Exploring the Gender Role Theory

Gender roles are understood as being primarily important in understanding the processes of gender construction. Whilst it is believed that a there are number of complex processes which exists which help towards creating our gender identities, gender roles are crucial as they reveal the hierarchical order and power relations which exist (Radtke et al, 1995). Therefore, exploring gender roles is particularly useful when trying to investigate issues of gender inequality as it helps to identify both the existing power relations within the society and how these power relations work.

In consideration to exploring and understanding gender roles, a notable theory which heps to explain this phenomenon is the ‘Gender Role theory’ which is primarily used within the communication field. This theory is often used to understand and explain why men and women communicate differently and how these communication methods are constructed.

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This theory argues that men and women communicate in different manners due to the gender roles which have been assigned, and these gender roles will influence how men and women decide to behave and communicate their behaviour (Foss and Littlejohn 2009).

Within this theory, it is suggested that men and women occupy different types of roles due to the societies understanding of their gender. Gender roles are assigned to men and women which will then impact upon how men and women behave and what types of characteristics they encompass. As gender roles highlight the expectation and limitations which exist for men and women these roles are understood as significantly influencing men and women’s behaviour. Foss and Littlejohn (2009) explain that the gender role theory argues that men and women are exposed to these gender roles from a very young age and they will begin to internalize them. These roles are then understood as being biologically determined due to their continued enforcement and reinforcement within society. Eventually, men and women will begin to explicitly inhabit these roles and stereotypes which are

associated with them.

In consideration to gender role theory, there are several scholars which have been extremely influential within its development. Mead (1971) is a significant scholar in the discovery of gender role theory. During her research in 1935, she identified that within three separate primitive community’s different understandings of gender were present. Her

research highlighted that within the ‘Arapesh’ community, both men and women were expected to have nurturing characteristics and to naturally be cooperative and peaceful. In contrast, the ‘Mundugumor’ community encouraged both men and women to show aggressive and violent behaviour whilst the ‘Tchambuli’ community expected females to portray more dominant and impersonal traits whilst men were associated with being more emotionally dependent and (Mead, 1971).

Mead (1971) argued that these significant and conflicting differences within gender roles supported the idea that gender roles were not biologically determined but were influenced through social realities. Mead (1971) argued that the gender roles will differ between different communities and men and women are capable of encompassing both masculine and feminine traits. Her research significantly influence further research in to the social construction of gender roles and how these are impacted on through our unique social environments (Foss and Littlejohn, 2009). In this sense, Mead was one of the first scholars to actively recognise the social construction involved within gender roles and to highlight that masculine and feminine personalities do not exist independently from their social

understanding.

After Mead highlighted the existence of different gender roles within different communities, understanding how gender roles operate and how hey impact wider society became increasingly researched (Foss and Littljohn, 2009). In 1987, Eagly revealed her

‘Social Role Theory’ which suggests that social roles, such as gender roles, regulates behaviour which leads to identified sex differences between men and women. In this sense, she argues that the sex differences which can often be identified between men and women are not biologically determined but are the product of assigned social roles within society. Eagly (1987) suggests that social roles such as gender roles encourage men and women to behave in a different manner and to also encompass certain attitudes and skills. These expectations continue to be reinforced throughout the individual’s lifetime which ultimately becomes a

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self-fulfilling prophecy where men and women begin to inhabit these characteristics.

Therefore, sex differences will therefore become evident between men and women but these are not naturally occurring differences but ones which have been forced upon men and women through social expectations.

Whilst Mead (1971) highlighted the societal differences in existing gender roles, Eagly (1987) investigated how social roles, such as gender roles, impact upon the behaviour of men and women and the sex differences which exist. Eagly (1987) suggests that in consideration to gender roles, these are understood as expectations which are placed on men and women which highlight the ‘ideal’ and appropriate behaviour which they should act out.

In this sense, the gender roles which are assigned to men and women are understood as significantly impacting upon the overall behaviour of men and women within society. Thus, exploring gender roles can help to explain the types of behaviour which men and women encompass within society.

Eagly further utilizes this theory and suggests that there are values which are assigned to the different characteristics and behaviours which impacts upon social inequality within the society. She argues that as men and women are understood as encompassing certain traits and skills this will impact how they are viewed within the social, political and economic realm. For example, Eagly (1987) claimed that if women are expected to consist of more nurturing and selfless characteristics they will become associated with carrying out domestic duties so they are more suitable for the private realm. In contrast, if men are viewed as being more task orientated and independent they are understood as being much more capable of fulfilling higher forms of employment in comparison to women. Therefore, this may help to explain why there are certain divisions between men and women within the different sectors of society.

In consideration to my own research, this theory highlights the importance of exploring the gender roles assigned to men and women as this can help to explain the persistence of domestic violence within Uganda. In accordance to Eagly’s social role theory if gender roles which are assigned to men and women within Uganda influence their overall behaviour, this can help to identify which gender roles impact upon the incidents of domestic violence. As behaviour and social roles are understood as being interconnected, it is

important to understand which gender roles can be identified within the incidents of domestic violence and how these gender roles have impacted the overall issue.

In consideration to my own research, I will be using the social role theory by Eagly (1987) to help identify how gender roles are related to cases of domestic violence. Whilst Eagly has primarily used her social role theory to help identify and explain sex differences between men and women, this theory can also be used to explore which gender roles influence which type of behaviour and how this behaviour is further related to wider issues within society. In accordance to Eagly’s social role theory, gender roles which are assigned to men and women within Uganda can influence the type of behaviour which men and women portray and this may influence the issues of domestic violence within the country. As the theory suggests that gender roles play a significant part in guiding our behaviour this theory will help to identify how the gender roles, which exist in Uganda, influence behaviour which encourages domestic violence.

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This chapter concerning theoretical understandings has aimed to provide a strong framework for understanding how gender roles can be used to identify wider issues of gender inequality such as domestic violence. It has attempted to justify the objectives of this research project and the manner in which this research has been conducted. Furthermore, it has helped to frame the debates which surround discussions of gender and gender inequality by exploring the nature and challenges within these debates. Finally, this chapter also served the purpose of defining the theoretical framework which will be used within this thesis to explore how gender roles impact upon cases of domestic violence. The following chapter will give a brief description on the background of Uganda and contextualise the country’s issues with

domestic violence. As this thesis will be using Uganda as a case study, it is important to take in to consideration the unique social contexts of this country.

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