A CASE STUDY: THE INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES IN

YOUTH’S FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

China Nicole Baligod1,2,3,4, Louie Jocson1,2,3,4 , Meshezabel Baniqued1,2,3,4 , Shaniah Louise

Labitag1,2,3,4, Tharlian Mayne Ortega1,2,3,4, Trisha Giline Gallenero1,2,3,4

1
Senior High School Department
2
Research Development and Innovation Center

 3Our Lady Fatima University

4
J-B Vincent L. Rico

May 2022
A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… ii

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ii
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature 5
2.1 Theoretical Framework / Conceptual Framework 5
2.2 Variable Discussion 5
2.3 Statement of the Problem 7
Chapter 3 Research Methodology 9
3.1 Research Design 9
3.2 Research Locale 9
3.3 Key Informant Selection 9
3.4 Research Ethics 10
3.5 Research Instruments 11
3.6 Data Collection 11
3.7 Data Analysis 12
References 13

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… ii

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 1

INTRODUCTION

Traditional gender roles play a huge part in people’s freedom of expression (Cossman,

2018). In this day and age, gender roles are still very much alive. Gender roles are

behavioral practices that are considered appropriate, desirable, and acceptable based on a

person’s gender (Miville, et. al, 2017). In other words, it’s restricting the actions and

decisions of a person merely because they don’t meet the cultural norms for their

assigned gender. Although many opposed the idea of this matter, society is yet to

acknowledge that. Teenagers are struggling to express themselves according to their

preferences because of society's judgmental eyes and minds. Their actions are limited to

what society tells them to.

A great example of this is the way we dress. Women should dress modestly and feminine,

while men, on the other hand, should simulate masculinity and dominance (Kachel, et. al,

2016). However, as we enter and welcome new eras, our perspectives may partially or

entirely change and vary, which means we will eventually adapt to the present and

express ourselves more timely and openly. Nowadays, women often wear clothes that

make them comfortable rather than what they are expected to, which include pants,

oversized shirts, or clothes that are usually worn by men. Moreover, some men are now

embracing their femininity and helping break stereotypes. Despite these social norms

acting as barriers, people, the youth, in particular, are gradually taking steps ahead to

break the stigma and achieve their freedom of expression (Leach, 2016).

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 2

Gender roles greatly affect men and women, especially the youth’s self-development

(Singh, 2016). Because traditional gender roles are still being imposed, the youth are

experiencing constant pressure and fear. Not only does it put teens in a difficult situation,

but it is also a hindrance to achieving self-actualization. Decreasing self-esteem is not the

only issue, in fact, it also exerts an influence on our everyday lives. At work, intentional

or not, their performance will be judged and assessed based on their gender; they’ll be

given tasks that apparently would be suitable for a male or a female. It’s not wrong, but

not necessarily right either. Double standards would most probably be applied,

prejudices, and it may even lead to sexism (Tabassum, et. al, 2021). 

Students may experience suppressing themselves trying to fit in and remain similar to the

majority.  Since they’ll refrain from appearing different, there’s a high chance that they’ll

stay inside the box and will lose the opportunity to explore and fulfill their aspirations.

That being said, no matter which category you belong to in society, it is foreseeable that

it will affect your way of living (Helgeson, 2016.). It may also grow on you and as you

get used to it, it may result in a more serious situation, and it would be more difficult to

conquer. The problem takes place when we are dictated on what we must and must not

do. It is like a trap that society has set for us to fall onto and once we give in to the bait,

we’ll be imprisoned somewhere unknown which will eventually lead to us losing control

and power over ourselves. To sum up, the primary issue concerning the carrying out of

the traditional gender roles for teenagers is the life-long distress or mental damage it will

leave (Saewyc, 2017). 

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 3

Traditional Gender Roles have become part of our society and our life, mostly because it

is the basis of how one must act and do based on their assigned gender. They say that if

you are a woman, your specialty is only in the kitchen and you should stay in the house,

while if you are a man, you are not allowed to show any emotions, or any weakness and

you should be the one providing for the family. Gender roles have a huge influence on

how one must act, speak, dress, groom, and appropriately express themselves.

(Traditional Gender Roles, 2019).  These kinds of stereotypes can affect one’s mind and

perspective about themselves as this lessens their capability to prove themselves worthy

of equality. Gender Roles: (n.d.) Thus, the objective or goal of our study is to know if the

influence or control of traditional gender roles does impact the SHS students (or the

youth) freedom of expression.

