- Noneofyour BusinessTed
- Rancho Cordova, CA
- United States
This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
Are gender or behavioral roles important to society?
There are many homosexuals living amongst us and could arise in any family. While it seems obviously unnatural, does this ubiquity mean that we should accept them as just another kind of person as natural as any other? Even if so, what then should their role be? What should our roles be? In some societies that had specific roles for men and for women, people were allowed to choose which role and become that gender behaviorally. I think others had a kind of third gender state. Do we need roles at all and if so, does sex have to be a determiner (or contribute to the determination) of that role? It seems hard to avoid.
Ryan Alexander
This idea of gender roles not only is detrimental to women and homosexuals (who I agree affects way more than I'm about to explain) but it also affects the straight males too. At times when I want to host dinner parties or wear certain articles of clothing there used to be a thought in my head, how will people think of me? This is affecting a straight male. What is it like to be a gay individual or even a women?
As for people of other genders. I watched the video suggested and was absolutely appalled at the comments. I don't understand the logic for certain ideologies and I never will. I don't see the point of rejecting peoples rights to get married. I just don't understand why we are against giving people rights at all. Now if homosexuals were pushing for the government to FORCE churches to marry them I'm against that because it's a private institution. They just want to be recognized by the state and be given the same rights as a heterosexual couple.
As for the argument that it's all of what the majority wants that matters.....well I suggest they understand the statement of tyranny of the majority. That our forefathers were so afraid of. Anyways, no! gender roles DO NOT have a place in society and I hope that one day we can all see our country men as equal and than move to seeing the people of the world in this similar light.
Barry Palmer 50+
"we should accept them as just another kind of person as natural as any other?" Yes. They are just as natural as any other.
"what then should their role be? What should our roles be?" This is really the heart of the issue. IMO, we should all have the right to choose our roles. No need for anyone else to assign them..
"Do we need roles at all and if so, does sex have to be a determiner (or contribute to the determination) of that role?" We do not need sex-determined roles.
It would help here to define the term "role." My American Heritage Dictionary defines it as "2. The characteristic and expected social behavior of an individual."
This dictionary definition is not historically complete. Historically, role meant a predefined set of behaviors associated with a specific attribute of a person. The person's sex determined one set of behaviors, a person's class determined another set of behaviors, a person's age determined another, and so on. "Roles" included prohibited behaviors. For example, mothers stayed home and cared for the kids (and did not work outside the home), while fathers supported the family (and did not take off from work to pick up the children after school). Children should be seen but not heard.
When I suggest that we all choose our roles, this involves a new definition of role. Role becomes a group of behaviors assoctiated with a task or job or occupation. The role of parent necessarily includes caring for children. The role of student usually includes attending classes and doing homework.
Are gender roles important to society? Not any more.
Are behavioral roles important to society? Yes. When a person becomes a parent (or a student, or employee) society will expect her to behave in certain ways, not because of some characteristic she was born with, but because those behaviors are required to properly fulfill the role.