When you are born into this world, your culture has already defined for you what it means to be male or female. You may not realize that until later in life, but even from birth, there is a set of social rules that dictate who you can be and how you should behave based on your assigned sex. These are called "gender roles," and they include things like what colors you're allowed to wear, what jobs you might pursue, and whether or not you should be expected to do certain tasks around the house. Your gender role is also likely influenced by your family and community - if everyone else expects men to provide for their families while women stay home and care for the children, then that becomes part of your identity too.
As you grow up, these expectations start to shape the way you interact with others and form relationships.
Many people believe that men should initiate sexual encounters while women should hold back until they feel comfortable with the situation. But where does that belief come from? It comes from cultural myths about gendered sexual roles. The idea that men are always aggressive and sexually driven while women need to be coy and modest stems from long-held beliefs about masculinity and femininity.
These myths become internalized as we learn them throughout our lives. We see them play out in movies, TV shows, advertisements, and other media, and we begin to think that these ideas are natural and normal. As we get older, we start to act out these roles in our own relationships. If someone doesn't live up to their gender role (for example, if a man asks for consent before initiating sex), it may seem strange or uncomfortable because it goes against everything we've been taught since childhood. And when two individuals don't fit into traditional gender roles, it can lead to conflict and confusion in their relationship.
The good news is, there are ways to challenge these stereotypes and break free from them! By understanding how they impact us on an individual level and working together to change them at a societal level, we can create more equitable and satisfying relationships for everyone involved.
How do individuals internalize cultural myths about gendered sexual roles, and how do these myths shape relational expectations?
The cultural norms that have been established regarding gender roles are often embedded within us from an early age and continue to influence our thinking as we mature into adults. These social constructs may include ideas such as women should be homemakers while men bring home the bacon or men should be the breadwinner while their wives take care of the children at home.