Gender Roles: Overview

A gender role is the set of functions and attributes that a society considers to be appropriate for a person of a particular gender to perform. A gender role may best be explained by using the metaphor of a stage play. People express their gender, whether the gender is freely chosen or imposed by society, in the particular part they play in their society. One’s gender role comprises a variety of components that are manifested through one’s interpersonal relationships, dress, occupation, and behavior. However, gender roles in society are extremely complex and involve many interrelated expectations for personal and collective behavior in all areas of life and have wide-reaching effects on the individual and society.

Gender roles are understood by some as largely socially constructed, without ...