The role of the sexes is the one of the foundation by which the stakes of societies are developed and also develops the course of civilization that forms an integral part of the society. In a global perspective, the roles played by woman and a man in different societies are subjective to different factors. These factors include the difference in culture, religion, historical beliefs, climate, experiences, region and experiences. Therefore, sex roles can well be described as the responsibility portrayed by a person respective to such factors depending on the living situation. For instance men are involved in physically hard jobs while women are engaged in simple tasks such as taking care of the family.
The movie Paradise Bent: Boys Will Be like Girls in Samoa provides an imminent to how the gender roles can be influenced by cultural differences. The movies illustrate how the Samoan culture has changed the role of sexes. For instance, boys were raised in girls’ context to play an essential domestic role in the community. The Samoan people provide an insight this third gender that they refer to it as a fa’afafines, which is a gender constituted by male homosexuals who form an essential part of the Samoan community. The movie depicts the role of these gender for both male and female and plays an important role in daily chores and providence for the family.
The Fa’afafines gender plays the roles of both men and women such as strenuous and hard work and taking care of the family and other family responsibilities such as laundry and cooking. They are influenced to perform the roles of both men and women because they are men in nature but thinks in the perspective of women. In other words they are physically men but mentally women. This is the main reason that this group is socially accepted and appreciated in Samoan community. They grew up in the household that constituted women and therefore figured women as their role models adapting to their roles and tasks.
The sex roles in both U.S. and Samoa are same in the sense that men are entitle to perform hard tasks in home and away from home while women stays at home to perform simple family responsibilities. However, due to civilization, various regions in United States are characterized by women who prefer to do men tasks rather than staying at home. They have developed skills and knowledge to perform different tasks in various fields such as medicine, industries and engineering among others. The other difference outlined by the movie is the issue of the third gender in the Samoan community. The Fa’afafines is only attracted to normal men but not to each other. In the United State men with such characters are categorized in gay community.
The article, Romney’s case to women fails to convince, provides a platform to develop the contradicting roles of women in the modern society especially in the United States of America. The article illustrates how women have become diversified and civilized to perform the tasks that are meant for men. Women constituted the majority of graduates from college and as a result they have taken the role of being bread winners in various households. However, their earnings are relatively low compare to that of men (Sanchez, 2012). Though they are highly entitled to workforce, they tend to trade off some hours of work to catering family issues such as caring for the elderly and raising their children. This article outlines a different insight of roles of women compared to the Samoan community. The difference is that the Samoan men are the one are involved to perform the roles of both men and women. In this article the women are the one who have taken the roles of men and women, for instance being in workforce and taking care of the family issues.
The other article, Military discharge for homosexuality on rise, shows how homosexual are discriminated in some fields of workforce. Contrary to the Samoan community, people with characteristics of homosexuality are not recognized as straight men and therefore cannot perform tasks that are meant for men. The article shows how the U.S. military discharged about seventeen percent of men with cases of homosexuality (McIntyre, 2001). However, this discharge has created an intense environment of anti-homosexuality, many seeing it as discrimination to particular set of the society. In Samoan society the group with these characteristics is socially appreciated while in the United State they are discriminated. The both articles shows how different roles assigned to particular sex have been influence by change in cultural dynamic. However, to some extent the sharing of these roles is restricted such as in different field as military.
In conclusion, the sources have confirmed that the roles of sexes differ in different communities and are being dictated by the social form. The role of homosexuality and transgender is not equally accepted, for instance the homosexuality traits in United States are highly discriminated while in Samoan community these traits are accepted and appreciated. In a nut shell sex roles in the society are no longer obligation a monopoly for any person. However, in my point of view, should independently determine their role to enhance better living.
Works cited
Jamie McIntyre, Military Discharges for Homosexuality on Rise. CNN Military Affairs Correspondent, June 01, 2001. http://articles.cnn.com/2001-06-01/us/military.homosexuals_1_discharges-gay-soldier-anti-gay-harassment?_s=PM:US
Mary Sanchez, Romney’s Case to Women Fails to Convince. Chicago Tribune News, October 21, 2012 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-21/news/ct-oped-1022-sanchez-20121020_1_romney-and-obama-ann-romney-mitt-romney
