“Men wear the pants and women wear the pantyhose”. What a strong depiction of what the Canadian society portrays for gender roles. Both males and females play diverse roles in the economy, the community and the family. Across differences of class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, age and religion, one of the few commonalities that men share, as a distinct group, is their gender privilege. It is important for both genders to understand how men and women are affected by gender power structures that are interwoven with other hierarchical structures. There are real differences between men and women, but few people accept the notion that such differences lead to social inequality (Naiman p. 304).
Gender is an aspect of the social identity of men as well as women. Just as there are cultural norms and expectations about women's roles, there are also cultural norms and expectations of men as leaders, husbands, sons and lovers that shape their behaviour and opportunities. Men and women need to be educated about gender issues to understand how they are affected daily. A course in gender inequality is valuable for both genders because there are negative effects for male and female Canadians. Sexual identity; self-esteem and personal fulfillment; and family life and work family stress are three areas where men and women are impacted in a negative way.
First, sexual identity affects women and men negatively in many ways. In different societies there is a culture of silence that surrounds sex that dictates that "good" women are expected to be ignorant about sex and passive in sexual interactions (Dixon p. 272). If a woman “sleeps around” with several men she is declared a whore or a slut, which depicts negativity. Men are considered heroes if they choose to participate in many sexual relations. Some men are not as promiscuous as others and are therefore teased as being gay because they may want to hold off from sexual relations.
Sexual identity refers to how one thinks of oneself in terms of whom they are sexually, and romantically attracted to (Sedgwick p. 98). Society prescribes arbitrary rules that people should be sexually and romantically attracted to members of the opposite gender than their own, and should not be attracted to members of the same gender as one's own. Anyone who does not abide by these arbitrary rules may be targeted for mistreatment ranging from not being included in a circle of friends, through the cold shoulder, or snide remarks based on one's (perceived) sexual identity. For example, in the article “A rite of passage for black men” a policeman teased a black man of being gay by calling him Maureen and giving him female characteristics (Campbell p. 197). Men are stereotyped as being “pansies, or queers” just because they engage in different sexual relations with the same sex. This stereotypical view is degrading to men and often embarrassing. As a result, some men are forced to repress their sexuality because they fear feeling inadequate.
Second, both genders can be affected negatively through their own self-esteem and personal fulfillment. Women are often seen as “prizes” or “material goods” rather than being seen as human beings. They are expected to have a small, petite figure. Through the media women are influenced to be thin and watch their weight to maintain a healthy appearance, while men are encouraged to gain strength and muscle. For example the new show “Are You Hot?” cuts up attractive, thin, muscular people just to gain ratings. One of the judges on the show pointed out that a very thin, young woman had stretch marks. These stereotypes affect each gender negatively because they are expected to look a certain way and fit a particular profile that really is just a fallacy. This places stress on men to be powerful and heroic when many men do not necessarily feel as though they are in power. As a result, men are often left feeling powerless.
The male gender has been known to repress much of their emotion to live up to the strong image society portrays. “Real men do not feel fear, sadness, or much of any other emotion” (Levant with Kopecky p. 14). This stereotypical statement demonstrates that men are forced to remain tough and hold in emotion. Women rather, are viewed as being extremely emotional and are expected to shed tears as a release of emotion (Brown, p. 16). Men are now just realizing that is it okay to feel emotion. They are at a turning point where they are beginning to understand how to deal with their emotions.
Third, family life stress affects men and women negatively. Women are most commonly considered the one’s who cook, clean and take care of the children, however they are not recognized as a member of society. They work so hard tending to their families needs that eventually they start feeling selfless because they are receiving nothing in return (Zeidenstein and Moore p. 212). They are often the most likely to have the double burden where they are doing two jobs. “Women have taken on men’s roles” is a quote that states how women’s roles have been changing (Globe and Mail p.8). The advances women have undergone in Canada since the last war is currently under attack as a result of globalization and neo-liberal government policies. More and more people are facing a “work family crunch” (Naiman, p. 305).
Although women are now working, they are also working at home which limits them from having time to themselves. While women are at home working rather than out in the workforce, men are working longer hours to ensure that they are putting bread on the table each day. Men typically have a higher status than women. While this higher status gives men more power than women, most men have little structural power. The real power holders are those who own and control the means of production (Naiman, p. 30). Men also have an enormous responsibility of being the breadwinner and there is pressure to “bring home the bacon”. Longer work hours leads to less time with the family and when there is time, men are too tired to play (CIDA Website). There is also a men’s version of the double burden. “The total time invested in work outside the home and family care by employed men and women are roughly equal”, communicates that men are also carrying a double burden (Conway, J p. 208). They find it difficult to balance work life and family obligations because they face stronger negative reactions from employers than women face.
In conclusion, gender inequality affects both genders negatively. It would be both beneficial and valuable for men and women to take a course focused on gender inequalities to help them understand that there are issues involved in sexual identity; self esteem/personal fulfillment and; family life and stress. Within every society gender is a socially constructed term and society is no exception. Gender is different from sex, which is biologically determined. Gender is socially constructed to make clear distinctions between the two sexes, to give them gender roles, and to define their characteristics. For example, the "feminine" is usually characterized by delicacy, sensitivity, innocence, compassion, and care for others. The "masculine," however, is characterized by strength, aggressiveness, independence, intelligence, and hard work. These differences affect both gender divisions in negative ways. It is time society starts shifting the thought that men only “wear the pants”, because women tend to put them on as well! Men need to be educated in these issues to start striving for gender equality.
Additional Sources
CIDA, CIDA's Policy on Gender Equality. CIDA, 1999.
Brown, Colin. 1999. “Issues in Gender Equality Vs. Inequality.” London: Oxford. Pg. 226–230.
Dixon Mueller, R. 1993. "The sexuality connection in reproductive health." Studies in Family Planning 24(5): 269-282.
Sedgwick, E.K., 1995, 'Gosh, Boy George, You Must Be Awfully Secure in Your Masculinity' in M. Berger, B. Wallis and S. Watson (Editors) Constructing Masculinity, New York and London: Routledge
Zeidenstein, S. and K. Moore, eds. 1996. Learning about Sexuality: A Practical Beginning. New York: Population Council.
Articles from Text
Campbell, G. “A rite of passage for black men.” Toronto Star, February 7, 2001
Conway, J. “The Double Burden: Men’s Version.” From the Canadian Family in Crisis, 3rd Edition, Lormier, 1998
Levant, R. with G. Kopecky. “Masculinity at the Turning Point.” From Masculinity Reconstructed: Changing the Rules of Manhood, Penguin, 1995.
Naiman, J. “Gender Inequality.” From How Societies Work: Class, Power, and Change in a Canadian Context, 2nd edition, Irwin, 2000.
“The Stress In Women’s Lives.” Globe and Mail, September 18, 2000.
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