Like actors on the stage, each of us plays many roles. The list is almost endless; parent, child, student, worker, pedestrian, or teacher. Gender roles are assigned to us on the basis of our biological sex. These roles contain sets of expectations for both what we are supposed to do and what we are not supposed to do. Gender roles are assigned early in life. Children quickly learn that they are girls or boys and act accordingly. Adult gender roles are complex, involving both personality and behavioral characteristics. Women are traditionally expected to be passive, warm and supportive. In contrast to men, who are expected to suppress their feelings, women are encouraged to express emotions openly. Men are supposed to be strong, independent, and self-controlled, while women are thought to be more dependent and in need of emotional support (Hoffmann). A man's role centers around his work and his responsibilities as a provider. The traditional role of women, on the other hand, is to run the home and take care of the children.
             The movement of women out of the home and into the workplace has shaken the old notions about the natural differences between men and women. In the past, people who did not fit the expectations for their gender where shunned and ridiculed (Diamant). Today, some argue that the healthiest individuals have both strong masculine and strong feminine characteristics. Some people hold that the distinction between masculine and feminine characteristics is harmful and should be abandoned altogether. These traditional roles and stereotypes are still a powerful force in our society, and their consequences will be with us for a long time to come. The two most significant biological differences between men and women are clearly the greater size and strength of the male and the female's abilities. In most physical contests, males have a clear advantage. The average male is taller and stronger than the average female. Despite th...