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Introduction
We are not talking here primary about biological sex and the associated medical field, but about sociological gender roles.
We are convinced that society has imposed a role on each gender. This also means that these roles can be shed again by society.
We are convinced that gender roles represent a negative aspect of our society. Therefore, it is important to us to explicitly name these roles and their direct as well as indirect influence on society and the individual. Only in this way can unconscious gender roles be questioned and independent opinions freely formed.
Gender roles are the result of various factors such as religion, tradition, history, societal ideas, or outdated science. Here, we focus less on the causes and more on the concrete effects and role models that could indirectly influence every individual.
It may be that some effects are unknown, not agreed upon, or no longer exist because these effects vary over indefinite times and regions.
Exercises
It is easier to question and change gender roles than is often thought:
- Take a pen and a piece of paper and create a simple table with the headings “Man/Male” on the left and “Woman/Female” on the right.
- In each column, write down the traits, abilities, or role models typically associated with women and men, respectively.
- When these lists are compared with those of others, it becomes clear that there are many different opinions and values.
- Terms such as “masculinity” and “femininity” are often understood very differently and sometimes even contradictory.
The conclusion is that such terms are often vague and nebulous. They are used differently or even exploited by various societal groups.
This exercise broadens the perspective and invites critical questioning of roles.
Question
But it can be even simpler. Just ask:
Can that also be done by a man/woman?
This question is a useful way to reflect on and avoid sexist thinking. However, it should not be an excuse to neglect your own tasks and responsibilities or to shift them onto others. Whether at home, at work, or anywhere else.
Table
This table on the topic of sexism is general and somewhat superficial. Sexist experiences and behaviors vary greatly between generations and countries.
It is not a competition, but rather about recognizing and minimizing sexism as much as possible in all areas.
Left column = Man
Right column = Woman
Bold = Highly disadvantageous
| MAN | WOMAN |
Biology
| random erection | menstrual bleeding (Period) |
| pregnancy (decision) |
Law (most countries)
| military draft |
Society/Cliche
| strong | weak |
| all known | caring |
| dominant | submissiv |
| less family time | gender gap (there exits gender gap debunked but for simplicity we ignore it) |
| Man hating | Woman hating |
| acceptable that Woman are in man areas but not reverse (like locker/changing room, toilets, specific in (old) USA) | |
| less valuable (Woman and children first) | |
| In physical altercations is often treated as the primary suspect | |
| get less help than woman (pre-Corona) | |
| Male victim statistics often receive little attention. | |
| Women appear as vulnerable, while men are seen as strong and resilient. |
State/Government
| support for woman facilitation but not for men facilitation | |
| woman parking spots (Europa/Asia)1 | |
| There are quota places for women, but none for men.(Europa/USA) |
Media
| silly (dumb dad trope) | Sexualization |
| Without any problems, one can show nudity. | Showing nudity is rather avoided. (Asia) |
| more focus on woman problems but less focus on men problems |
Statistic
The statistics vary significantly from country to country and are often rather superficial. They should not be trusted blindly, as they do not represent exact records or comprehensive reflections of reality. Moreover, these are more like estimated values and assumptions, so they should not be regarded as absolute truths.
| more homeless | more rape |
| more accidents | |
| more death | |
| more unemployed |