Final answer:
Gender roles are considered by sociologists and anthropologists to be socially constructed, as evidenced by cross-cultural variations. Children learn these roles through socialization, influenced by family, education, and media.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sociologists and anthropologists study cross-cultural variations of gender roles as evidence that these roles are heavily influenced by societal constructs rather than by biological determinism. During childhood, children become aware of and are socialized into these gender roles through various agents such as family, education, peer groups, and mass media.
This socialization can lead to gender stratification and the reinforcement of the gender binary—the view that there are two distinct and opposite forms of gender expression based on one's sex.
Gender socialization is the process of learning societal expectations associated with one's sex. In various cultures, these expectations can be quite different, highlighting the cultural basis of gender roles.
For example, attitudes and activities perceived as masculine or feminine—such as the idea that riding a motorcycle is masculine—are often based on gender stereotypes, which are oversimplified and overgeneralized beliefs about the behaviors of men and women.
Studies, including both quantitative and ethnographic research, suggest that differences in language use and behaviors between men and women are not biologically predetermined but are culturally constructed. Judith Butler, a literary scholar, further argues that gender identities are performative, meaning that they are the result of repeated social behaviors and practices rather than inherent qualities.