Women’s Gender Role Development and Family Sanity

Subject Areas : Medical &Health

پروین  Ehteshamzadeh ¹ (Assistant Professor in Psychology in Islamic Azad University (Ahvaz Branch))

Received: 2010-02-21 Accepted : 2010-05-11 Published : 2010-03-21

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Abstract :

 Due to traditional socially constructed beliefs about gender role models and its insidious impact on public attitudes and acceptations, instrumental behavior (dominant, assertive, independent, and competitive) is being associated with men while expressive behavior (kind, nurturing, cooperative, sensitive to others’ needs) considered as femininity. Accumulated prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping caused the superior and inferior gender/ social role attributing and assigning to male and female respectively. Such sex inequalities lead to unfair behavior increasing akin to domestic violence, pushing back women from social practices, destroying their self confidence and so on. While evidences indicate role shifting to more masculine in women than men in changing their traditional role; women benefit some of the positive achievements such as relatively promoted social rights, strengthening economic empowerment, higher educations and self assertiveness increment. However the family suffering from couple’s infrequent home co-presence, home power disputes, single parent family, high risk sexual behaviors as the negative effects of the gender role development. This paper by briefly reviewing such phenomenon; suggested: obeying and comprehensive application of the Islamic original rules (jurisprudence) on gender roles, acceding traditional gender role shifting, more male spouses supporting of women, more precise balanced in-out house tasks management by women themselves; as introducing approaches to eliminate negative consequences of gender role shifting and to sustain family sanity and healthy mentality as well.