Jocelyn C.

In Handmaid's Tale, the environment has basically gone to shit and the women have to pay for it. How, you ask? Well, they become baby-making machines. Yes, women have always had that special talent, but this time it's against their will. In many countries, that is a woman's primary duty. In the U.S, it's a choice.We know that gender exists, but how long until it becomes a memory?

"I'm not lesbian, but i'm dating a woman." Wait, What? Yes, that's right. Jesica Tenaglia, 24, believes that she fell for her partner because of her personality, not because of her gender. "I saw past the fact that she was a female. I think a lot of people are starting to do that. Because so many lines are blurred now, I really don't know how to act differently with a male. I dont love her because she's a female, I love her because of the way she loves me. No guy has treated me like she has. I think people just want to be loved. If she were a male, I would feel the same way. People in our generation are starting to get that." If the future of our country starts to embrace this way of thinking, what exactly does that mean? Will gender all together cease to exist?

Many schools have begun to include gay/lebian couples in their story books to teach children that they have a choice of sexuality. Being so taboo only 50 years ago, there really is no telling just what changes may come with such a radical society.

Independent. It's something women love to claim they are. Women are growing in the world with higher numbers of executive and management level positions. It hasn't always been this way, and it was hardly expected to happen. Men have always been seen as the bread-winners and hard workers while women were seen as only the nurturing figure at home. Currently, many households across the United States have the higher income coming from the female in the home. As this used to be a reason for concern, it is now a badge of honor that not many women brag about.

    Because positions are endlessly attainable to women, the definition of how a woman should 'act' or 'live' has gone quite blurry and, well, astray. From models to CEO's, women are in the workforce with questionable or applause-worthy titles. Since women are able to work at their own will, roles in the home have changed.

Working is no longer exclusively for men. For women, it has become a 'second' role, depending on how you look at it. Yes, women go to work and make executive decisions, but that doesn't mean they don't still cook and clean. Matter of fact, this is still expected at home for most couples.

So have the roles really changed all that much? For women, the role has expanded. More responsibilities to take on is one way of looking at it.Taking weight off the male and sharing it with his female counterpart is another way of seeing it. Whatever way you choose to see it, a shift has taken place in gender relations, and it will probably continue to shift.

GENDER RELATIONS

The world is always in motion, especially when it comes to gender relations. But just how are roles defined and what does it mean for the future?