Module code: HRPYC81

Research report for PROJECT 4803

Title of study: Gender Role Attitudes of Caucasian South African Individuals: Has there been significant change between the Baby Boomer and the Bust Generations?

Name: Oosthuizen LL

Student number: 3326045-1

Examination period: October/November 2012

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Gender Role Attitudes of Caucasian South African Individuals: Has there been significant change between the Baby Boomer and the Bust Generations?

ABSTRACT
Opinions on gender roles are intrinsic to mankind and serve to direct how we behave in society. In order to ensure equality among men and women, we need to determine where we currently stand on our views toward gender roles. By means of a simple Likert scale questionnaire, data
The findings from the Lewis and Brown study are obviously not true for all men, however, it is necessary to realise that traditional gender roles still hold a place in modern society.

An easily observed example of methods that keep traditional gender roles in place is the media, as has been documented by various studies, including that of Wood (1994), in her paper entitled: “Gendered media: The influence of media on views of gender”. Many movies in the romantic comedy genre, for example, depict the leading actress as a ‘damsel in distress’ with the leading actor as her saviour in the form of a ‘knight in shining armour’. Even seemingly harmless fairy tales like

Cinderella, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, unwittingly instil values in our children, which communicate to them what is expected of them as either a boy or a girl. Where little girls are watching fairy tales and playing with Barbie dolls, little boys are encouraged to play with toy guns and cars and to participate in sports such as soccer or rugby.

Typically, throughout history men have been considered the head of the household, the breadwinner who is tough