Gender roles can be defined as the behaviors and attitudes expected of male and female members of a society by that society. Different cultures impose different expectations upon the men and women who live in that culture. We are taught by our families, peers, and media what roles we are to play as a male or female from birth. In the United States, there have been many changes to our traditional gender roles even in the last decade. Now there are more women working outside of home and more men staying at home to care for their children.

A child's earliest exposure to what it means to be male or female comes from their parents or caretakers. From the time their children are babies, parents treat sons and daughters differently, dressing infants in gender-specific colors, giving gender-differentiated toys, and expecting different behavior from boys and girls. (Witt, 1997)

Little girls are expected to play with dolls and little boys are expected to play with trucks. Girls are......

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Title: Gender Roles
Approximate Word Count: 546
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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