Social the income, while the mothers worked around the

Social and cultural factors are some of
the many things that influence gender roles throughout society. According to the
text “Marriage and Family” gender roles is defined as the characteristics,
attitudes, and behaviors that society expects of males and females (Schwartz
128). Gender roles are portrayed in many ways through television shows, movies,
song lyrics, and even in family life. As people grow up they learn at an early
age through others about the way they should act and what they should be doing
in life based on their sex. While many people have moved away from the
traditional gender roles, there is still no equal balance between men and
women’s roles in modern society.  

First, when growing up every child thinks
about what they want their dream job to be. Many girls go down the path of
becoming teachers, nurses, or even being a stay at home wife. While most boys
dream about becoming a firefighter, policeman, or becoming a business man. These
career paths are learned through family and social factors based on their
gender stereotype. Gender stereotype is the expectations about how people will
look, act, think, and feel based on their sex (Schwartz 127). Occupation gender
stereotypes about men and women are based on the strengths and skills each sex
has to offer to the job (Barth). According to Pauline Lovingood “while gender
distribution in certain jobs is slowly changing, traditional gender roles run
deep in the work force” (Lovingood). Even though today, many men and women have
moved away toward having a career in their gender stereotypical job, both men
and women get over looked in the job process because jobs try to pick based on
who they think will be an asset to the company. Many masculine stereotyped
companies do not want women working for them even though she may have the
qualifications the people picking may think a male would be viewed as a better

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Throughout history men were the ones that
went off to work and brought in the income, while the mothers worked around the
house all day. Not only did the women clean around the house, and cook meals
they were also responsible for taking care of the children. Even though today
many women now have jobs, they often get stuck with the responsibility of the
“second shift” when they get home. Although times have changed, today “…women
are generally responsible for daily routine tasks such as cooking and laundry,
whereas men are more likely to perform infrequent household maintenance chores”
(Forste). Back in the day men expected to come home to a clean house and a home
cooked meal ready on the table. While most men would like that, today men
generally help around the house with chores and cooking a meal for the family. Since
we are used to the way things are today, it would most likely be strange to
live they way people used to, especially with this ideology of expectations
between couples today.

growing up girls and boys are brought up to have different social behaviors.
This is the difference in how girls and boys should act, feel, and express
their emotions. Girls are viewed to be gentle, passive, emotional, dependent,
patient and communicative, while boys should be tough, independent, powerful,
inexpressive and straightforward (Lovingood). When children are young girls and
boys have different socialization patterns. Girls tend to keep to themselves
and a few others where they form a close relationship to each other. On the
other hand, boy’s hangout with a large group of others who share similar
interests. Within this group they like to be loud, get into trouble, and
establish hierarchy over the girls (Mazarin).