Transcending Traditional Gender Boundaries: Defining Gender Roles Through Public and Private Spheres

Abstract

Controversy over gender roles is a major issue in contemporary society. The debates surrounding gender and sexuality have extended to arenas far beyond the home; political platforms and religious views have inherited the torch, continuing the argument into the 21st century. This essay will show that the discomfort arising from the blurring of traditional bourgeois gender roels which allocated public life to men and private life to women is at the heart of these debates. By following the historical progression of these arguments and tracing the establishment of gender roles back to their roots, this essay intends to better the understanding of both the origins of this discomfort and the application of gender roles today.