Gender Role Developments

"You don't act like a woman.", "You're a man, you're crying?!". These are just a few of the
statements we often hear in the society we live in. The discussion surrounding gender role issues
has been a topic of great debate, especially when it comes to teaching young children about these
issues. Gender roles are standards set by the society as to how one should act based on the sex
they are assigned with. Our society has a set of ideas about how we expect men and women to
dress, behave, and present themselves. For example, women are expected to do household chores
while men take care of finances. It influences all aspects of our lives, the social roles we play,
and the power and authority we command.

Structural functionalism is a theory that examines the necessary structures that make up a
society and how each part helps to keep the society stable. One example of structure or
institution of society is the family. In our country, Philippines, we are very traditional
comparatively to other countries, which means that we are strongly tied to our traditional gender
roles. Even though it is a developing country, there are many educated women who would prefer
to be a mother, wife, and housekeeper first. Then, if they have a career goal, that is secondary.
This may be explained by the patriarchal system in the Philippines, where men are traditionally
believed to be the main breadwinners while women are responsible for childbearing. According
to the theory, these roles were passed on to subsequent generations since they served as an
effective means of keeping the family system functioning properly. Parents’ gendered behaviors
often inform children’s development. Raising a child with no gender roles can negatively affect
their development. It's good to give a child a gender role in their development, but it is also
important to teach them that they do not have to strictly follow that role and that it's okay to go
outside of it. It will shape who they are and how they treat people. Gender roles are not negative.
It's negative gender stereotypes that need to be abolished, as well as the strict interpretation of
gender roles and the enforcement that sex is the same as gender, when it doesn't. When
individuals don’t conform to our gender stereotypes, result can lead to discrimination and create
an unequal or unfair treatment. In this society, gender roles are good for development, but so are
openness and kindness to allow people to explore other roles in society. We have to open
people’s minds to possibilities and differences. And just because you’re different, doesn’t mean
you’re wrong.
 In my perspective about these shifts in gender, it is hard to look at male and female roles
in a new and nontraditional way. I personally value traditional gender roles. I think that gender
role doesn’t work the other way around. Almost every other gender role has a clear biological,
practical, or societal explanation for its existence. Now, I'm not saying that certain women can't
play the protector role if they're capable, or that certain men can't play the nurturing role if
they're capable. Anyone can reject a societal gender role if they so wish and allow people to do
what they want. Cooking, cleaning, financial stability & security are life skills. To suddenly not
partake on any of those because of gender role relationships, hinders our growth & development.
However, men and women have gender roles because they naturally fit them and allow society to
function as efficiently as possible.