This study aims to diagnose the student’s point of view and what are their thoughts about

the influence of gender roles on them, rather they are uncomfortable to be labeled by

others or they just don’t want to speak about it because they think that society will restrict

and stereotype them in any way. This research advocates that it is not okay to be

stereotyped just because you act, speak, groom, and dress differently from others. This

kind of topic should be addressed because it never dies down and it passes throughout

generations and there is a fine line between gender roles. This research also intends that

in times like this dividing in what group you belong to doesn’t even matter, as everyone

does their part and is willing to help society in any means then we can break the influence

of gender roles in expressing our true selves.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 4

This research aims to prove the effects of demanding the youth to adhere to the customs

set by the public to be ideal and adequate. Unlike other published research, this study

focuses more on the influence of gender norms on how young people perceive and

present themselves to society. This is useful to determine the factors, aspects, effects, and

possible solutions to overcome and hopefully encourage the young to come out of their

comfort zones and fight the discrimination that comes with not following the rules or

standards of society. This study will provide an overview of the consequences of sticking

to the traditional gender roles and how we could feasibly establish better options for

solutions. On top of that, this can also be beneficial for future generations and studies to

be conducted. This will be a great instrument to demonstrate important points that need to

be proven and can be used as additional resources. Most importantly, it will help

condition the young minds to not tolerate the malpractices or biased views of society.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 5

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework

The social role theory is a social psychological concept that deals with the

differences and similarities in social behavior between men and women (Eagly and Wood

1999). It discusses how people distribute social roles based on their genders. It explains

roles by assuming that people belong to social groups and have expectations for their own

and other people's actions. The division of labor is often supported and sustained by

men’s and women's actions. People organize social roles as what they see what gender

can or can’t do. People categorize social roles based on what individuals are more likely

to do. For example, they organized social roles as homemakers and primary caregivers of

children are more likely to be women's roles than men. On the other hand, works that

require physical power and assertiveness are more likely men’s roles. (Eagly and Wood,

2016)

2.2 Variable Discussion

Traditional Gender Roles were significant for remaining alive. We perceived

those distinctions among men and women, both physical and mental. We use gender roles

to identify each and everyone’s strengths or weaknesses regardless of their age (Iyer,

2020). Gender roles obviously affect everyone no matter their country or what ethnicity

they are, it occurs when a person doesn’t live up to the society’s expectations or standards

as they will feel conscious about themselves or worse, they can risk their lives in order to

achieve the said predicament. (Targonskaya, 2020). 

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 6

Physical differences between people, such as race and gender, can lead to

stereotypes as well as gender roles. These gender distinctions are profoundly rooted in

people's minds and in the evolution of society, reflecting men and women's various roles.

(Ellemers, 2018). Clothes are one of the factors in gender stereotyping and gender roles.

Individuals express their personalities or identification in the way of fashion which may

differ from community and societal standards. Expectations of society and culture

regarding an individual's biological structure play a role in various gender stereotypes.

(Akdemir, 2018)

 Because of gender roles embedded in our culture, some people are having a hard

time expressing themselves because of society's expectations on what they should or

should not do. People's attributions are influenced by their culture. These gender roles

affect individuals not only physically but also socially and mentally.  Culture influences

people's perceptions of attributes associated with each gender.  (Hinton, 2015).  Women

and men actively gain skills as a result of women being assigned to domestic labor and

men to paid work roles. The abilities are then accepted as normal by society, and they are

incorporated into core gender roles, which are both descriptive and prescriptive in

defining how women and men should and do behave (Tabassum et al, 2021) . Having

expectations about what people should do restricts them from having a freedom of

expectation. 

Peers also influence gender roles as they are the ones who are having interactions

with each other, they can both assess, examine, or contrast themselves that i’ll result in

understanding each other’s roles. But as good as it sounds, peers also contribute to 

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 7

gender roles in a  not- so appropriate way as  gender prejudices and stereotyping are

frequently established in the home it is rather supported by cliques or peer groups. 

(Kornienko et al, 2016).

The gender binary is being used to identify each person's capabilities and

weaknesses; it creates discrimination about the abilities of a person due to gender role or

psychological aspects. (Nicolson, P., 2015) It clearly shows that women, encounter

different forms of gender-based violence, such as gender harassment or simple

discrimination in the workplace or during professional careers, much more frequently

than men. Domestic violence and abuse are recognized as an expression of power

inequalities between men and women. Women's and men's risk and protective factors, as

well as sex and gender-based discrimination, are usually ignored in mental health

research. Not to investigate potentially may lead to a failure to provide gender-sensitive

treatments. (Riecher-Rössler et al , 2017)

2.3 Statement of the Problem

This research aims to study and determine the influence of traditional gender roles to

youths’ freedom of expression. The researchers will state problems to clarify our aims in

doing this research. These are the following questions:

1. How did traditional gender roles come to exert an influence on young people’s

freedom of expression?

