Gender Roles
Social expectations about how men and women behave
What are gender roles?
Cleaning, cooking or taking care of children?
What are traditional female household tasks?
STEM fields like engineering and computer science.
What fields are men overrepresented in?
Men and women often work in different kinds of jobs.
How can income create power imbalance?
More women are entering non-traditional careers today.
How are gender roles changing in modern society?
Traditionally the person whom makes the most money
What is the breadwinner role?
Around 60% of men reportedly did no housework in one study.
What percentage of men did no housework?
Between years 2 and 5 after graduation.
When does the graduate earnings gap begin to grow?
The person earning more money may have greater influence in decisions.
How can income create power imbalance?
Construction, trades, or engineering.
What are examples of non-traditional jobs for women?
Cooking Cleaning and Childcare
What is unpaid domestic labor?
One partner may feel overwhelmed or treated unfairly.
Why can unequal household labour create tension?
Skills, education, and experience that help someone earn income.
What is human capital?
The dot-com boom increased demand for computer science and engineering jobs.
What economic shift benefited male-dominated careers?
Women still perform most unpaid household labour despite working jobs.
Why has true equality not yet been achieved?
Culture, tradition and stereotypes keep those roles alive
Why do Gender roles exist?
Time fathers take off work after the birth of a child to help care for the baby.
What is parental leave?
The partner with the higher-paying degree may gain more decision-making power.
How can education affect power in relationships?
Fewer women enter some high-paying STEM careers due to social and structural barriers.
Why are women underrepresented in some high-paying fields?
Policies like parental leave and equal pay laws can improve gender equality.
How can governments help reduce gender inequality?
When Women work paid jobs and do most household labor too
What is the double burden?
Men are becoming more involved in childcare and household work than before.
How has household labor changed overtime?
Many mothers reduce work hours to handle childcare and domestic work.
Why do mothers often earn less after parenthood?
Cultural expectations and traditional gender roles continue to reinforce inequality.
How do societal norms reinforce gender inequality?
Equal sharing of household responsibilities, opportunities, and decision-making.
What would true gender equality look like?