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Katherine Roldan
Sharon Lim
ENGL 114A
1 December 2015
Gender Roles

Gender roles are constructed by our society who set standards on how males and females
should act. These roles are reinforced by children toys, the media, and peers, leading children
into feeling obligated to behave a certain way in order to be accepted in society. Although we
may not realize the underlying gender roles produced by television, these films have a
tremendous impact on our youth. Some might argue the media has more power over women, but
surprisingly enough, it also has power over men. Both sexes are equally affected with the weight
of gender expectations.
Our society gears a child's gender path before they are even born. Once learning the sex
of the baby, people begin bearing gifts which are either pink for girls or blue for boys. In the
article "Gender Roles and Toys," Mena Gonzalez introduces the importance of how toys
establish a child's gender role. She argues that "children learn roles and skills from playing; the
toys they have to some extent determine which roles and skills they learn"(para 1). Since color
has been associated with gender early on, the child then will feel a need to play with toys which
are also associated with color. For example, toy stores usually contain pink easy bake ovens,
make up sets, barbies wearing a pink outfit, baby strollers etc for girls. While the toys provided
for boys are usually building blocks, trucks, and tool sets. These toys are not only targeting a
specific audience but also sends a message on what skills should be established. By playing with

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doll houses, girls gain nurturing skills and miss out on mathematical skills which boys gain from
not playing with building blocks and vice versa. The enforcement of these skills dont end with
toys, but are later enhanced by media and other merchandise.
The majority of television programs, including the ones geared to children, contain
stereotypes of race and gender. The media has become powerful enough to dominate a child's
imagination. "Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princesses," an article by Dawn Elizabeth
England which focuses on the major gender stereotypes influenced by the media. The author
states "Disney and its princess phenomena have been identified as a powerful influence on
children's media... contributing to a new 'girlhood' that is largely defined by gender" (para 2).
Disney films continue sending old fashioned stereotypical messages to children, which allows
these gender stereotypes to stay strong instead of fading away, and transitioning into a modern
gender establishment. Disney classic's makes little girls believe Prince Charming will soon come
to the rescue, and they will live happily ever after. Not only does the media present unrealistic
messages, but they also give the interpretation of how men have the ultimate power to save the
day and change the women's situation around, in other words rescuing the damsel in distress. The
ultimate goal in these princess movies is for the "pretty" girl to marry Prince Charming. Female
characters are seen as emotional, weak, and usually a housewife whose ideas are not taken quite
seriously by men.
Society has portrayed women as dumb causing men to believe a woman's thoughts are
not important, or as valuable compared to their's. The author from the article "Gender Roles
Portrayal and the Disney Princess," argues there are "numerous examples of both sexism and

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racism in the films, specifically noting the heronies' extremely pale skin tones, small waists,
delicate limbs, and full breasts" (para 9). Disney Movies such as The Little Mermaid, Sleeping
Beauty, and Snow White have princesses who have tiny waists with flawless skins and perfectly
long hair. Princesses are expected to be pretty but are portrayed as fragile, soft, and for the most
part the damsel in distress. The only way these princesses are able to make a difference is
because of their beauty: they use it in order to manipulate what they want. They use their beauty
to get what they want while fat and ugly female characters are almost always the villain. Films
teach children what they should consider to be pretty and ugly while also creating the stereotype
of attractive people being good and ugly people being dangerous.
Although some may claim society only emphasizes on women, men have been forgotten;
men have also been under the media's control. Boys are given a completely different aspect on
how they should carry themselves out to be. Disney movies such as Peter Pan, sends the
message to boys on how girls talk way too much and should be the ones to be nurturing instead
of the other way around. Disney films teaches young boys how a real man should treat a woman.
The male figure in these films are expected to be strong, handsome, wealthy, and the rescuer.
Men are portrayed as always knowing what is best for the women in Disney movies. In the film
The Little Mermaid for example, Ariel's father does not care what his daughter has to say,: all he
wants is for her to obey him. To be possessive over a girl is seen as romantic rather than wrong.
Boys are not given the same message towards marriage as much as being assertive, competitive,
risk takers, and leaders. There are not many movies containing an emotional and awkward male
as the main character, as much as powerful, and wealthy ones.