2. How does gender roles affect society?

3. Why do we have gender roles?

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 8

4. Why do gender roles vary from society?

5. Why does the choice of clothing dictate someone’s gender?

6. Why do people say that men can’t be too feminine, and women can’t be too

masculine?

7. How does living in a household where lots of gender roles are true affects the self-

esteem of teenagers?

8.  Why is socially acceptable for females to be masculine than for males to be feminine?

9. Why does feminism have such a negative connotation?

10. Why does obviously incorrect gender stereotypes, like that all girls like pink, remain

in society?

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 9

3.0 Research Methods

3.1 Research Design

To gather data for this research, a Qualitative case study design will be employed.

According to Bhandari P. (2020) qualitative research is conducted to understand people's

viewpoints on life. It can be used to get an in-depth understanding of a subject or to

create innovative research ideas. A case study is a detailed examination of a single

person, organization, or event.  A case study examines practically every aspect of a

person's life and background in examining patterns and reasons for their actions (Cherry,

2021). Information as well as other essential data for this study will be gathered from a

variety of sources. The primary purpose of this study is to understand in what way

youth's freedom of expression is influenced by established gender norms.

3.2 Research Locale

The researchers have decided to recruit participants from private high schools in

Santa Rosa Laguna in order to not limit the scope of the study to our campus alone, but

also not to overextend it. Respondents will be provided unbiased and reasonable online

questionnaires. The primary responders will be 35 students aged 15 to 18, who will be

required for the researchers to gather data and do a study on the subject.

3.3 Key Informant Selection

Convenience sampling will be used because the study requires no specific

prerequisites for a respondent other than their present school, age, and gender.

Convenience sampling is a non-probability sampling approach in which researchers

choose their sample solely for convenience. It involves choosing a sample of the study

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 10

that is both convenient and accessible. This indicates that the researcher selects a sample

from a population group that is available nearby (Simkus J, 2022). This will assist both

the researchers and the responders. Because the study is aimed at teenagers, we will

choose students between the ages of 15 and 18, as this is the age at which they begin to

become aware of their environment. These are the ages when young people are most

likely to discover a lot about themselves, including how they act and how society expects

them to act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct themselves based on our assigned sex,

which brings us to the topic of our research: the impact of traditional gender roles on

young people's freedom of expression.

3.4 Research Ethics

In order to maintain the trust of the participants all the data and information

gathered from them will be kept confidential and secured. No one can access the data

besides the researchers for the safety of the participants. The identity of the participants

will remain anonymous unless they wish to reveal their identity. The honesty of

participants and researchers are important in this research. Just like the answers of

participants, researchers will be honest in collecting data, procedures, as well as in

analyzing the data. Researchers will not change or fabricate the information and data

gathered and will be transparent on every procedure researchers will make. Carefulness

will help to avoid mistakes and errors; the research will be done meticulously. Self-

deception, bias, and conflicts of interest will all be avoided by researchers. All study

operations will be well recorded, including consent forms, data collecting, and data

analysis. Research integrity is important because it fosters trust, which is vital to the

research process. In this research, the researchers will put their faith in one another's

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 11

work. Openness of the researchers refers to the notion of open access to all interested

parties to the underlying data, research methodologies, and research findings.

3.5 Research Instruments

The researchers will be conducting mediated interviews with the respondents.

Researchers will use Zoom to conduct the interview. Researchers will provide open-

ended questions that will focus on the influence of the traditional gender role in their

freedom of expression and how it affects their daily lives. The questions provided are

unbiased and reasonable.  Participants have the right to skip or refuse questions they

prefer not to answer.

3.6 Data Collection 

After the validation of the research instrument, the researchers will then provide a

step-by-step procedure on how to obtain the data needed for the research. First, the

researcher will seek participants with the help of the co-researchers until the total number

of participants are achieved. Since face-to-face interviews are prohibited, mediated semi-

structured interviews will be conducted in this study. Interviews that are semi-structured

are frequently open-ended, allowing for flexibility. Set questions in a set order make it

easy to compare responses, but it can also be limiting. Less structure can aid in the

identification of patterns while still allowing for comparisons among respondents

(George, 2022).  After gaining access and establishing rapport with the selected 15-18

years old students studying at private schools, the mediated interview via zoom

consisting of semi-structured questions will be conducted.  When the researchers reach

the total data needed, researchers will thank the participants and keep the data and

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 12

information gathered confidential. The researchers will next proceed to data analysis once

the data has been collected.

