Gender Behavior

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that the fabric of the human condition is the determination of sexual reproduction. For this reason, and many others, sex and gender, independently and together make up a huge body of human interest and an equal if not greater amount of confusion and controversy. The writer also discusses that gender roles as they are assigned by society are clearly demonstrative of culture, and yet in a culture where so much has been challenged with regard to tradition, including but not limited to gender roles, there seems to be little "progress" in the way of either allowable deviation of gender roles or gender mobility. The writer concludes that women will likely continue, for the foreseeable future in a role of conflict between productive and reproductive responsibilities all of which mitigates the continuation of rigid gender roles.

From the Paper:

"To look beyond gender display, most exaggerated in some children, one must also logically step toward gendered adults. The variance of gender social display is also clearly not limited to children and the level to which researchers can delve into the reasons for and perceived meanings of gender differences is greater. One would think this would mean that research on adult gender roles is less cloudy than it is with children, yet this is far from true. In this summation of several gender role studies, regarding gender roles and work the generalizations of research can be seen as demonstrative of gender stereotypes, playing an important role in the fundamental happiness or lack their of, of adults, in one of their most crucial social roles, that of work."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Denmark, Florence L., and Karen A. Nielson. "31 United States of America." International Handbook on Gender Roles. Ed. Leonore Loeb Adler. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1993. 452-465.
• Feldman, Lorelei "Biological and Sociocultural Views and Consequences of Gender Stereotyping" Retrieved, November 20, 2007 from: http://www.unc.edu/~lorelei/sexroles.html
• Garfinkle, Harold. Studies in Ethnomethodology. New York: Polity. 1991.
• Spykerman, Sara "Gender Roles and Work: Recent Research" 1997, Retrieved November 20, 2007 from: http://www.hope.edu/academic/psychology/335/webrep/genroles.html
• Van Volkom, Michele. "The Relationships between Childhood Tomboyism, Siblings' Activities and Adult Gender Roles." Sex Roles: A Journal of Research 49.11-12 (2003): 609.

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• Comparison Essay # 62520 : "Gender Stereotyping"

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