The Shifting Landscape: A Study of Gender Norms Past and Present

This essay examines the concept of gender norms, defined as societal expectations of behavior and characteristics assigned to individuals. It highlights the significant differences between gender norms of the past and present, particularly focusing on the 1930s when women were stereotyped as domestic housewives and men as providers. The essay identifies personality traits, domestic behaviors, occupations, and physical appearance as key types of gender stereotypes. It concludes that while past gender norms confined women to domestic roles and men to breadwinning, present-day norms reflect a shift towards women breaking stereotypes and men taking on more diverse roles within the household. The essay references academic works to support its analysis of these evolving societal expectations. The assignment brief discusses problems caused by hyper femininity and hyper masculinity, including relationship issues and the suppression of emotional expression.

GENDER NORMS
IN THE PAST

Introduction
The gender norm can be
defined as the behaviour or
the characteristics that the
society assigns to an
individual. Since , the
gender norms are based on
the expectations of the
society , they are always
evolving . There is a
significant difference
between the gender norms
of past and present (Pearse
& Connell, 2016).

Past Gender Norms
Earlier , during the
1930’s , the women were
stereotyped as domestic
housewife . They were
related to chores of
household (Leskinen,
Rabelo & Cortina, 2015).
In the past , men were
stereotyped as “providers”
and were expected to work
and provide shelter for
food and support .

Types of Gender Stereotypes
The basic type of gender
stereotypes are as follows :
Personality traits
Domestic Behaviours
Occupations
Physical Appearance

Conclusion
The gender norms in the past
were different from the gender
norms at present .Presently ,
the women have broken the past
stereotype, they can do anything
without the help of men . Men
have also broken the stereotype
of provider , they are presently
seen not only as a provider but
also the head of the household .

References
Pearse, R., & Connell, R. (2016). Gender norms and the
economy: Insights from social research. Feminist
Economics, 22(1), 30-53.
Leskinen, E. A., Rabelo, V. C., & Cortina, L. M. (2015).
Gender stereotyping and harassment: A “catch-22”
for women in the workplace. Psychology, Public
Policy, and Law, 21(2), 192.