On stereotyped gender roles

A stereotype is an over generalised belief about a particular category of people or a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like. Gender role in society can be defined as the role portrayed by an individual with respect to a combination of factors or any one of them, depending on the living conditions. These factors can be categorized as roles based on the classification – male, female or a combination, and their roles based on physical character and/or sexual and psychological orientation, either as a result of social bonding or self preferences.

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Female roles overtime includes kitchen roles, raising children, embroidery, cooking, house cleaning and generally taking care of the household. The male roles on the other hand are physically difficult activities such as working in defense services, industries, and being involved in white or blue collar jobs generally.  While these roles are defined and mostly classified in many societies, this distinction has become less noticeable in developed societies like United States or Western Europe.

Although these stereotyped functions are still issues in developing countries based on long time traditions and training, it is expedient to state the fact that this has become a global concern. Education, house chores, child care, professional occupation, fending for the family are the various responsibilities or activities expected in a normal society. These roles were segregated on the basis of sex, but now it is more of the choice or interest of individuals. However, there are many societies in the world that still continues to stick to the traditional gender roles. A female is usually expected, and generally obliged to be involved in household work, child care and education, leaving professional and social roles more for the males.

As the society grows   and the break out of different forms of freedom in forms of women emancipation, need for economic balance and growth, sustainable development goals and others evolve, gender roles are gradually becoming a matter of choice in respect to what the individual would thrive in. There are instances where a man as the sole provider of the family loses his job and his family is wretched financially because the woman was not working. Some have made excuses with religion, societal rules and traditional culture that subjects women or men as the case may be to do particular things so as not to ruin an order.

Favour Boluwade,

Ibadan.