Gender is less of a definer for identity today than it was for previous generations. With Millennials representing 23.5% of the U.S. population, these 18-34 year-olds are changing society in profound ways.
According to the recent Intelligence Group Cassandra Gender survey, more than two-thirds of participants agree that gender does not define a person the way it once did. This survey included 900 people ages 14-34, two-thirds of which are 18-24. Another 60% think that gender lines are blurred. The younger generations are avoiding conformity, and gender stereotypes are just that. Now there is greater fluidity to transition between genders and find the personal interpretation.
According to Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow for policy studies in the Family Research Council, stereotypes have faded: “For example, no one today disputes that women can be successful doctors, lawyers, business leaders, or public officials. Such a trend is far different from asserting that differences between the sexes do not exist, or that such differences are entirely a social construct rather than the result of innate biological factors.”
Here are some additional results from the Cassandra Gender Report:
68% of women and 71% of men felt that it was okay for women to propose to men
95% of women are good with girls playing traditionally male sports
85% of men are okay with stay-at-home dads
94% of women agree with women in the military
81% of men are fine with female breadwinners
From college housing, clothing, language, and parenting we are seeing more gender-neutral trends from the Millennials. Two thirds of the population says that their generation is pushing the boundaries of what feminism and masculinity look like, and the majority is excited about it. The year 2013 included some of the most unisex names to date such as Riley, Peyton, Rowan, and Addison.
But the younger generations are not the only ones noting this gender-free transition. College campuses have been in the lead by creating gender-neutral bathrooms and housing, allowing students to share roommates with any sex. Similarly, state governments have begun changing statutes to include gender-neutral pronouns. Looks like the Millennials are making headway in changing the perception of gender roles.
Post by Claire Whorton, advertising senior at the University of Alabama.
