I am currently in a class that is focused on multiculturalism, specifically how it affects communication. Because gender is considered a culture, our class discussions typically result in some conversation about gender roles. To my surprise, one of my classmates said that our generation has not been exposed to gender roles. I do not know if he thinks this because he is a white, cisgender man, or if he really did not grow up with gender roles. Either way, it is not good to make a blanket statement about culture. My experience growing up was much different because I grew up with strict gender roles.
Every night, without fail, I was asked to clean up the kitchen after. It became a routine of mine. However, one day, I realized that if I was not asked to clean up the kitchen, one of my sisters had to do it. My two brothers would be allowed to go play video games or play outside. I was told that boys do not clean up, girls do. This was applied to almost every household chore. The girls would do the cleaning, and the boys would either play or do more “masculine” jobs, like fixing something that was broken.
My sisters and I were often judged by what we wanted to wear. One time, my dad asked me if I thought my shirt’s neckline was too low. I responded that I did not thinks so, but I was told to go change. Not that it really matters, but the neckline stopped about half way down my sternum. Similarly, I was not allowed to wear leggings because they showed too much of my butt.
While I was pressured to fit into these gender roles, my male family members were as well. My little brother was not allowed to play Barbie’s with us because that was only for girls. He was not allowed to wear pink because it made him look “too feminine.” My male cousin was not allowed to join a ballet class because ballet is only for girls. If he was going to dance, he could only do hip-hop.
From my experiences, gender roles were prevalent when I was a kid, and they still are today. They affect every person on this planet, and being able to identify them is key to stopping them. I know I will not raise any child like this, and I certainly will not treat my peers any different based on their gender alone.