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Gender, Gender And Gender Roles

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Most people believe gender is only based on being male or female. People believe gender is based on the physical and biological differences between women and men. Over the last few years, the term gender has changed. When some people believe gender is being male or female. Most people associate gender with gender roles and how people are supposed to function or perform based on society’s expectations. In other words, people believe males and females have to behave according to their gender or gender roles to be socially accepted. For instance, it is socially accepted for women to be housewives while men work. However, gender is based upon how people are viewed and accepted. In other words, gender is based on how men and women feel about themselves, what is expected from them based on their roles, and how they are socially accepted.
Gender is the “normal” or average way male and females are supposed to act or function. Men and women have to perform a certain way to be considered average. According to Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler authors and researchers of “Keywords for American Cultural Studies” Judith Halberstam believes gender is “a bodily performance of normativity” (118). In other words, gender is a roles that men and women are expected to portray to be considered normal. For instance, being athletic is a normal gender trait for men while being nurturing is a normal trait for women. Men usually perform in sports, while women are usually helping and caring for others.

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