Society Gender Roles

1. Gender is often defined as the roles assigned to the sexes by society, but what does that actually mean? Using the articles, describe what society says women should do in Saudi Arabia by discussing some of the restrictions being imposed. How does society enforce gender roles? 2. It is easy to make the assumption that everyone accepts Saudi culture as it is, but there have been many protests in the last 5 years. How are protesters treated? What changes have been made? Explain how the new changes may not help. 3. Some people argue that the changes in gender-specific laws are actually meant to distract from other things being done by Crown Prince Salman. Using a Google search, describe at least one controversy the Crown Prince has been involved with recently. It is fun to speculate, so do you think the changes in the laws are meant to be a distraction, or is he genuinely concerned about gender equality. 4. History was made in 2012 when Saudi Arabia sent two women athletes to the Olympics for the first time. Based on everything you’ve read, do you think this is more symbolic and lacking substance, or is it a remarkable step forward for gender equality? Explain.