Fathers are expected to protect. Mothers are expected to nurture. Men are told to be strong. Women are told to be nice. A gender role is the set of behaviors considered appropriate for a person based on their gender. These roles are learned early, reinforced daily, and enforced by sanctions — from teasing to violence.

Gender roles vary across cultures. In some societies, women do most of the farming. In others, men do. In some, men cook. In others, cooking is women's work. Even within a single country, expectations differ by region, class, race, and religion.

Common expectations

• Men: breadwinner, stoic, assertive, heterosexual
• Women: caregiver, emotional, cooperative, attractive
• Nonbinary people: often erased or pressured to choose

Gender roles are not destiny. They shift with economic need. During World War II, American women took factory jobs labeled masculine. When men returned, they were pushed back home. The roles had not changed biologically. The economy had changed.