DeGuzman 1

Mark DeGuzman
Professor Ditch
English 113A 3:30PM
9 December 2014
Head Held Up High
During WWII in 1939, propaganda arose as women took the roles of a man at 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 the women refused. Therefore, Rosie the
Riveter was a symbolic figure during WWII and can be applied today for traditional gender
nonconformists. Rosie the Riveter was a women dressed in a mans working clothes portraying
that women can do the same masculine job as men. The picture I analyzed 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, and a duster and sweeper. Today, in American society, people who do not
conform to prescribed gender roles are often discriminated or looked down upon. Media plays a
great social feature that men are to be portrayed as violent, insensitive, and aggressive humans,
which not all men follow this stereotype. This picture communicates a different meaning to
gender stereotypes. Although society has instructed men to act in a certain way through 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 not be
discriminated against or looked down upon. We are socially constructed to follow our gender a
performance to what society says is appropriate. Social media plays a huge part into mens

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masculine performances that are often seen as a tough, aggressive, insensitive, and dominant
man. Seeing different behaviors beyond their roles are perceived as nonconformists, 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 aid, it is
appropriate for men to perform the same feminine 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 the 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 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 have
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 hands 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 my 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 involvement of a husband in housework is strongly associated with
the psychosocial health of his wife. Women, predominately 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

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fact that men who are actively present around the house, gives a stronger bond between a
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 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, expresses 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.

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American society argues that men who do not conform to prescribed gender roles are
often discriminated because they are still seen as this type of hyper masculinity. Oftentimes, in
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,
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 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 thorough
media. Men who try to go beyond social norms are terrified to be seen as a non-conformist
because society will usually discriminate or punish all men who do not conform. In short, there
are not enough men with switched gendered 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 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, she 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 it is normal for men to take on the

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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.
Social media plays a huge role in shaping mens expected gender performance, therefore
it is difficult for men to act in a 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 cutie 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 ourselves around society and its expectation on us, but do not
necessarily 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.