Double Standards And Gender Roles In Today’s Modern Society

We’re in the 21st century and I think it’s safe to say that the gender role argument has many opposing sides. Women have begun to take the lead while most men can’t handle the pressure of being in charge anymore. Well, here’s my take on gender roles and the double standards that come with them.

Women are incapable of making decisions because they’re naturally emotional beings.

Decades ago, women had to fight for equal rights in the workforce because women were supposed to be housewives and housewives only. America has been run by men for decades. Today, women are in more leadership positions than ever before, making important decisions. Why was this something women had to fight for in the first place? Because men think women are emotional creatures who aren’t capable of making high-level decisions. We may as well be monkeys, right?

In my opinion, women are better decision-makers because of their emotional capabilities. To make certain decisions, you must be able to separate your heart from your head. Which is something highly intelligent men and women are both capable of doing. After all, God chose women to create life and that alone says a lot.

Men can’t show emotions because it makes them look weak.

Most men may not agree because of how society may view them, but vulnerability is a great characteristic to possess. In fact, vulnerability makes you a great leader. It is a way to form trust and without trust, as a leader, you won’t have many followers. When a man shows vulnerability, it means he is emotionally intelligent. If you have a conversation with a man about vulnerability, he’ll talk about how he doesn’t show any emotion because he grew up being told that it was a form of weakness–that men should not be weak.

When they conform to it, that is what we like to call toxic masculinity and it is sad that our parents have instilled this in them. Toxic masculinity affects everyone, whether they know it or not. Men should instead choose to heal from this ideology, so their children aren’t affected. They also need to hear that their feelings matter and that it is not healthy to hold them back. As an adult, you’re totally in control of how you choose to live your life despite how you were taught to live it. Men must learn the art of healing, and fully live the way they want to live regardless of how society views them. The idea is to let go of double standards and gender roles are what’s setting the double standards in place.

Men pay for the household, while Women take care of it.

Now that we’re in 2021 (as I’m writing this, there are 24 days until 2022), I think it’s safe to say that my generation has started putting an end to gender role stereotypes. Women are making their own money which doesn’t leave much room for a man to be in charge. Now, there is nothing wrong with this but a lot of people that follow this structure, don’t follow the bible. According to the bible, the husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. My generation no longer conforms to the roles that were set for them. According to Glocalilties.com‘s Meet Gen z article, gender role flexibility could mean that boys are allowed to be emotional and girls are allowed to be strong, breaking ‘traditional’ role patterns–redefining gender roles and challenging patriarchy.

Recently, a picture of a little boy with a kitchen set went viral. It caused some outrage because most believe the notion that only women belong in the kitchen. What most people don’t realize is that cooking, cleaning, and household chores are basic life skills. What if you don’t have a woman in your life for a certain amount of time? You won’t cook, clean your house, or do your laundry? Life skills should not belong to a specific gender. If my son had a dream of becoming a chef and wanted a kitchen set, I’d buy him a kitchen set. At least he’ll have a dream and that’s all that matters. It is only your duty to support that dream, not take it away from him.

Sexual liberation for men and women isn’t the same thing.

According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, sexual liberation is defined as “the state of being free from sexual mores or inhibitions that are considered restrictive.” No specific gender is pointed at in that definition. If a woman is sexually liberated, she’s frowned upon. If a man is sexually liberated, he is praised. I do believe that you have to have a certain mindset to be a sexually liberated woman. You have to be confident and not have a care in the world what anyone thinks. Not everyone is capable of this. Some people see it as freedom; to be able to express themselves through physical contact with another person.

There’s this myth that women can’t have casual sex because they’re not able to separate their feelings from the situation. Although this can depend on the person, I’m here to tell you that men can’t do it either. If you’re a human with feelings it can be hard for anyone. People need to throw away the myth that men can easily deceive their feelings without remorse when they hurt just like any human would. Is it a bad thing to want to satisfy your needs without any attachment? A friend once told me that individuals who can achieve a casual sexationship are empty souls, some say they are mentally strong and free-willing. Perceptions and experiences are key factors in these double standards and gender roles.