Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Learning ObjectivesAfter this lesson, students will be able to:

• Distinguish the roles of men and women assumed in societies.• Discuss how stereotypes about genders have changed over the years.• Infer changes men and women will make in the society in various occupations.• Recognize vocabulary words related to gender.• Formulate sentences using either of and neither of to talk about gender expectations.• Analyze the meaning of idiomatic expressions as used in context.

Learning Objectives 2

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Warm Up 3

1. WARM UPa. Who do you think has life easier, girls or guys? Why?b. What do women dislike about men and vice versa?c. Do you think it’s fair for there to be different laws for men and women?d. Are gender roles changing in your society? How?

“Achieving gender equality requires the

engagement of women and men, girls and

boys. It is everyone’s responsibility.”— Ban Ki-Moon

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Introduction 4

Source: Gender Identity & Roles | Feminine Traits & Stereotypes (plannedparenthood.org)

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Gender roles in society means how we’re expectedto act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct ourselves basedupon our assigned sex. For example, girls and women aregenerally expected to dress in typically feminine ways andbe polite, accommodating, and nurturing. Men aregenerally expected to be strong, aggressive, and bold.

Every society, ethnic group, and culture has gender role expectations, but they canbe very different from group to group. They can also change in the same society overtime. For example, pink used to be considered a masculine color in the U.S. whileblue was considered feminine.

Four Basic Types of Gender Stereotypes 5

Source: Gender Identity & Roles | Feminine Traits & Stereotypes (plannedparenthood.org)

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

1. Personality traits — For example, women are often expected to be passive andsubmissive, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive.

2. Domestic behaviors — For example, caring for children is often considered best doneby women, while household repairs are often considered best done by men.

3. Occupations — For example, until very recently most nurses and secretaries wereusually women, and most doctors and construction workers were usually men.

4. Physical appearance — For example, women are expected to be small and graceful,while men are expected to be tall and broad-shouldered.

Do you think gender stereotypes has changed over the years? Why or Why not?

Four Basic Types of Gender Stereotypes

1 2 4

6

Think of what changes men and women will make in the society in following occupations:

Politician Police Officer

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Discussion Points

3

75 8

6

Medical PractitionerMilitary General

City Planner EngineerTaxi Driver CEO

Pre-Reading Activity 7

Match the words with the correct meaning.

a. call signb. milestonec. remedyd. ought toe. trivialf. sexistg. curriculah. perpetuatei. deal with somethingj. third-partyk. laterallyl. join forces

1. a study of the structure or internal workings of something2. ruling or dominant in a political or social context.3. set a limit on what one is willing to do or accept, beyond which one will not go.4. a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.5. obey something | comply with rules, standards, or laws.6. separate it into smaller parts in order to make it easier to understand or deal with7. appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities of an

issue; superficial.8. difficult to perceive clearly or understand and explain precisely; indistinct or vague.9. able to function independently of other people or things; to have value independent

of other related entities.10. relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress.11.voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up.12.abstain from or rid the body of toxic or unhealthy substances.13.point in your life when you realize that everything or everyone around you is unreal

and/or meaningless

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Reading Exercise 8

Girls' self-esteem, ambition and expectations are the first victims of gender stereotypes. Therefore, eradicating clichés and their associatedbehaviors should be a priority for any society and should begin in schools. Some initiatives advocate introducing female role models into theclassroom as a first step.6 years old, the Seagull — that was her call sign during the flight — made history and became a symbol of equality between men and women.During the 70 hours and 50 minutes she was away from Earth she circled the planet 48 times. Nothing more and nothing less. Who saidimpossible?56 years have passed since the Tereshkova milestone, but even today if someone reads astronaut, architect, engineer or pilot it is more thanlikely that in their head they see a man. The reaction is somewhat involuntary because that is the image commonly accepted by society.Besides, the statistics support that assumption. In the case of airline pilots, for example, only 3% of the world's pilots are women. Perhaps weneed to look for the reason behind this in order to remedy it.WHAT IS A GENDER STEREOTYPE AND WHAT CONSEQUENCES DOES IT HAVE?According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), a gender stereotype "is a generalized view or preconceptionabout attributes, or characteristics that are or ought to be possessed by women and men or the roles that are or should be performed by menand women". A gender stereotype is therefore harmful when it limits the capacity of women and men to develop their personal attributes orprofessional skills and to take decisions about their lives and plans.THE SOLUTION LIES IN EDUCATION1. Be aware of sexism2. Deal with the issue of equality without complexes.3. Join forces for equal education.4. Think laterally.

