Sexuality and Gender Roles Essay

Submitted By Bwhite248
Words: 635
Pages: 3
Open Document
Sexuality and Gender Roles
As I began the assigned reading this week, the first movie that came to my mind regarding sexuality and gender roles was “Mr. MOM”. This comedy-drama from the early 1980’s, depicted a young male auto executive and his stay at home wife. When hard times hit and he loses his job, she returns to the work force as a high-powered executive in an ad agency, and he stays at home with the 3 young children (Loring et al., 1983). The role reversal was difficult for both of them. They had been raised that the male should be the main financial supporter. He started out thinking that being a housewife will be easy but soon finds it to be more difficult than the business world. She on the other hand has feelings of guilt because now she is not there for her family for the everyday experiences. By the end of the movie they come to a healthy compromise were they are both involved in working and caring for the home. I can relate to this movie in that I and my husband were both raised with stay at home mothers and working fathers. That was the gender roles we were taught, females stayed at home looking pretty and frail, taking care of the homestead and males strong and masculine were the hunter, gatherers that worked outside the home to support it financially. Then came the 60’s - 70’s and the feminist movement, these decades saw the radical changes of the movement of American women. The female joined the workforce by the masses, but remained the primary caretaker of the home ("Feminism," 1993-2013). As her role expanded she began to wear many different hats though out her day. I was one of these females, juggling work, school, husband, house and kids. There was a forgotten entity of self. Till one day in the 1990’s, I stood up and demanded a sharing of responsibilities and a microwave oven. In doing this, I changed the way my children viewed the different gender roles. Both of my kids are married now and the responsibilities of the home and children are somewhat equal but I still see the female as the ultimate home maker taking charge. Today, I still juggle work, school, grandkids, husband, and home responsibilities but with less resentment and a lot more confidence. There is a lot more sharing of roles between my husband of 35yrs and myself.
Sexuality has become more of the norm these days, with films like the Oscar nominated movie “The Birdcage”. This gay comedy addressed the real life embracement of a man and
Show More

Related Documents: Sexuality and Gender Roles Essay

The Role Of Female Gender And Sexuality In The Twentieth Century

of the female gender and sexuality were challenged by modern feminism. The views about women began to change as they struggled for the right to vote, obtain education and to work. This caused the Catholic Church to become enraged for they believed that the women’s place was in the home without these rights and “In 1930 Pope Pius XI condemned women’s emancipation as undermining the divinely founded obedience of the wife to her husband and a false deflection from her true and sole role as mother and…

Words 182 - Pages 1

Essay Sexuality Sexual Intelligence

Chapter 1 Perspectives on Sexuality Sexual Intelligence • Four components of sexual intelligence – – – – Understanding self Having interpersonal sexual skills and integrity Obtaining accurate scientific sexual knowledge Having consideration of the cultural context of sexuality • Increasing sexual intelligence will allow for responsible decisions in sexual behavior Studying Sexuality: From a Psychosocial Orientation A psychosocial orientation takes into account • Psychological factors - Emotions…

Words 577 - Pages 3

Summary Of Sexuality In Medieval Europe Doing Unto Other By Henry Karras

It is in more recent times that the discussion of sexuality has become a more discussed topic. However, can there be discourse about sexuality during the middle ages? Ruth Mazo Karras’s book, Sexuality in Medieval Europe: Doing Unto Others, serves to showcase that the topic of medieval sexuality is a discipline that is worthy of being studied. The book serves the purpose of being a broad look into the history of medieval sexuality that is intended for non-specialist and/or undergraduate students…

Words 1090 - Pages 5

Handmaid's Tale Gender Roles Essay

Sexuality and Gender Roles in “The Handmaid’s Tale” In the novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, sexuality and gender roles are very prevalent issues. From those in power executing homosexuals to killing doctors who performed abortions, sexuality is a very known and hated topic in the Republic of Gilead, specifically by those in charge. This topic should be more accepted and equality for all should be fought for, however, in this society is it different and many do not agree. Sexual orientation…

Words 451 - Pages 2

Analysis Of Why Can 'T I Be Normal?' By Mary Louise Adams

The emphasis on normalcy in the investigation into sexuality, as explicated by Mary Louise Adams, can be understood as form of power relations in which the construction of the category of normal reinforces an alterity that is made intelligible through newly emerging discourses. In this essay I will employ the work of Michel Foucault, Gayle Rubin, Gary Kingsmen, Fredrich Engels, Judith Butler, Simone De Beauvoir and Julian Lee in order to explicate how Mary Louise Adams article, “Why Can’t I be Normal…

Words 1406 - Pages 6

Jamestown Gender Roles Essay

offers a rare glimpse into the gender norms of colonial people and presents evidence for the difference between community roles in Europe and the New World. The cases of Thomas(ine) Hall, and the implication of gender roles and sexuality present historians with a person that is far ahead of their time, and operating within a modern regime of identity, as opposed to the ancient regime of identity that stands as the social norm of the time. This episode reveals that gender stands as a highly important…

Words 670 - Pages 3

The Case for Dimorphism Essay

The Case for Dimorphism: Gender Roles As the balance between the sexes evolve; gender roles per society, per institutions such as religion, marriage and family are increasingly burdened to mobilize with the changes, and to otherwise accept as well as respond to their evolution. Religion, which once held unquestioned authority has seen its sway dwindle, and its societal positioning enjoy less prestige with the changing times. Likewise, the family unit which we've long accepted…

Words 512 - Pages 3

Gender Role and Native American Culture Essay

European Dichotomous View of Sexuality Throughout the early modern period, Native American and European cultures differed greatly. Europeans used these differences to judge “the sexual lives of the native peoples as savage, in contrast to their own ‘civilized’ customs,” and to justify “efforts to convert the native population to Christianity” (D'Emilio and Freedman 6). Native American sexuality deviated considerably from European sexuality, primarily in the areas of gender roles, social hierarchy, and…

Words 1537 - Pages 7

Essay2 ENG2071

Anthony Siskos Dr. Mark Stephenson English 2071F - Science Fiction December 1, 2014 Ambiguous Sexuality in Science Fiction Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert –these are just a few names of those considered to be the most influential writers in science fiction. They also have another thing in common: they are all men. Other than Ursula Le Guinn and Margaret Atwood, in fact, most people would be hard-pressed to name a prominent female science fiction writer. Thus,…

Words 2484 - Pages 10

Satire In Women's Novels

implications of gender roles. The satire within “Women’s Novels” attacks the fantasy of the romance novel and the power that gender roles have within society. This notion is particularly evident in how there is an emphasis on a woman’s need to sexualize herself in hopes of achieving…

Words 1041 - Pages 5