Gender Expectations

 Gender norms go back a long way. Before men were seen as the ones who had to work and women had to stay home taking care of the children. Today the things that are expected of them are different than they were years back. They can get the same jobs as men and they also have the same rights as men. It was thought that men were superior to women however there are still people who think that women should obey everything a man says. You see in the news domestic disputes where a boyfriend or husband beat their girlfriend or wife. I personally witnessed a couple in my high school arguing and the guy ended up slapping his girlfriend and got taken away by a security guard. In a non violent way this happens with little kids.

           When I was younger and went to elementary school, there was always the occasional gender argument between the boys and the girls. Most boys used to think that all males were stronger, faster, smarter and basically just better at everything. I’ve seen some girls do it also however it wasn’t as often like the boys. For some reason I used to think that boys were smarter than girls. I was in either Kindergarten or the first grade when kids said things like that. It wasn’t said in an aggressive way but rather they argued playfully. For example when it was recess and a group of boys were playing the game “tag” and girls wanted to join in, the boys would say things like “girls can’t play because boys are faster. This would continue into little arguments and then races to see who is faster and they’d end up playing together without realizing it.

           I guess young kids get these thoughts from television or they learn it from someone or its part of nature and its just a phase in life. I noticed that today these things don’t happen anymore. My little brother for example when he started school he had friends of both genders. Of course there are always exceptions. My little cousin in second grade thinks that girls are weaker than boys. For example when he is playing a video game where you could choose from female or male characters he always picks the males. I ask him why and he tells me in a childish voice that its because girls are weaker than boys. He is starting to let that idea go and I’m glad because it was really annoying when it came to playing with others.