DeGuzman 1

Mark DeGuzman
Professor Ditch
English 113A 3:30PM
6 November 2014
Head Held Up High
During WWII in 1939, a propaganda risen as a women taking the roles of a man at a
military factory making ammunition and weapons. Once the men came home from war, they
asked the women to go back to their maternal duties at home, but refused in doing so. Therefore,
Rosie the Riveter was a symbolic figure during WWII and can be applied today for people with
gender nonconformity. Rosie the Riveter was a woman dressed in a mans working clothes,
portraying that women can do the same masculinity job as men. The picture was a twist on Rosie
the Riveter, who was instead a man in working clothes, wearing a red bandana, a pink glove,
holding a baby, a duster and sweeper. Today, in American society, people who do not conform to
prescribed gender are often discriminated or looked down upon. Social media plays a great social
aspect that men are to be portrayed as violent, insensitive, and aggressive humans, which are all
not. This picture communicates a different meaning to gender stereotypes. Although society has
instructed men to act in a certain way through social media, men can fulfill the duties of a
woman as a stay at home father, resulting in intimate marriage relationships and an influence
in their children lives who look up to an inspirational parental figure.
In American society, there are many gender roles we need to follow for us to be nondiscriminated or looked down upon. We are socially instructed to follow our gender
performances to what society say is appropriate. Social media plays a huge part into mens
gender performances that are often seen as a tough, aggressive, insensitive, and dominant man.

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Seeing different behaviors beyond their roles are perceived as non conformists, which in turn
are treated differently. Men do not have to conform to what society has placed them to be, but
can live and do things that are beyond their gender performances. With that being said, it is
appropriate for men to perform the same gender roles women usually do at home. In Judith
Lorbers article, Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender, states that Gendered
roles change today fathers are taking care of little children, girls and boys are wearing unisex
clothing and getting the same education, women and men are working at the same jobs (Lorber
21). Although society has socially has instructed us to act in a specific way, gendered roles do
change. It is normal for men to take on the duties as a maternal parent and take care of the
children and household duties at home. Men, who are full time parents at home, can result to
beneficial marriage relationships, overall causing a strong bond between one another.
Although men are portrayed to be placed as an independent working family guy,
becoming hand on dad can have a healthy marriage and happy life. Dads who are able to be more
interactive around the house and frequently present in the house can have a great effect on
marriage relationships. Through personal experiences, when my father is around the house,
helping around with the chores and the responsibilities at home, my mother is ecstatic, thus
keeping a strong marriage relationship. According to the American Journal of Public Health, it
was sought to find out that the involvement of a husband in housework is strongly associated
with the psychosocial health of his wife. Women, predominantly full-time homemakers, whose
husbands were highly involved in housework were in better mental health, happier, and more
satisfied with their marriage than other women (Khawaja 860-6). Women are much happier if
their husband is around helping out the wife and content with their marriage. It is known for a
fact that men who are actively present around the house, gives a stronger bond between a

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husband and wife. Working around the house, helping out your spouse, and overall presence in
the house can have a healthy marriage and relationship towards one another. An active and
responsible parent not only has a healthy marriage and relationship, but also has a great influence
and behavior with the children as well.
Despite societys stereotypical belief that men should be only providing financial needs
for the family and to pass on his genes, men can bond and be present throughout his childrens
lives. Mens gendered roles are most often seen as a father who works all day, does not have
time for his kids, and are usually the breadwinners for the family. Men can deviate from the
social norm and perform tasks that women often undertake at home. The involvement a father
undertakes in his childs life can positively impact their relationship with one another. My father
is usually a busy man, but oftentimes, he would make a way to spend time with me. The more we
spend our time together, whether if it was going to the movies or fishing in the lake, his
consistent presence and love never fails to astonish me. Stay at home fathers can impact his
childs behavior in a positive way if his father is actively present. In the article, Paternal
involvement with adolescents in intact families: The influence of fathers over the life course,
Kathleen Harris, Furstenberg Jr., and Jeremy Marmer, express that the presence of variation in
fathers' involvement suggests that greater involvement by fathers contributes positively to the
emotional and intellectual well-being of children ( Harris; Jr.; Marmer 201-16). Depending on
how often a father is involved in a childs life, the greater influence and impact a childs life can
do throughout the years. A father who stays at home and helps around the house and his children
can greatly affect his childs behavior and relationship towards one another.
American society argues that men who do not conform to prescribed gendered roles are
often discriminated because they are still seen as this type of hyper masculinity. Oftentimes, in

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social media, we usually see men in the news or movies as a tough, aggressive, bodybuilder, and
violent. Societys social norms often associate men with hyper masculinity. The reason being,
social media plays a huge effect in men with difficulty to come out easily and go beyond their
social standards without being discriminated or punished. In Jackson Katz short film, Tough
Guise, says that social media plays a huge part in mens masculinity and images shown in social
media define manhood that is connected to dominance, violence, and aggressiveness (Katz). In
other words, societys stereotypical belief that all men should be hyper masculine is often shown
through social media. Men who try to go beyond social norms are terrified to be seen as a nonconformist because society will usually discriminate or punish all men who do not conform. In
short, there are not enough men with switched gender roles that society can presume
acceptable, because men are terrified to what society may say.
It may be true that men are terrified to go beyond their social standards because societys
expectation is that all men should be hyper masculine. However, if men could go see beyond to
what society prescribes, both men and women can perform the same tasks. In Judith Lorbers
article, Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender, states that For human beings
there is no essential femaleness or maleness, femininity or masculinity, womanhood or manhood,
but once gender is ascribed, the social order constructs and holds individuals to strongly
gendered norms and expectations (Lorber 26). Although society communicates and prescribes
different gender roles, everyone should look past to what society perceives normal and see no
differentiation between two gender classes. Men should not be terrified of switching gender roles
just because society might discriminate us, but rather than see that it is normal for men to take on
the duties that a female would normally perform. If more men came out to stand up and go
beyond social norms, society can accept the changes made.

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Social media plays a huge role in shaping mens expected personality, therefore it is
difficult for men to act in a non- hyper masculine manner without being discriminated or looked
down upon. Although American society expects us to perform roles within our gender class, it is
normal for men to go beyond social standards and fulfill the duties women usually do at home.
Men fulfilling the duties of a woman at home can have significant effects in marriage, family,
and life. We socially surround society and its expectations on us, but do not necessarily need to
be followed.

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Work Cited
Kathleen, Mullan Harris, Furstenberg,Frank F.,,Jr, and Jeremy K. Marmer. "Paternal
Involvement with Adolescents in Intact Families: The Influence of Fathers Over the Life
Course." Demography (pre-2011) 35.2 (1998): 201-16. ProQuest. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
Katz, Jackson. "Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity." YouTube.
YouTube, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2014.
Khawaja, Marwan, and Rima R. Habib. "Husbands' Involvement in Housework and Women's
Psychosocial Health: Findings from a Population-Based Study in Lebanon." American
Journal of Public Health 97.5 (2007): 860-6. ProQuest. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.
Lorber, Judith. "Night to His Day": The Social Construction of Gender. Composing Gender. By
Rachael Groner and John F. O'Hara. N.p.: Yale UP, 1994. 19-34. Print.