I want to elaborate on the topic of gender role expectations and introduce myself at this time in my life. Women nowadays are fighting the pressure to adhere to stereotypical gender practices and questioning a large number of beliefs they have adopted. I attempt to fight the enforced gender standards and live according to my own scenario as I identify with this contemporary deconstruction of women.
The movement of feminism is of particular importance in my life. As an advocacy, feminism has played a significant role in numerous global social movements as a source of activism, including those for women’s suffrage, personal liberty, reproductive liberation, and empowerment (McLaughlin & Aikman, 2019). I aspire to ensure equitable chances for other young women and men like me as I strive to become a successful, empowered, and independent woman. According to the expectations of their conventional roles, women should prioritize relationships over professional success (Corey et al., 2018). From this point of view, women are expected to preserve relationships, not compete or try to advance. My perception, however, significantly differs from this conventional role expectation since I think women shouldn’t be expected to abandon their careers or personal development in order to be in a relationship. In my opinion, the majority of conventional gender expectations are detrimental rather than helpful. Reduced job goals, balancing several duties, and ambiguity about sexuality are some issues brought on by the typical female roles.
Gender stereotypes are predetermined, simplistic ideas about what is proper and typical for individuals in a certain society in accordance with their biological sex. Another widely held belief is that women should be empathetic, communicative, and caring. Women’s progress was, until recently, determined by the males in their lives. Namely, women’s function was defined by their status in male life (Corey et al., 2018). Although I consider myself an empathic, compassionate woman, I think this benchmark should apply to all individuals, not being a particular gender role expectation. Rather than living in men’s shadows, the task for women and men is to collaborate in redefining what they desire to be in order to have meaningful interactions.
I recognize that gender equality is today more feasible than it ever was. Nevertheless, that hasn’t happened yet, and regardless of age, gender prejudice persists to a great extent. For instance, several boards have been reluctant to alter their largely male makeup, and only a little more than 20% of board positions in Russell 3000 businesses were occupied by women in 2019 (Halliday et al., 2020). The idea of androgyny is the merging of normal male and female behavioral traits and actions in one individual, which is a viable alternative to restrictive gender norms. According to Corey et al. (2018), we all release both male and female hormones and share both feminine and masculine personality characteristics. Therefore, I think we have a right to be free from discrimination and inequality in every context, gaining independence in our gender identities by developing unique views and expectations. At this stage of life, I work to accomplish gender-role transcendence, which entails moving past the fixed femininity to arrive at a personal combination that permits flexible actions in a range of circumstances.
References
Corey, G., Corey, M., & Muratori, M. (2018). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in self-growth. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Halliday, C. S., Paustian-Underdahl, S. C., & Fainshmidt, S. (2020). Women on boards of directors: A meta-analytic examination of the roles of organizational leadership and national context for gender equality.Journal of Business and Psychology, 36(2), 173–191. Web.
McLaughlin, K., & Aikman, S. N. (2019). That is what a feminist looks like: Identification and exploration of the factors underlying the concept of feminism and predicting the endorsement of traditional gender roles. Gender Issues, 37(2), 91–124. Web.