Modern society is built upon the history and traditions of the past, with the events and beliefs of future descendent being shaped by their shared culture in a major way. Culture can influence ones life to a varying degree, dictating ones disposition towards themselves and others, as well as toward the society they live in. The history of human civilizations is passed down through legends, stories, and records of preceding events. They allow the people to learn where they came from, find their place in the world, or gain a better understanding of humanitys gradual development. Both culture and tradition can vary wildly from area to area, with the values and beliefs of people being affected as well. This can manifest in a difference of attitude towards various societal issues or events and is the core of what makes each corner of the world unique. Religious faith, similarly, can be used to give people a higher purpose and help them understand abstract concepts of a wide scale. Religion can spread and influence the way people live, behave in private
and in public, and what things they can consider moral or immoral. Ones gender role, for example, is a social concept often informed through the lens of tradition or faith. A persons ability to assign themselves a particular role to fulfill in a family unit stems from their understanding of themselves and their purpose in creating a family. An individuals disposition can vary wildly between cultures and periods. For this essay, the gender roles prevalent in Hinduism and Buddhism will be discussed. In the context of Buddhism and Hinduism, the roles of men and women were largely restrictive and rigid. Men were expected to be heads of the household and the de facto leaders of the family, while women were ought to fulfill the role of a housekeeper. While both worldviews established the positions of men and women as equal, their tasks in society were separate and the relegation contributed to the mistreatment of women. After further exploring the concept of gender roles, an examination of their peculiarities for each of the two groups will be attempted.