The Bubble Of Gender

"I often wondered why my brother didn’t play with dolls ".When he went to the football field, how were there red bruises on his face .Why did we never fight over makeup .How did he always know he would become an engineer.

Amidst many pertinent topics like climate change, racism, sexism, homophobia etc; Gender is a subject climbing its way to prominence as well. There is a subtle process of socialization within the society that defines men.

Images of men have always dangled between extreme forms ;from a misogynist male chauvinist to a smart ,successful ,well built superhero .They are either portrayed as brutal husbands beating their wives or a charming prince riding on a horse to rescue their princess .The roots go much deeper than stories and movies but the way they are raised .Phrases like “boys will be boys”, “big boys don’t cry” and “ be a man” have connotations that guide them to act in a specified manner .It dictates their attire ,their professions and also their emotions .If a boy is not a sports devotee there are high chances that he would be socially ostracized .Moreover paternity leaves are a rare phenomena for men who are going to be fathers .Househusbands are often labeled as henpecked or losers escaping from work .Bullying and physical abuse are prevalent in the male world.

These social issues are garbed behind men ashamed of expressing their emotions or shedding tears in public.

The expectations from them needs to rise above being a financial provider or protector of the house.It’s important to acknowledge that there are men who look for meaningful relationships of raising their children or doing household chores.The expectations from them needs to rise above being a financial provider or protector of the house.It’s important to acknowledge that there are men who look for meaningful relationships of raising their children or doing household chores.

Modern day feminists are taking into account the problems of men as well as women.This shows how we are growng as a society.Patriarchy as a system is not only ingrained in men but women as well.Paternalism is also one of its aspects.This socializes men in a manner where they tend to believe that protecting women is their responsibility.They tend to make decisions for women and keep them within the domestic sphere .This is where they need to unlearn these traditional ideas and bring a change at the grassroot level.We se a lot theoretical content on equality between genders .However the day to day phenomena hasn’t been able to keep up with it.Although these changes do not occur overnight but there has to be conscious efforts to practice them.