Millennials are changing the rules on gender roles

Belen Sassone/ Contributing Writer

Gender roles have always played a big part on how society operates. From the moment a baby is born, most parents choose how they’ll raise them solely based on their sex.

Girls have always been taught to follow different rules than boys, and vice versa. As a kid, I refrained from doing things like rolling in the mud and playing with toy cars because I was told that it just wasn’t something that I would like. Instead of trying different things and finding my own interests, I played with Barbie dolls and teddy bears.

In hindsight, I would have probably be turned out to be a completely different person had I been exposed to things that were deemed only for boys.

Even as a young adult, I notice that the way I was told girls should act still sticks with me. When I’m in a professional atmosphere, I often catch myself doubting things I said and trying too hard to prove myself to those above me.

However, like most millennials, I recognize that gender roles are bogus so I try my hardest to push those thoughts away whenever they approach.

Now more than ever, young people are doing away with old beliefs that have been passed down for generations. While gender equality has always been on the agenda, the feminist movement is stronger than ever.

Killing the idea that women have to constantly be proper and polite has allowed for sexual assault, wage differences, and many other injustices to be brought to light.

Instead of focusing on how our actions will be perceived by others, we are taking a stand and demanding to be treated fairly.

Junior business major, Angelica Perez, believes that the idea of gender roles “can cause conflict at times, especially with older people, because men are often used to being the ‘man of the house’ so they feel like they have control over the women in their lives.”

She also said that although there has been a lot of progress, it’ll take a long time to shape the minds of those who have grown up believing that gender roles are important.

As a woman, Perez feels empowered when disregarding her stereotypical role because it has helped her stand up for herself more and advance in her job.  

Although it may seem like gender roles have only hurt women, men have also been affected negatively. Not allowing young boys to openly express their emotions leads to adults who either bottle up their feelings and feel depressed or act out in violent ways.

The male suicide rate is three to seven times higher than women, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This can be attributed to the dismissal of male emotions from an early age, leaving many to feel too afraid to speak about their problems.

Freshman political science major, Machello Grimalgi, thinks that gender roles are a farce and should be a dead thought process.

“In the reality of life, you’re going to have to pay bills whether you’re a man or a woman, so you should approach situations in whichever way gets you out the best,” Grimalgi said.

With gender roles, there is also a huge gap when it comes those who identify with different genders. Previous generations didn’t consider gender to be on a spectrum, but today it’s a more widely accepted fact.

Therefore, by ridding ourselves of outdated roles, we are also allowing everyone to be themselves.

 

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of Panther Press Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Photo by Alysa Bajenaru on Unsplash.