As I began to read, “Gender Roles and Society” I had to first understand the term gender. Gender refers to the meanings, values, and characteristics that applies to the opposite sex. Gender is often confused with the term sex and they are both two separate concepts. Gender role is the behavior learned by a person as appropriate to their gender, determined by the prevailing cultural norms. The role is based on the culture a male or female are raised in. The role they play in life is based on religion, society, culture, or even individual beliefs. There is no right or wrong way to play a specific gender role. The environment you were raised in plays a major effect on your personal views on how a male and female should behave in society. In 1972 social scientist Ann Oakley was the first person to differentiate the concept between sex and gender. Gender separates the division between a male and female, but involves the social values of feminism and masculinity. Sex is the biological division between a male and female. European American middle class women have more housework experience than women of color do. Women of color have often had to take care of the household and do some of the same jobs as males, things like working in the fields. Research has shown that gay and lesbian couples are less likely to live their lives based on stereotype gender roles. Even though lesbians are attracted to the same sex they still act feminine when it comes to sharing household work and