Read the full article here: https://www.iberdrola.com/social-commitment/gender-stereotypes-women

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Ending Stereotypes Begins in the Classroom

FEMALE ROLE MODELS TO PREVENT DISCRIMINATIONThe organization Inspiring Girls, which was founded in the UK and is alreadypresent in nine other countries, says it is possible to erase these stereotypesfrom our minds.

9Reading Comprehension

A. How does a person’s gender impacthow other people perceives his/herabilities and overall personality?

B. In your opinion, what’s so bad abouttraditional gender norms?

C. Do you think an individual’s gendercan limit a person's abilities andmotivation? If so, how?

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

1. How did Valentina Tereshkova make history in astronomy?2. What are impacts of gender stereotypes?3. What specific ways were mentioned by IBERDROLA to avoid

gender stereotypes in school? Refer to the infographic below thearticle.

4. Who are Miriam Gonzalez and Lina Gálvez?5. Abridge the goal of the organization Inspiring Girls.

ReadingComprehension

Free Response

Discussion Points 10

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Diversity of Human Sexuality and Sexual Orientation

Breaking the Binary

Biological Sex

GenderIdentity

Gender Expression

Sexual Orientation

Organs,hormones and chromosomes

How you think about yourself

How you demonstrate your gender

Physical and emotionalattraction

Male

Female

Man-ness

Woman-ness

Masculine

Feminine

Male, Female,

Man-ness,

Woman-ness,

Masculine,

Feminine

attracted to

References: The Genderbread Person 3.0 | Public Health PostExplainer: tackling the stigma and myths around sexuality (theconversation.com)

Listening Activity 11

(Listening 9.1)

Comprehension1. Where is Kadi from?2. What does a western type of family mean?3. Why did Kadi say that women are becoming more masculine?4. According to Kadi, who does the chores and the cleaning?5. What did Kadi say about childcare?6. What are Nannies expected to do?

Gender Roles

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

1. Do you agree with Kadi that women are becoming masculine? If so, do you think this is a good or bad thing?

2. What is the difference between western and eastern men and women?3. What is your opinion about having a nanny to raise a child from a young age?

Discussion

Grammar Focus 12

Either and Neither

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Either is used when referring to a choice between two options.Neither has negative connotations. It means not either. This might sound a touch complicated, but justremember that neither is often defined as none of.Either tends to be used in a positive way, when one option will be chosen. Neither is often used whenboth options are not acceptable.

It is often hard to test yourself on this rule, as the missing wordsentences you will usually be given to practice, can be rightwith either option. However, this will change the meaning.For example:

Either candidate is right for the job.Both candidates are right for the job.

AndNeither candidate is right for the job.Both candidates are wrong for the job.

Language Focus 13

• A good / bad parent• An effective leader• Math Genius• Language Expert• Patience• Repairing broken things• Arts and Crafts• Vices

Use either of and/or neither of to talk about the characteristics of males and females.

Which of the following are often related to one’s gender.

• Mentorship• Social Work• Friendliness• Being emotional• Endurance and Resistance• Vanity• Neatness and cleanliness• Good personality

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Example: Either gender can become an effective leader.Neither of the genders should be referred to as tougher or more resistant than the other.

Idiomatic Expressions 14

Explain the meaning of the expressions in italics.

1. Joe is a self-made man who worked long, hard hours to turn his small business into a large, successful company.

2. Politicians rarely care what the man on the street. The man in the street has little interest in literature.

3. Ruth is a woman of many parts - she’s a loving mother, a successful industry leader, and a great cook.4. She never had any desire to be a kept woman so she worked hard to pursue her career.5. How will the Director cope without his right hand man, who resigned yesterday due to ill health6. If you can’t be faithful to your husband, you’re no better than a woman of ill refute.7. When they sacked him, he simply set up a rival company of her own. You can’t keep a good man

down.8. Janet was the woman of the hour at the office after securing the biggest customer their business had

every had.9. She’s a fine figure of a woman – not like these all skinny models.10.You’re a dead man if you tell anyone what happened here today.

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

Speaking Drill 15

1. What do women tend to be better at than men and vice versa?2. What behaviors are seen as appropriate for men but inappropriate for women and vice

versa?3. Are men and women equal in ability and intelligence? Support your answer.4. What actions are sometimes deemed a sign of weakness for men?5. Are there differences in the ways men and women communicate? Expound.6. How do the friendships between men differ from the friendships between women?7. What professions are more popular with men and women?8. Why are men believed to better leaders than women? Do you agree with this?9. In what ways can women make effective managers and bosses?10. What are the impacts of parents exchanging roles in a family?11. Should boys and girls be brought up differently?12. What are the difference between the expectations of parents from sons and

daughters?

Lesson 9. Gender Roles

The End

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