Currently, widespread stereotypical views regarding masculinity and femininity divide occupations in a society. Liben et al. (2014) state that the older demographic strongly believe that certain societal roles are only appropriate for a particular gender (P.145). This is strongly evident in the 21st century since men represent the workforce while women manage domestic affairs (Charlebois, 2012, P.201). The general public is also unwilling to accept positions that deviate from these stereotypes and criticizes people that do not conform to these standards (Hoffman et al., 2000, P.496). As a result, society perpetuates the ideology that every individual should adapt their societal role on the basis of their gender.
The society constructed in Disney’s film Mulan (1998) strongly mirrors the gender-based division shown by the research on the field. The film clearly depicts the ideal housewife when Mulan’s elders prepared her to facilitate a childbearing role. The song “Honor to us All” also highlights the gendered separation of roles by constructing the image that honorable men should “bear arms” while honorable women should “bear sons”. The matchmaker also rebukes Mulan because she failed to satisfy and
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Tepperman (2011) defines role conflict as the situation encountered by a person that has to “satisfy the demands of two […] contradictory roles” (P.115). Clearly, role conflict is difficult to manage because an individual cannot completely devote their resources on a single objective (Cinamon, 2010, P.83). According to Moore (2009) however, role conflict only occurs if a particular individual is not able to make compromises in order to successfully satisfy differing demands (P.43). As a result, it is possible to attend to conflicting roles if an individual sacrifices or postpones certain activities in favor of a more pressing