Is it possible to do this?

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Individuals' interactions with other society members are primarily influenced and shaped by their societal beliefs, values, and practices. Traditional norms, such as gender roles and expectations, affect community members' perceptions and relationships with others. These norms are reinforced by the media, which use their platforms to broadcast content and influence broad communities. Gender role stereotypes, especially regarding women, limit their potential and chances and contribute to gender inequity and discrimination. For example, traditional gender norms can restrict women's access to job options such as in leadership and management or enforce unjustified expectations on young males, leading to feelings of inadequacy. Traditional gender norms can lead to unhealthy behaviors like poor communication, unequal power relationships, and a general lack of support. These issues were exacerbated during the pandemic as movement restrictions forced individuals to spend extended time with family members. I will argue that traditional gender norms create problematic family dynamics and relationship expectations where women are expected to handle all house chores and childcare while men are expected to provide the primary source of income. This can lead to resentment, toxicity, and even violence among family members. In addition, I believe that conventional gender norms restrict personal expression and deter people from discovering their actual selves and passions.

Societal expectations, such as gender roles, greatly influence members' lives and dictate their behaviors. Societal norms are based on different societal beliefs and practices, often varying from one group to another. In most human societies, men have been the dominant and powerful gender throughout history. Men were expected to lead and provide for families, while women were reduced to homemakers. This set a damaging practice that empowered men and limited women's access to economic and educational opportunities. Gender equality advocates, and feminists have fiercely fought for equal gender rights and have made strides in their fight. Their accomplishments include the right to vote, equal pay, and the end of legal discrimination against women. However, despite these advances, gender roles and expectations remain pervasive in many societies and still oppress women. Therefore, there is a need for more action as women are still expected to take on a disproportionate amount of childcare and housework and are vulnerable and subjected to gender-based violence and harassment due to outdated gender role stereotypes.

According to (Lawless, Sarah, et al 2019, par 3), gender norms are informal rules that determine behaviors specific communities consider acceptable for both women and men. The researchers argued that traditional gender norms and relations greatly influenced women's capacity to make independent decisions and pursue their goals more than men in developing economies. The study noted that social expectations limit women's livelihoods while men have access to a broad range of livelihoods. The study participants were coastal communities who relied on fishing and agriculture as the predominant economic activities. Traditional gender roles barred women from engaging in these activities, limiting their ability to uplift themselves. Gender stereotypes make women financially dependent on others, especially men, making them more susceptible to abuse and harassment. This demonstrates the harmful effects of conventional gender roles and gender inequality worldwide.

According to (Lee 2023), the pandemic reinforced traditional gender roles and expectations by punishing would-be-status-quo-breakers because of the threat of Covid. Gender Role Perception: The scholar suggests that traditional gender roles and stereotypes had dwindled out in the pre-pandemic era but became widespread during the pandemic. This shows that gender inequality is not a 20th-century problem, as many people often assume. On the contrary, gender inequality still exists due to prevalent gender roles and stereotypes. These rigid expectations of how men and women influence how women and men behave and interact with one another, even in professional interactions. Thus, this shows that gender inequality is a pervasive issue that can be addressed by eradicating the existing traditional gender roles and expectations.

The media shape the public's perception of gender expectations and roles. A study by (Hu 2019) found that the media's perceptions of gender roles and expectations influence their tolerance and lack of towards homosexuality. The media have access to a massive audience and can use their platforms to pass different agendas to suit a certain narrative. This is especially in authoritarian countries like China, where the government attempts to control all aspects of society. In such cases, the media creates and tailors their content to suit the government's agenda. This demonstrates the potential of the media to challenge gender stereotypes and gender roles and foster more accepting attitudes.

Gender roles and expectations profoundly impact women's lives. Traditional gender roles limit women's potential and make them vulnerable to gender-based violence and harassment. Despite the advances in gender equality in recent years, traditional gender roles are still entrenched in many societies, as illustrated during the Covid-19 pandemic. The media constantly reinforce the norms. Human beings must continue redefining traditional gender roles to create equal and fair societies for all its inhabitants, including women. This includes advocating for fairer representation of gender roles and expectations in media and increased involvement of women in decision-making entities.

Lee, S. Susie, Melody M. Chao, and Hongwei He. "When family interrupted work: The implications of gendered role perception in the face of COVID‐19." Journal of Social Issues (2022).

Lawless, Sarah, et al. "Gender norms and relations: implications for agency in coastal livelihoods." Maritime Studies 18 (2019): 347-358. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40152-019-00147-0

Hu, Kang, and Xinling Li. "The effects of media use and traditional gender role beliefs on tolerance of homosexuality in China." Chinese Sociological Review 51, no. 2 (2019): 147-172.