gender roles in 21st century

[Christ_empowered]

I was thinking about this....

...my grand-father was a business type. My grandmother was a stay at home mom. It was the 50s-70s.

In movies, you see bored housewives pushing for escape. That's the cliché, anyway. My grandmother helped reinforce my grandfathers role as provider. At one point, as he moved up in the company and also faced age discrimination, her added pressure helped trigger a nervous breakdown.

OK. So things have always been more nuanced than movies would lead us to believe. Not all men were distant providers, not all women were bored housewives with unfulfilled dreams...

...what's with gender roles today? Like, I get the sense that women get more leeway. Tom boys are OK, girly boys aren't. At the same time, women are given leeway to do lots of stuff, but they still have to be feminine. And pretty. And well-groomed. And "nice."

Men...I dunno. I'm getting the impression that the look of manliness is important. Tough pose, muscles, short hair. Success. Men get conflicting messages. Be sensitive--be tough. Be sexual--be monogamous. Drink--don't be a lousy drunk. Take risks--be responsible.

Plus, the increasing acceptance of gay men. Like, its OK to be gay...if you're young(ish), attractive, healthy, and affluent and masculine. And well-groomed. I don't know what it is for female homosexuals. Probably more leeway in gender roles, but...be pretty. I think the increasing acceptance of homosexuals adds more conflict to male identity.

Your thoughts?

 

[evenifigoalone]

As to what's acceptable so far as femininity or masculinity are concerned, I don't really have a set opinion at this time...my mind is still working that one out. ....I do think a lot of the way we think about it is really painted by society, whether it be today's society, or the society back in the '50s, or the society before then....and society doesn't always have things right. Usually doesn't, it seems. (Perhaps almost never?)
The Bible does make it clear that men are not to wear women's clothing and visa avers. So men look like men and women look like women. I get that. But aside from that...well, different people are going to come to different conclusions. My mind hasn't really reached a conclusion on some things.

As a female, I am very glad that I live in a time where I can have a job outside the home or embark on a career path if I want to.
I guess I don't get what the deal is on some things. Women are generally physically weaker than men, but aside from that they're not in any way inferior. So we should have the right to have a say in government, hold jobs, etc, and just in general be treated as equal citizens under the law.
So yeah, I'm egalitarian.

Men and women can be a lot of things while still being men and women. I don't think tomboys are actually acting like boys. Is it the opposite of femininity to like have an interest in guns? To prefer Star Wars figures over Barbie dolls? To never wear makeup? Is it the opposite of femininity to hate shopping? To find clothes shopping in particular a total drag, unless band tees or t-shirts related to interests are involved?
I don't think it is. Those are limits that society set, they don't define women. I think society makes it a lot more complicated than it really is.



....I think I just broke my record of how many edits I've made on a single post of mine.

 

[for_his_glory]

I've never been a girly girl nor have I ever accepted the stereo type that society deems we need to be in our gender roles or in any other matters as society does not get the chance to tell me who or what I need to be. I'm made in the image of God so therefore I will strive to be in His will and allow His righteousness to be found in me.