Social Perception Of Gender Roles Essay, Research Paper

General speaking, men are physically stronger than women, thus, they perform more labor intensive work not to mention because of the physical appearance, men are often present a more powerful and confident appearance than woman which is more convincing in making a sale. A gender expectation was for women to stay home and take care of the household while men to work and provide the bread and butter for the family. However, this is only the social perception that illustrates the behavioral difference between men and women. Because of this perception of the behavioral differences, it has caused to create barriers, unequal treatment and discrimination between men and women. It is bad to have such perception in this world of freedom, we should have an equal opportunity for every individual and don’t let this behavior to bind us all.

In our general perception, men are always stronger than women because of the men’s body frame and our basic believes. While men born to be strong and hardly to be the loser, they always refuse to talk about the bad things had happened around them. To be a stereotyped of men, they feared to show their weakness and fears from all. In order to build a healthy relationship between men and women, an effective communication is needed. An effective communication means that we should first understand the positive and negative characteristic on both genders to build up the trusts and respects to each other. However, men are always refused to do that, they usually live in a world with its own “Code of Conduct”. In the article ‘How Boys Become Men’ by John Katz, the author states that boys usually cover up themselves from others in any circumstances. This means that they don’t expose, rat or admit fears because they think empathy is for cowards. The author uses the example of a nine-year-old boy who rather suffers from pain than show fear in front of his friend. Men always hide their weaknesses and fears to show that they are more superior and stronger than women. At the end of the article, the author expresses the opinion that male culture should evolve. It is because Katz, as a man who understands the struggle of a man who ask for care, love, and support from others. Since we all human beings, we should be able express our emotions, truth happiness and sadness, thus, men don’t have to feel that they are exceptional and they don’t have to conceal their feelings. We should feel lucky when we can have someone to share the personal experience with others, especially with someone we love or care about. Break through your emotional barriers.

Without the understanding on the merit between men and women, a certain perception towards men and women would be undermined and therefore create barriers for women especially in the work force. For example, there is a perception that women are instinctual disinterest in science. In the article “Women in Science” by K.C. Cole, the author concludes why fewer women than men choose science as a career. Cole starts to aware these issues after she went to a conference on an electrical phenomenon in Baltimore. Out of several hundreds of students, there were less than a handful of women. Later, when she attends to another conference in Cambridge with two women, she raised the issue of science illiteracy in women in front of a whole company of men. However, raising a question at that moment interrupted the serious talk with a subject which is unforgivable.

Cole argues that “women are discriminated against as a class, in promotions, salaries, and hirings, a conclusion reached by a recent analysis by the National Academy of Science.” The author provides several examples to support this point, firstly, the experiments or examples in science book are all based on boys’ interests, this shows that they are easily for boys’ students to understand but not girls. Secondly, a study by Lynn H. Fox, she states that “Men do not want girls in the mathematical occupation.” Thirdly, her friend gives up her opportunity to study Science in Harvard because she couldn’t suffer the pressure of this unequal treat and the discouragement from teacher and school. For example, the math teachers are all men; the math clubs are full of boys. This made her feel uneasy, injurious, and out of place. Since there are biological differences between men and women, we shouldn’t despise the ability of women. In order to diversify our society, we should give women the same opportunity as men. Also, don’t limit ourselves and just following the majority. For example, women shouldn’t be in science major, or men shouldn’t be in nursing.

In order to stop this unequal social perception towards men and women, we should encourage girls to be involve in competitive activities that our traditional for boys only. Parents should raise their children regardless of their gender, for examples, men can play with dolls and girls can play with trucks. We should give them an opportunity to make choices. Other than that, education in school should discuss on strengths and weaknesses on both genders, so that they can understand each other’s ability. I believe one day, we can create a new social perception that “Women and Men are equal”.