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Gender Roles Essay

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Although societal views have changed drastically in the last 100 years, women and
GLBT individuals remain linked by their shared status as subordinate groups in America.
Traditionally considered the weaker sex, women in the United States reluctantly accepted their
inferior position for decades, until the beginning of the womens rights movement in 1848. Still,
this minority group did not gain the right to vote in national elections until the 19th Amendment
was signed into law in 1920 -144 years after this nation was founded. GLBT individuals have
endured a similar, but more modern version of societal oppression, and have recently begun to
fight for their own equality and legal rights. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to
legalize gay marriage. This radical change in legislation spawned a legal domino effect,
nationwide, as 16 additional states eventually adopted similar laws in the ensuing decade. As
women continue to achieve incremental strides towards gender equality, GLBT groups are
making headlines in their plight for recognition in U.S. society. Both subordinate groups have
decided to unite and challenge cultural stereotypes and age-old gender roles, breaking barriers
and accomplishing what was once thought to be impossible.
Throughout recorded history, the female sex has been regarded as inferior and therefore
subservient to males. In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas, a respected philosopher and poet
wrote:
I answer that, It was necessary for woman to be made, as the Scripture says, as a "helper"
to man; not, indeed, as a helpmate in other works, as some say, since man can be more efficiently
helped by another man in other works; but as a helper in the work of generation (Aquinas, 1274,
qu. 92, art. 1).
Aquinas biblical interpretation represents an ancient concept that persisted for centuries;
a womans primary role in life is to bear children for their mate. As a result of this

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collective idea, humanity witnessed the creation of gender roles, which are societys
expectations of the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females
(Schaefer, 2012, p. 349, para. 2). Schaefer goes on to explain the mysterious connection
between childbearing and womens work, saying:
Historically, womens work came to be defined as a consequence of the birth
process. Men, free of childcare responsibilities, generally became the hunters and
foragers for food. Even though women must bear children, men could have cared
for the young. Exactly why women were assigned that role in societies is not
known (Schaefer, 2012, p. 349, para. 4).
Alas, this perception of the female role effectively set the stage for gender inequality in
the present day.
In Seneca Falls, New York, 1848, a group of 68 women and 32 men signed the
Declaration of Sentiments, a document that outlined the grievances and adopted
resolutions of the womens rights movement. The declaration was modeled after the
Declaration of Independence, and claimed that "all men and women are created equal"
and that "the history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the
part of man toward woman" (Womens International Center, Fighting for the Vote, 1995).
Feminist pioneers like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony fought publicly for
legal and political gender equality in the late 19th century, eventually achieving the
ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits any United States
citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. Though they had gained
the right to vote, women have continued to struggle against the constraints of gender
roles in the workplace. Signs of discrimination can be found in almost every profession,

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wherein women statistically earn less than men in identical occupational roles. Schaefer
(2012) states:
The U.S. Bureau of the Census looked at the earnings of 821 occupations ranging
from chief executives to dishwashers, considering individuals age, education, and
work experience. The unmistakable conclusion was there is a substantial gap in
median earnings between full-time male and female workers in the same
occupation (p. 352, para. 4).

Financial disparity is but one of many examples of gender discrimination in the

workplace. In society, our views about gender roles are a result of cultural conditioning.
Schaefer (2012) uses an analogy to describe the basis of this condition, in which women
are expected to excel at an activity like sewing, while a man would be better at throwing
a baseball. Because women are more likely to be taught to sew and men taught to throw a
ball at early ages, society encourages the pursuit of these skills later in life. The media
constantly perpetuates the cultural perception of these gender roles on television and in
feature films, further solidifying the effects of cultural conditioning. Blumenfeld (2013)
describes a series of commercials which illustrate this concept:
All of the four scenarios profile businessMEN who, after spending a
comforting stay at La Quinta, perform exquisitely well in their respective business
presentations by "getting his ducks in a row," or by "taking out all the stops," or
by "thinking outside the box," or by "bringing home the bacon." In the latter
scenario, the businessman literally bowled over and buried his waiting and
expectant wife with an enormous truck load of bacon.