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Girls are taught at a young age how their appearance will determine her worth to society.
In the article "Gender Roles and the Media," the author indicated how gender roles are created by
the media. He believes "today's standards for female beauty are just a myth created by the media
to control women by forcing them to be obsessed with their bodies"(para 2). In today's society
women are expected to be a size six, which is to be seen as "normal" otherwise they are
considered too big. People are constantly criticized if they look any different from the norm, a
person's appearance is crucial in order to get attention. To be strong, smart, and accomplished is
not enough for a job anymore. In order to be hired, a person should be good looking on top of
being educated. For men, similar conditions apply. Men are expected to look big and muscular in
order to be considered attractive. Being too thin or fat is now categorized as out of the norm by
the media. Men are now under the same pressure, to look a certain way, as women are.
As children grow up, parents unknowingly also contribute to gender roles, not only with
toys but with their own beliefs, which were inflicted on them by family and peers. In the video
"A call to men," speaker Tony Porter opens up about the rules and standards men are raised to
have, leading to disrespecting women. He speaks on how being raised as a boy he was taught to
be tough, strong, and dominating; to show no pain or emotion besides anger. Men are supposed
to be in charge and the leader, while women should not be in charge and just follow. He was
raised to believe women are weak, have less value, are property of men, and are also sexually
objectified. These ideas all go under a category which he calls the "man box," this symbolical
box contains all the standards of what being a man should mean. During his speech, Porter
admits to raising his daughter and son differently. For example, if his daughter cried he would
allow her to sit on his lap and he would comfort her until she was happy again. On the other

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hand, whenever his son cried, he would allow him to cry for about 30 seconds and then begin
with saying "why you crying?, keep your head up, go to your room, get yourself together and
come back to talk to me like a man." The personal stories Porter shares supports the article
"Forcing Kids To Stick To Gender Roles Can Actually Be Harmful To Their Health," the author
Tara Ressler argues "sometimes adults think it's impossible to change gender norms because
they're already so deeply entrenched"(para 12). He associated the mentality he had before to his
father and other boys in which he had grown up with. Porter admits on how men act a certain
way due to a set of rules called the "Man Box." Men are not encouraged to be sensitive because,
they will then be seen as gay, which is associated to a woman's actions. For men, being compared
to women is the greatest insult. Men care more about their own reputation and how they are
perceived as by other men than they do about a woman's safety or feelings.
Forcing down these stereotypes on children causes emotional and physical issues. In the
article "Forcing Kids To Stick To Gender Roles Can Actually Be Harmful To Their Health," Tara
Ressler claims by enforcing gender roles they develop serious mental consequences to their
child. Ressler conducted a study which concluded the "constant effort to manage one's everyday
life in line with gender norms produces significant anxiety, insecurity, stress, and low self-esteem
for both boys and girls"(para 7). Due to symbolical standards known as the "man box" and "girl
code," children are not able to express themselves without being an outcast. In order to fit in they
constantly need to be aware of what is accepted in society. As Ressler indicated, young girls are
falling into the danger of becoming anorexic by skipping meals or putting themselves in diets
due to the belief of desirable woman needing to be skinny. While boys now also have a physical

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trait to compare themselves, the expectation of being buff and muscular has the same effect taken
from girls. By being aware of gender roles and expectations, both males and female feel as if
pleasing their peers is more important acting like themselves. Keeping in their true feeling later
causes anxiety, stress, or depression; society has given gender roles such power, one could even
say gender roles are bullies that never go away.
Just as women are under the impression to have curves, wear make-up, and be the damsel
in distress, men are also under the impression to be strong, courageous, and the leader. Both
sexes are assigned a gender along with strict guidelines and role's to follow in order to be
expected in society. Although both genders have fallen as victims, we should not allow our
society to continue controlling us. Parents should raise their children and teach them a new
definition of manhood, where a men can respect women and have no problem working together
with them as a team. To teach their children girl power, where women can be leaders and not just
wait to be rescued. Letting their children have the opportunity to express their emotions and not
be ashamed of them. Knowing if someone is straight, gay, asexual, etc should not matter and
people's actions should not be associated with these categories. Our society needs to become less
ethnocentric and more open minded on how people chose to express themselves and view their
own beauty and not be obligated into a gender path persuaded by toys, media, and people around
you.

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Works Cited
CulpRessler,Tara."ForcingKidsToStickToGenderRolesCanActuallyBeHarmfulToTheir
Health."ThinkProgressForcingKidsToStickToGenderRolesCanActuallyBe
HarmfulToTheirHealthComments.CenterForAmericanProgressAction
Fund,07Aug.2014.Web.29Oct.2015.
"GenderRolesandtheMedia."InfoRefuge.InfroRefuge,01Aug.2009.Web.29Oct.2015.
England,DawnElizabeth."GenderRolePortrayalandtheDisneyPrincesses."Ethology
115.10(2009):1007.SpringerScience+BusinessMedia,LLC2011.Web.
Gonzalez,Mena."GenderRolesandToys."GenderRolesandToys.Education.com,5
May2014.Web.02Nov.2015.
Porter,Tony."ACalltoMen."TED.TEDConferences,n.d.Web.11Nov.2015.