Final answer:
The term 'gender roles' refers to the cultural expectations on how individuals should act based on their assigned sex. These roles are taught through socialization from early childhood and can lead to gender stereotypes. Gender roles are distinct but related to the concept of doing gender, which is a continuous process reflecting societal norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term gender roles refers to the tasks and activities that a culture assigns to the sexes. Gender roles encompass society's concept of how men and women are expected to look and how they should behave. These roles are based on norms, or standards, established by society. For example, in many cultures, masculine roles are traditionally associated with strength, aggression, and dominance, whereas feminine roles are often linked with passivity, nurturing, and subordination.
Societal expectations around gender roles start from birth and are reinforced through the process of socialization. Children are introduced to these roles that correspond to their biological sex and learn to behave according to the values, beliefs, and attitudes that their culture holds. Cultural roles based on gender assign different behaviors, relationships, responsibilities, and rights to people, and are an integral part of childhood gender enculturation.
It's also important to distinguish between gender roles and gender stereotypes. Stereotyping involves overgeneralizing about the attitudes, traits, or behavior patterns of women or men and can lead to sexism. According to the symbolic interactionist perspective, we 'do gender' all the time, in everything we do, reflecting the pervasive nature of gendered interactions in society.