Gender across Cultures

When we are born we are either biologically a male or female. But what exactly does that mean? Are there certain characteristics, behaviors or attitudes that males should hold up, or certain ones that females should hold up. What determines these characteristics? Culture. It is culture that helps to define what is masculine or feminine, and different cultures may have different ideas of what fits into each category. For example, a culture that lives in harsh environments and depends on hunting may define a masculine trait that is strength, while another culture may not need to depend on strength for survival so the characteristic of strength is not as highly valued to be masculine.  There are also different gender roles across the labour force. Traditional gender role differences began to emerge in the families centuries ago. The notable gender roles include that women were expected to take care of household duties, child rearing and providing a nurturing house. This differs from men, who were expected to join the labour force and provide to the family financially. In the early 20th century it was not of the "norm" for mothers to go out and work, while the men stayed home and cared for the children and house. Thus, began the birth of traditional gender roles. This is what culture created it to be. It’s not what HAS to be done. There are not biological laws that make it impossible for men to care for children or women to work, it’s just what culture has created in the western societies. This point is being made clear now in the present days where the opposite is happening and women are working more and men are caring for the family more. Gender roles are becoming more fluid, because cultures are changing and accepting this new fluidity of gender roles, at least in the western societies that I have witnessed.