth will be part of the female "gender role." There are accompanying roles that are more convenient for women to fill (like breastfeeding and early child care). Such activities will not be going away any time soon.
Sexual stereotypes and discrimination are on the way out, however, and we often pretend that they don't exist, so I don't anticipate much else in the way of social upheaval. It's just a slow mopping-up of the remnants of historical misogyny.

 

[Satya]

Hormones, patriarchal roles , and tradition could play a role in this, but is it the be all of what actually happened?

When it comes to the reproductive survival of a tribe, men are expendable whereas women are not. Primates like baboons fight entire wars with other tribes in an attempt to steal their females and further their reproductive advantage. Males serve to protect females from being stolen by competing tribes. Many of the patriarchal gender roles that exist even today are descended from that basic premise.

 

[AUM]

When it comes to the reproductive survival of a tribe, men are expendable whereas women are not. Primates like baboons fight entire wars with other tribes in an attempt to steal their females and further their reproductive advantage. Males serve to protect females from being stolen by competing tribes. Many of the patriarchal gender roles that exist even today are descended from that basic premise.

I understand that, but, it seems that women have been treated inferiorly due to their physical capabilities. We have been under the assumption just because they are physically weak(sorry ladies, no offense intended), they're weak in other attributes as well(decision making, cognitive management, and leadership). In my opinion, over time, this became a self-fulfilling prophecy and women began to accept that they were, in fact, weak in these areas as well.

I do not doubt that in a few thousand years, men could be on the other side of the wheel and be seen as weak due to our flaws as well. It all depends on what we value on a society. Maybe in the future civilization, we will have a more matriarchal society where men would be seen as scum.

This is totally off topic but it's just a random observation I made and a prediction that the beggars of today will be the kings of tomorrow.

 

[Satya]

I understand that, but, it seems that women have been treated inferiorly due to their physical capabilities. We have been under the assumption just because they are physically weak(sorry ladies, no offense intended), they're weak in other attributes as well(decision making, cognitive management, and leadership). In my opinion, over time, this became a self-fulfilling prophecy and women began to accept that they were, in fact, weak in these areas as well.

I do not doubt that in a few thousand years, men could be on the other side of the wheel and be seen as weak due to our flaws as well. It all depends on what we value on a society. Maybe in the future civilization, we will have a more matriarchal society where men would be seen as scum.

This is totally off topic but it's just a random observation I made and a prediction that the beggars of today will be the kings of tomorrow.

Truthfully, women are mentally stronger. Women have superior multitasking abilities which tend to make them more versatile in their roles than men. Men often can only focus on one activity at a time and tend to do better specializing.

 

[athenian200]

The irrational ones have. In a sense, they were never valid to begin with, people just thought they were. There are countless stories of a wife mentally dominating her husband and using him as a "puppet" to live out her life vicariously, and accomplish what she wished.

That wasn't fair to either of them, but it was the kind of situation society tended to force on weak-minded men and strong-minded women.

Granted, men probably won't be able to bear children, and women will have a hard time becoming firefighters due to being smaller and weaker.

But I do think that, as long as we continue to make progress, women will be allowed to do anything a short, weak man would, and men will be allowed to be sentimental and nurturing if their nature permits it.

That's assuming we don't start backsliding socially as a result of our poor economy. Bad economies tend to make people more conservative and cruel, while prosperity makes them more liberal and kind.

 

[the]

Minimization of gender roles can only go so far. As long as conventional reproduction is the norm, pregnancy and childbirth will be part of the female "gender role." There are accompanying roles that are more convenient for women to fill (like breastfeeding and early child care). Such activities will not be going away any time soon.
Sexual stereotypes and discrimination are on the way out, however, and we often pretend that they don't exist, so I don't anticipate much else in the way of social upheaval. It's just a slow mopping-up of the remnants of historical misogyny.

I agree. Since women will always be having the children and squirting out free food for the kid, it will more often than not be more convenient for a woman to stay at home with the children and take care of them and while she is at it she will have time to turn on the dishwasher and vacuum the floor to make the baby stop crying.

As far as the metrosexual thing, I think it is unnatural for men to not want to put a little panache and a little flair into their looks. Face it, massages feel good and manicures and pedicures are nice to get. Whatever women are looking for men are willing to accommodate in order to get laid and vice versa. What I think is bizarre is the whole guido look, but whatever... Snooki likes it.

 

[bamf]

women will be allowed to do anything a short, weak man would

Just an interesting interjection (or at least I find it interesting); while I was doing research on early interactions between Europeans and Native Americans earlier this summer I came across some interesting information on Patawomeck women. It is said that women of that day (such as Pocahontas) were equally strong as men of today. Granted, the men of that day were much more physically capable than many men of today, women of today arguably could be as strong as men of today.