SAY NO TO GENDER ROLES Discovering the Asian American perspective on gender roles Irene Hossein first learned of gender roles from watching her parents.
30 | fall 2020
My dad was the head of the family. My mom was known for doing the chores.
Irene Hossein
In Southeast Asia, countries such as ietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore have shown gradual improvement in gender e uality. However, there is still a barrier that is blocking these countries from improving any faster. Filipino culture is family oriented and patriarchal, according to adia Setianto, a writer for the Australian Institute of International Affairs. ue to this nature, the female employment rate dropped from to , meaning that the rest of the women in these countries simply stay home.
design/Rutva Patel
Many Asian families naturally assign the leadership role to the father while giving the mother the housekeeping duties. Men are often titled “the leader because they are seen as strong and manly.
he various Asian cultures provide their own twist on gender roles. hile most Asian countries share similar gender
ast Asian culture is commonly known for having strict rules and roles based on gender. For e ample, rake aer e plains in his usiness Insider article how in apan, women were forced to choose between raising their family or working. here was no other choice on the matter and no reason to pursue both family or working.
photography/Lexi Lutz
r. Anita Anantharam, a gender studies professor at the niversity of Florida, defines gender roles as e pectations set for men and women that tell them what they’re supposed to do in society. She believes that e pectations in Asia are not too different from e pectations in the .S.
his gender division is an issue no matter where you step foot in the world. Asian countries are no e ception.
roles, the situations and e periences aren’t all the same. his can be seen in the different regions around Asia.
by Michelle Lee
“My dad was the head of the family. My mom was known for doing chores, she said, remembering her childhood. Hossein is a second year computer science ma or at the niversity of Florida. espite the fact that both her parents e ually love and support her, there is a clear difference in the role that they play in her life based on her parents’ gender.
Meanwhile, women are considered housekeepers because they are seen as feminine and fragile. here is no gray area in between the two, which ultimately places uni ue relationships and dynamics into simple categories.