Changing Sex Roles: A Case of Reality Reconstruction
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1981
Abstract
The traditional culturally prescribed male/female dichotomy has resulted in the formation of distinct male/female subcultures with differing views of social reality.Recent equalitarian movements have proposed beliefs and values challenging this dual view of reality. The sex role confusion resulting from this challenge is the current concern of two competing ideologies, one of which is attempting to restore the traditional sex role dichotomy, and the other which is demanding a destruction of the traditional dichotomy. Since a worldview is built up through a dialectical process relating ideas and experience, and sense experiences in the major American social institutions appear to be moving more and more towards the dichotomization, it is unlikely that reactionary social movements can succeed in the long run. Formerly exclusive male and female categories, which are now breaking down, will continue to become more and more inclusive of one another, thus resulting in a synthesized, reconstructed view of reality.