Our Gender roles and its impact on our mental wellbeing



Do Gender Roles Influence Our Psychological Well-being?

Pink and Blue gender reveal decor... Barbies or toy cars... nursing or engineering... gender roles seem to pervade every fabric of our society, and even when times have changed the rigidity of said roles, the weight of different gender roles relentlessly assert their presence. Other researchers in the field of social sciences and behaviour have argued whether nature or nurture influences gender roles, and psychologists have tried to look into their long-term effects on psychological well-being as well as mental health. 

What are Gender Roles?



Most of us will take up multiple social roles throughout our lives- and that doesn't just include our professional roles. In our personal lives, too, we take up the responsibilities of being a child, friend, partner, parent, and an individual beyond being a student or job-specific roles we take up. When we dive into these roles in our lives, it is hard to ignore the differences in the societal expectations for men and women. Different books or organisations have given their definitions of Gender-based roles, and according to the APA (American Psychological Association), it is 
"a pattern of behaviour, personality traits, attitudes that define gender in a particular culture. It is frequently considered the external manifestation of the internalised gender identity, although the two are not necessarily consistent with one another."

 

Our gender roles could result from the interaction between social expectations, culture, and biology. In the past, gender roles have been considered as prescriptive responsibilities that people in a heteronormative society were expected to take up. With changing times, there are increasing changes in how gender roles are perceived and a general outlook towards dismantling our conformity to these rigid roles. The freedom to express different sexual identities and gender expressions has made it necessary to revisit how gender roles can affect us.

 Some researchers stress the importance of biological sex and hormones as the primary determiners of gender roles they take up in life. According to biological theorists, children may exhibit differences in their engagement in play, socialization, or the activities they gravitate towards. But the proponents of the theories that see gender roles as a result of socialization and upbringing disagree on the degree of influence our biology can have. Theorists examine the influence of parents, family, the role models children have, and the cultural influences on gender-based roles.

What are the Consequences of Gender Roles on our Mental Health?



Gender roles aren't inherently bad; however, rigid gender roles can pressure people to conform to them, take away agency and choice to go against societal expectations, or feel isolated in professional and personal life. Research papers have highlighted the effects these expectations can have on children, teens, and adults; additionally, the papers shed light on how these roles can affect people's values and sense of self.
A 2020 paper mentioned a phenomenon called "felt pressure to conform to gender roles" and focused on children within the 6-12 age group. Children (aged 6-12 years) who experienced "felt pressure" to conform to gender roles from peers were likely to agree with sexist comments towards another child, and when the "felt pressure" came from parents, they were less likely to make sexist remarks towards other children. Sexism, additionally, is rooted in prejudice and might affect how people connect with others and the professional and personal decisions they make in life. Gender-based stereotypes can have a negative impact and lead to discrimination in both professional and personal life. 

In India (and many other parts of the world), mental health is one of the biggest causes of death, and papers have also been brought to light that certain masculine gender norms could lead to lower chances of seeking help.  In another paper, specific masculine traits, such as "winning" and striving for success or power, were associated with positive outcomes and "help-seeking behavior," including less substance use and greater use of resources like health services and proper nutrition.

There are some positives to feminine gender norms, including behaviors such as help-seeking and reaching out to others for help. But feminine gender roles can also create societal pressures for women to prioritize caregiving roles or follow social norms of maintaining a perfect home. 

In current times, it can cause major conflicts because career goals, professional expectations, and migration due to job can make gender roles ambiguous or put too much pressure on one person to take all the responsibilities in their professional and personal lives.

 Traits like self-reliance, power over women, and playboy were robustly related to unfavourable mental health outcomes. But conformity to masculine norms was related to negative social functioning, not to poor mental health.

Conclusion

 Gender roles have existed from time immemorial, and it is important to do more nuanced research on how they impact our lives- not only to understand their unhealthy impact on society, but to also see how gender roles can be modified to positively contribute to finding individualized interventions in mental healthcare. Not to mention, extensive research can also help understand the effects of gender roles on non-binary individuals and people on different spectrums of gender and sexual identities. 



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