how does our culture enforce stereotypical gender roles?
346736
One of the biggest ways that gender roles are reinforced is through advertising / commercialism.  Take a look at the toy asile at Wal-Mart.  Pink vs. Blue, Fashion & Cooking vs. Soldiers & Legos.  This continues throughout life.  Look at Playboy vs. Playgirl... women are seen as objects of beauty and men as objects of power. Movies like Pretty Woman or Maid in Manhattan emphasize the rescuing a beautiful, powerless woman.  I recommend reading Can't Buy Me Love.  It is a great look at how the advertising industry reinforces gender roles. \n\nOther possibilities would be religious beliefs & politics-- unequal allocation of resources like education, wages, child care & birth control.
1062313
Yes, there should be gender roles.  It is common sense that women are better at some things than men and men are better at some things than women.  Being equal does not mean that men and women have to be identical.  Celebrating both men and women for who they are recognizes that they have different roles to fulfill in relationships.  That doesn't mean that women shouldn't ever work or that men can't help out in the kitchen.  It does mean that if you want someone to tuck you in when you are sick you want mom and if you want someone to scare the monsters away you want dad.
756163
Yes, the one with the most testosterone seems to parallel the male role. And the other one parallels the female role. That is often why highly charged career minded women (feminists)  don't actually represent the more traditional female, particularly well. The more traditionally minded women probably behaves toward them as though they were a man. No choice really. Another thing I have noticed, is that some lesbians seem to  have an intense dislike of men, whereas, gay men, generally do not dislike women as people. Male transverstites, however, are a different kettle of fish. I think that their whole personna is designed to mock women, and it is difficult for women to deal with them because they present themselves as women.
364297
In my honest opinion, I think males are supposed to be the family leaders and role-models. However, in a dating relationship, I think that there shouldn't be dominance at all. There should be shared opinions, agreements, and love.
634047
well it depends - we do have a deep sense of culture and tradition that you have to take into consideration - we are attracted to more conservative than liberal women (I am not talking in the political sense) regardless of race.
1185912
Stereotyping a little? If she does not want to have sex with women but does with men
930250
No, of course not.  Well, maybe some have, but most simply enjoy wearing the clothing of the other sex.  That's it.  Why?  They like the feel and look of it (comfort and style).  They like pretending to be women on occasion (a temporary state of transsexuality, sort of).  They hate rigid gender roles and want to wear whatever without it meaning something.  Sometimes they want to be delicate and feminine and female clothes symbolize it for them (for male cross-dressers).  Sometimes it gives them a sexual thrill.  There are a million reasons, and they differ many ways, but it's not the result of child abuse.\n\nHope that's shed some light on the subject!
519395
I agree that certain things are done male or female in some relationships, but it falls to order in what the two people decide.  In our relationship, in everyday life, to all appearances my partner looks more the female, stays at home, babysits an infant, does alot (but not all) the housework  and does all the cooking.  I play the more male role has a very male job (drive semi) does the lawn work,(again not all) the gardening, pays the bills.  However, in the bedroom our roles are switched and it's my turn to be the sensitive one.  And we do this, 99% of the time for 25 years now.  We're frequently told this relationship is quite unique in the lesbian circles, but it works for us.  So it goes to prove, whatever feels good, I guess.
32589
i would love to know the answer to this...  it seems that there must be a handbook out there someplace to help with this.  because it seems boys have different rules than we do...
102613
Western culture treats us as equal because of the ERA, womens rights movements, and feminist groups that demand equality.  Unfortunately, there seems to be an either/or side-effect.  We are either unisex beings with no differences, or we become stereotypes of man/woman.  There is no middle ground yet because the politically correct crowd is afraid of stepping on toes.
867905
As it has been said, there are some kind of "rules" linguists apply to determine the gender of a new word.\nNow, who "decides"?\nIn France, there is an institution called "l'Academie Francaise" which is usually the most influent authority on these matters, though the teams working on the dictionaries are also quite listened to.\nIn England, the English spoken by Cambridge-Oxford scholars is considered "standard".\n\nIn a nutshell, each country has its own system regarding the evolution of the language.
112653
They think the same about us...there is a major communication barrier.  Men and women communicate in totally different ways and therefore messages get misread.
2984
Genetics determines gender (as sex: male - XY, female - XX and perhaps other – XXY, etc.).  Society and/or culture then use gender differentiation to develop what is masculine and what is feminine and perhaps what is neutral.
796616
depends which society u're talking about...different cultures rear their men differently....but generally women tend to be more emotional and feelings-based than men.
8161
It's just a stereotype.  "We develop stereotypes when we are unable or unwilling to obtain all of the information we would need to make fair judgments about people or situations." (mostly unwilling)
226344
Women are all different as are men.  Our behaviors set us apart from each other, whether it is how we dress to how we carry ourselves.  Some are more carefree and others more judgmental.  And of course, our morals also vary which have stereotyped so many genres to place us in.\n\nIt doesn't make it right but it is the way the moral majority work.
1142266
Latin American culture in general has a tendency to be very male dominated. This "manliness" factor would be called into question by something such homosexuality.