Why is society so obsessed with maintaining gender roles and controlling sexuality?

Question

To this day these seem to be areas of strong conservatism which can be seen in the reaction toward women and (especially) men who do not conform to their prescribed gender rols, and in the ongoing limitation on the rights of Lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Why does this obsession of maintaining the 'status quo' persist, when freeing society up around LGBTI issues does not limit the rights of anyone?

Answer 1

In some ways, gender roles are functional in society. During the early ages when there are no formal education or other methods by which we can stratify society, social tasks are divided between sex and age.

Now that our civilization has evolve into what it is now, we do not really need to maintain the status quo because our society can now function regardless of sex of the players in the society. But it does persist regardless of our need for it. Perhaps because of the media or perhaps because of our parents.

Nonetheless, again in some ways, gender roles can still sometimes prove to be functional. You would not agree to a teenager flying the plane you are on, would you? No matter how much I try, I can't squeeze milk out of my nipples. But such stratifications based on sex should not put another sex in a disadvantaged position.

Answer 2

I think that the obsession with gender roles comes mainly from people who want to change them. I do not find most people obsessed with it at all, but certain groups will claim they are.

It reminds me of the people who complain that there is not enough sex in our society. I personally wonder if that is just their personal problems being projected on the rest of us. I personally haven't had a problem "finding" sex. I do not understand how much more sexual our society can become? Like the Romans were we meet at a public place and everyone gets it on? That happens on some places anyway for those who are interested. It seems like if we are not at a complete extreme some people are not happy.

Answer 3

Your basic premise, that we have " gender roles ", is flawed. Sexuality is a continuous trait and can be plotted under a normal curve of distribution. The LGBTI plots well into the tail of this distribution, while 70% of people are within one standard deviation of the mean. No one is advocating bias, but what you see as " maintaining the status quo ", is merely the indifference of a great many people to your position. This allows the vehemently opposed to your position free reign. Society is not "obsessed" with anything, as there is no society; just men, women and their families.

Answer 4

That status quo is not everyone, just primarily in the United States, I know of some countries that Gender lines are blurred and whomever makes you happy makes you happy, the terms LGBTI aren't as used as in the US. I think that it has to do with how this country was created, by religion and therefore there are some strong ties back to it, and Religion doesn't have blurry lines, it is MALE or FEMALE, and Straight, or wrong.

Answer 5

human beings might desire to pursue the life they choose for to handbook regardless of gender. specific, society has regularly occurring roles they have accepted over the years for each gender simply by commonality of the previous yet this has no relating despite if or no longer somebody needs to "forged off" their roles. human beings as we communicate have not got set roles that society expects them to fullfill simply by their gender. all human beings is unfastened to pursue the life they choose for. women people who make their way in the international on their very own via having a occupation are not to any extent further or much less powerful than people who choose for to be a spouse and/or mom and stay at abode. acceptance of guy or woman selections is what might desire to be predicted, no longer gender based roles.

Answer 6

For the same reason humans are generally obsessed with prescriptive principles in other areas of life (religion, work, leisure). People are afraid of the Void. They need to believe that life has guidelines one MUST follow because it makes them feel safe. If humans realize that we are the creators of our own reality, it will be a liberating and TERRIFYING experience.

Have you ever been sky-diving?

Same deal.

Some people embrace the feeling. Others do not. Still others will NEVER even attempt to experience it....

Answer 7

As long as people are raising their children into these roles, then it will never change! It's a cycle that will never be broken if people don't make a change. It's no different than racism, sexism, or any other form of discrimination.