3.7 Data Analysis 

For the data analysis, the researchers will use the Thematic analysis. To begin

with, Thematic analysis is a type of qualitative data analysis. It's frequently used to refer

to a collection of texts, such as an interview or transcripts. The researcher looks through

the data for common themes, such as subjects, ideas, and meaning patterns (Caulfield,

2019) . When the information and data needed are gathered, the researchers will organize

the responses by question, and members of the group will be assigned to do an in-depth

study by comparing the responses from different participants. After sorting the responses,

the researchers will next assess the relevance of the responses to the questions and

conclude about how the information acquired is related to the topic.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 13

REFERENCES

Akdemir, N. (2018). Deconstruction of Gender Stereotypes Through Fashion. European

Journal of Social Science Education and Research, 5(2), 259–264.

https://doi.org/10.26417/ejser.v5i2.p185-190

Bhandari, P. (2022, February 10). An introduction to qualitative research. Scribbr.

https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-research/

Cherry, K. (2021, May 02). What Is a Case Study?. Verywellmind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-write-a-psychology-case-study-2795722

Caulfield, J. (2022, May 5). How to Do Thematic Analysis | A Step-by-Step Guide &

Examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/thematic-analysis/

Cossman, B. (2018). Gender identity, gender pronouns, and freedom of expression: Bill

C-16 and the traction of specious legal claims. University of Toronto Law Journal, 68(1),

37–79. https://doi.org/10.3138/utlj.2017-0073

Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (2016). Social Role Theory of Sex Differences. The Wiley

Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies, 1–3.

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118663219.wbegss183

Ellemers, N. (2018). Gender Stereotypes. Annual Review of Psychology, 69(1), 275–298.

https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011719

George, T. (2022, May 4). Semi-Structured Interview | Definition, Guide & Examples.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 14

Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/semi-structured-interview/

Hinton, P. R. (2015). The Perception of People. The Perception of People.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315707921

Iyer, R. (2021, October 27). 10 Examples Of Traditional Gender Roles.

Bonobology.Com. https://www.bonobology.com/traditional-gender-roles/

Kachel, S., Steffens, M. C., & Niedlich, C. (2016b). Traditional Masculinity and

Femininity: Validation of a New Scale Assessing Gender Roles. Frontiers in Psychology,

7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00956

Kornienko, O., Santos, C. E., Martin, C. L., & Granger, K. L. (2016). Peer influence on

gender identity development in adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 52(10), 1578–

1592. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000200

Leach, M. (Ed.). (2016). Gender equality and sustainable development. London:

Routledge.

Miville, M. L., Mendez, N., & Louie, M. (2017). Latina/o gender roles: A content

analysis of empirical research from 1982 to 2013. Journal of Latina/o Psychology, 5(3),

173–194. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000072

Nicolson, P. (2015). Gender, Power and Organization. Gender, Power and Organization.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315726564

Riecher-Rössler, A. (2017). Sex and gender differences in mental disorders. The Lancet

Psychiatry, 4(1), 8–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(16)30348-0

Saewyc, E. (2017). A Global Perspective on Gender Roles and Identity. Journal of

Adolescent Health, 61(4), S1–S2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.07.010

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT

A CASE STUDY: INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL… 15

Simkus, J. (2022). Convenience Sampling: Definition, Method and Examples - Simply

Psychology. Julia Simkus. https://www.simplypsychology.org/convenience-

sampling.html

Singh, A. V. (2016). Exploring the feminine: Shifting gender roles in Caryl Churchill’s

Cloud Nine. International Education and Research Journal, 2(1), 34-35.

Targonskaya, A. (2020, April 14). Gender Stereotypes: The Importance of Equality.

Retrieved from Flo.health - #1 mobile product for women’s health

https://flo.health/menstrual-cycle/teens/your-first/gender-stereotypes

Tabassum, N., & Nayak, B. S. (2021). Gender Stereotypes and Their Impact on

Women’s Career Progressions from a Managerial Perspective. IIM Kozhikode Society &

Management Review, 10(2), 192–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/2277975220975513

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY SHS DEPARTMENT