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These constructed perceptions of female roles in society are damaging, to say the least,
though women continue to make great strides toward total equality in American society.
With each passing year, women achieve milestones like first female astronaut, or first
female to climb Mount Everest, and eventually they will see the day of the first female
President of the United States. Persistence and tenacity have proved to be invaluable
allies in the fight for gender equality, and history proves that this persistence inevitably
pays off.
A second subordinate group faces a similar struggle for equal rights in America, known
as GLBT, or gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. According to researcher Gary
Gates (2011), an estimated 9 million Americans identify as GLBT, a figure roughly equivalent
to the population of New Jersey (Gates, 2011). Though their numbers have grown, GLBT
activists remain intimately aware of the social and political persecution that plagued their group
in the recent past. Before World War II, gay advocacy was non-existent. Senator Joseph
McCarthy sparked the GLBT rights movement in the early 1950s, with his investigation of
homosexuals holding government jobs (Morris, 2014). At that time, members of this group were
commonly perceived as sexual miscreants, viewed as committing perverted acts that were
unnatural and wrong. This concept led to a condition known as homophobia, the fear of and
prejudice towards homosexuality (Schaefer, 2012, p. 403, para. 3). Homophobic tendencies lead
to outright discrimination against GLBT individuals in American society which still exists, in a
milder form, today.
In May 2004, Massachusetts became the first American state to legalize same-sex
marriage. This milestone was achieved through the concerted efforts of GLBT activists and
lobbyists, who dedicated their time and effort to see their dream become a reality. Soon after,

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Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont followed suit, adopting similar laws for their individual states.
Today, a total of 17 U.S. states recognize same-sex unions, giving homosexual couples the same
legal rights as heterosexual spouses. Organizations like the ACLU are currently challenging
policies which prevent gay couples from adopting children, a form of discrimination which may
soon be overcome. For many, the idea of two married men or women raising a child is unheard
of and socially unacceptable. GLBT movements are contesting these notions as antiquated and
obsolete, but homophobia and other forms of discrimination are the driving force behind their
opposition. Unlike the womens rights movement, the GLBT struggle for equality is still in its
infancy. As time goes on, the barriers erected from stereotypes, discrimination, and hate will fall,
just as they did during the womens rights movement. Cultural conditioning requires generations
of change to truly shift perspective, so persistence and tenacity will once again play a major role
in overcoming societys negative views towards GLBT individuals.
Looking back upon the history of subordinate groups in America, the GLBT rights
movement mirrors the efforts of those pioneering feminists of the 19th century. Both groups have
experienced oppression and persecution for their values and beliefs, looked down upon by
society and trampled on by naysayers. Still, women achieved the right to vote against all odds,
upending ancient concepts of inferiority and servitude. Then, nearly 100 years later, gay, lesbian,
transgender, and bisexual individuals challenged cultural conditioning and homophobia as they
won the right to legally marry in 17 U.S. states. This pair of subordinate groups individually rose
up and conquered pivotal battles for equality, but neither has yet won the war. Women and
GLBT members have many challenges to face in the years to come, but if history can predict the
future, we are likely to see true equality for both groups in the coming generation.

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References

Aquinas, T. (1274). Summa Theologica.

Blumenfeld, W. J. (2013, August). Examining Media's Socialization of Gender Roles .
Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/warren-jblumenfeld/examining-medias-socializ_b_3721982.html

Gates, G. J. (2011, April). How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?. The
Williams Institute, ()

Morris, B. (2014). History of Lesbian, Gay, & Bisexual Social Movements. American
Psychological Association, ().
Schaefer, R. T. (2012). Racial and ethnic groups (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Prentice Hall.
Women's International Center. (1995). Retrieved from http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm