Cultural Perceptions on Gender

CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS ON GENDER

Gender roles are cultural and personal. They determine how males and females should think, speak, dress and interact within context of society. Learning plays a role in the process of shaping gender roles .these gender schemes are deeply embedded cognitive frameworks regarding what defines masculine and feminine. While various socializing agents' parents, peers, teachers, movies, television, music, books, and religion teach and reinforce gender roles throughout the lifespan, parents probably exert the great influence, especially on their very young offspring.

As mentioned previously sociologists know that adults perceive and treat female and male infants differently. Parents probably do this in response to their having been recipients of gender expectations as young children. Traditionally fathers teach boys how to fix and build things. Mothers teach girls how to cook, sew, and keep house. Children then receive parental approval when they confirm to gender expectations and adopt culturally accepted and conventional roles. All of this is reinforced by additional socializing agents, such as the media. In other words learning gender roles always occurs within a social context, the values of the parents and society being passed along the children of successive generations.

Gender roles adopted during childhood normally continue into adulthood. At home people have certain presumptions about decision making, child rearing practices, financial responsibilities and so forth. At work people also have presumptions about power, the division of labor, and organizational structures. None of this is meant to imply that gender roles, in and of them, is good or bad. They merely exist. Gender roles are realities in almost everyone's life.

A persons gender role is composed of several elements and can expressed through clothing, behavior, choice of work, personal relationships and other factors. These elements are not concrete and have evolved through time. Traditionally only feminine and masculine gender roles are existed. However over time many different acceptable male or female gender roles have emerged. An individual can either identify themselves with a subculture or social groups which results in them having diverse gender roles.

SOCIETY AND GENDER ROLES

Gender does not exist naturally but rather involves socialization and learned ideals and behaviors. Each individual becomes accustomed to their gender roles based upon expectations of society regarding what is and is not acceptable or proper behavior of men and women. Those within our social circle, family, friends, teachers, religious organizations, and even the media, all contribute to the social process of accepting ones gender roles within society. Especially in today's society both men and women are restricted in terms of their gender and how they can act without being judged or ridiculed.

In terms of expressing emotions for example men are very restricted. Men are taught that they must be strong and show no fear or sadness. Therefore when a man happens to be sensitive and they show this emotion by crying, they are immediately judged and presumed to be gay and week. However when it comes to a women who cries all the time about everything, it is considered normal, because women are supposed to be sensitive and nurturing. Boys are given certain guidelines to follow in regards to what toys to play with the manner in which to play with those toys. It is acceptable for boys to play pretend that ultimately any object is a weapon, but it is not acceptable for a boy to want to play with doll.

Women are restricted in terms of the activities they can participate in and also the jobs that they can have. Women who enjoy playing sports or enjoy outdoor activities are labeled "unladylike" and are called tomboys. This label takes away from a women's femininity and makes many women feel uncomfortable participating in such activities. In this sense women are much more restricted. The length of the restriction of women throughout the lifetime is much longer than mans childhood.

CULTURE

Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, moral, law, custom and other capabilities acquire by a man as a member of a society. It shapes the way things done. it includes not only art and music but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs. Expectations about attributes and behaviors appropriate to women or men and about the relations between men and women in other words gender are shaped by culture. Gender identities and gender relations are critical aspects of culture because they shape the way daily life is lived in the family, but also in the wider community and the workplace.

Culture definitely aids in the determination of gender roles. Socialization in all cultures is directly linked to the final product of a human being. Culture dictates a very young age, how boys and girls are supposed to act, feel and respond to certain situations. Boys and girls are separated by gender at birth. Boys are wrapped in blue blankets and girls in pink. Before a child is born everyone close to the family wants to know what the child will be, so they will know what to purchase. This is very common practice throughout our society.

Boys are taught to be play with trucks, trains swords and guns. These items aid in defining masculinity. Girls on the other hand are taught to play with dolls. These factors lead to identify gender roles in society. Anything that deviates from this is considered somewhat abnormal. Certain items labeled as household chores are also fitted into this formula. Boys mow grass, takeout the trash and most of what is determined to be men's work. Girls are expected to wash dishes, mop floor, and wash laundry and other feminine chores. Our society has been numerous changes in these roles yet our culture has dictated these changes and made them acceptable.

GENDER ROLE IN SRILANKA

Women are responsible for cooking, raising children, and taking care of house work. In families relying on agriculture women in charge of weeding and helping with the harvest and among poor families women also perform full time for the more well to do. The men's job is to protect and children and provide them with material support. And in this role men dominate all aspects of business and public life. At the centre of the system are children who mix freely until puberty and receive a great deal of affection from both sexes. As they enter their teens, children begin to adopt the adult roles that will keep them in separate worlds. Girls help with household chores and boys work outside from the home.

Among the middle