Gender roles refer to the expectations, behaviors and attitudes that society assigns to males and females based on their perceived biological sex. These roles dictate how individuals should behave, dress, interact with others, and perform certain tasks in a given culture or society. Gender roles are learned through socialization processes such as family upbringing, education, media influences, peer groups, and religious teachings. They can vary widely across different cultures and historical periods, but often involve expectations of males to be assertive, competitive, and responsible for providing financial support while females are expected to be nurturing, submissive, and responsible for childcare. However, these roles have been changing over time as a result of social movements, feminism, and greater awareness of gender equality issues.