The Paradigm Shift of Gender Roles What is Masculinity?

Under patriarchy, men are the arbiters of identity for both males and females because the cultural norm of human identity is, by definition, male identity masculinity. And, under patriarchy, the cultural norm of male identity consists in power, prestige, privilege, and prerogative as over and against the gender class women. That's what masculinity is. (John Stoltenberg in Toward Gender Justice quoted in Clatterbaugh, 1997:41).

John Stoltenberg makes a great point and defines Masculinity as it should be, however, this same definition can be used to define women. In todays society, more and more women are taking on the roles that culture dictates should be for a man, hence, a Paradigm Shift of the Gender Roles. Why you may ask? This is due to an economic need and a need to improve academic and work prowess. The evidence of a paradigm shift in gender roles is seen where women are taking on the role of men, due to an economic need. It is said that a womans place in society is to be in the home and the man is the head of the household and the bread winner. However, over the years, this has been changing, even more significantly due to the global recession. This shift is also seen because of the increase of single parent household most of which are matriarchal. 44.7 percent of households in Jamaica were female-headed in 2001.

Not only has there been a paradigm shift of gender roles due to an economic need, but also the need to improve academic and work prowess. In the Elizabethan Era, women were not allowed to work, vote or even have a say in the decision-making process of the household. The church played a very important role in keeping this doctrine intact and to quote the Scottish protestant leader John Knox: Women in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man. Women were also seen as breedaz and this mindset was dominant for many, many years, however, now, in the twenty-first century, that set of guidelines have been almost, if not, totally destroyed. In addition, women are also delaying motherhood to achieve and improve their academic and work prowess.