Gender Roles and Gender Identity

I think that gender is something predetermined but your gender identity is an aspect of your life you control. People have the opportunity to identify with whatever makes them comfortable. But people who often identify with the opposite gender often face backlash.

For a male I feel there is a strong emphasis on fitting the masculine gender role set by society. Men are automatically judged on their masculinity and sometimes have to prove to their peers how masculine they are. Men in my opinion are highly criticized by others and there is a push for every male to fit that social norm. I do not know if I would fit the social group to be a stereotypical male. I am an athlete who loves sports; I enjoy cars, outdoor activities. On the other hand I can’t change my oil; I enjoy romantic comedies, and buying clothes. I would consider myself masculine but I don’t know if others would.

I think I have my own idea of what a man is and that’s due to the people I have observed over the years. I was raised by my parents and my grandmother. Spending time with each of them individually I would do different things on the gender scale. With my grandmother I might bake and with my dad I might wash and detail the car. I enjoyed doing things with the adults but my parents were sure to emphasize on what little boys should do or say.  One of the main things was that men are not lazy. Little boys should always be involved in sports, boy scouts or something hands on, but nothing feminine.

Authors McDermott and Schwartz write about men's gender role journeys with differences in age, education, race sexual orientation and relationship status. Gender role theory is the understanding how men construct and adapt their gender role identities.( McDermott and Schwartz 2013) The authors state that every male at some point goes through a phase where they accept or overly accept their gender roles. But in one the groups such as age, sexual orientation, and race or in a relationship defy their acceptance. The authors then discuss the stages of gender roles which are acceptance of traditional gender roles, ambivalence about gender roles, anger over gender roles, personal–professional activism, celebration/integration of gender roles. I personally as a young male have experienced these stages at different parts of my life.  I found the article very thought provoking and self-reflecting and a different outlook on gender roles.