College students' attitudes toward shifting gender roles in media

Gender roles have progressed and evolved over time, with women having adopted masculine traits to a greater degree than men have adopted feminine traits. This study examined college students’ views towards women taking on negative stereotypical masculine traits, such as derogatory language and aggressiveness, as presented in two film clips. Results indicate that students who are more egalitarian in their gender views and who identify as masculine in their gender role perceptions were more likely to have favorable views of the nontraditional speech and behavior presented. Open-ended responses revealed a range of attitudes towards what is considered appropriate language and behavior for both men and women, indicating that a is shift occurring, albeit subtle.