Gender Role Beliefs and Willingness to Change Among Middle Adults

Abstract

Humans have been functioning based on gender roles since their birth. There is a certain amount of conditioning that has been the major reason behind abiding by it. Learning through modeling too plays a huge role in adapting to gender roles. Every person would’ve experienced gender roles or seen someone experiencing it. Gender roles inhibit people’s freedom of choice and the opportunities that they receive. This study aimed to identify the gender role beliefs of current middle adults and used purposive sampling to identify middle adults with traditional gender role beliefs. The study further focused on identifying factors contributing to middle adults’ traditional gender role beliefs and attempted to understand if middle adults with traditional gender role beliefs are willing to change. It helps one understand and reflect upon the current scenario regarding gender roles among middle adults in India. The data was collected with the help of Short Version of Gender Role Beliefs Scale (Kerr and Holden, 2012) and a semi-structured interview developed by the researcher. The sample included middle adults aged between 40 to 59 years. The sampling methods used are convenience sampling and purposive sampling. Percentage analysis and thematic analysis are applied. Majority of the respondents had feminist gender role beliefs while 9 of them had traditional gender role beliefs. The themes that were derived in the study are social conformity, predetermined roles and upbringing, men’s approval, and presence of gender roles. The respondents’ childhood experiences and their upbringing has played a key role behind the beliefs they hold on gender roles. Middle adults with traditional gender role beliefs were not willing to change, except for one participant who felt that taking up roles are necessary and that sharing between both the genders can be done. Certain responses showed their traditional gender role beliefs were out of concern, such as safety. Most of the responses drew back to the society. Most of the participants see peace and prevention of clashes to be the advantages of gender roles; and inhibition of freedom of choice to be the disadvantage of gender roles. Respondents also share somewhat similar childhood experiences of gender roles.