Final answer:
The term 'gender role' encompasses the societal expectations and norms dictating how individuals should behave based on their gender. These roles begin being taught from birth and continue to shape behavior through various agents of socialization. This cultural construct differs from gender identity, which is a person's internal perception of their own gender.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term you are looking for is gender role, which refers to the set of roles, characteristics, and expectations of how a man or woman should feel, think, and act as influenced by parents, peers, and society. In other words, gender role is a social construct that involves the cultural expectations and norms set by society on how individuals should behave based on their gender.
In U.S. culture, traditional masculine roles are often associated with traits such as strength, aggression, and dominance. Conversely, feminine roles are commonly linked to passivity, nurturing, and subordination. The process of socialization, starting from birth, introduces these roles to children, often through subtle cues like clothing color. This socialization continues as they grow, influenced by family, education, peer groups, and mass media, solidifying conventional gender roles into societal norms.
Despite the rigid nature of these roles, U.S. society does allow for some flexibility, where individuals can assume roles traditionally associated with another gender without necessarily affecting their gender identity. Gender identity is a person's internal perception of their gender, which may or may not align with the roles dictated by society.