Considering the changing ways of showing affection, giving flowers to women remains. Women have traditionally valued flowers as tokens of appreciation. However, these sexist notions need to be abandoned; men should get to enjoy flowers too.
Larry Aiyelabola, a junior electrical engineering major, said either gender can and should receive flowers without criticism.
“It’s a normalized thing that it’s male to female to be given flowers, but it can be the other way around as well,” Aiyelabola said. “So I think that what society has deemed it to be is just blatantly wrong.”
The value of showing affection is a universal experience. The appeal of flowers, with their fragrant scents and vibrant hues, has no bounds and knows no gender. Why limit this sign of affection and beauty to one gender?
“I think when given to men (flowers), they could also feel the same thing (as women). They could also be open with their emotions and they can actually perceive it as a kind gesture, a gesture of love,” Aiyelabola said. “And it can mean many things.”
A study from 2021 recruited 50 people, half of whom were male, to test the hypothesis that flowers could help reduce people’s stress and improve their well-being in indoor settings. The results showed that seeing flowers can reduce stress and improve well-being, with just three minutes of observation, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Men would enjoy receiving flowers, too. Flowers make great gifts because of their versatility and are a genuine and meaningful way to celebrate a milestone, show love or express sorrow.
Amanda Littauer, associate professor in the Center for Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, says that education plays a huge role in challenging gender stereotypes.
“If we don’t investigate how things came to be, how they are, and question whether who benefits and who suffers from the status quo, and we just sort of accept it and go with the flow and end up reproducing these systems, then we know we don’t know better,” Littauer said. “So we don’t do better and I really believe in that.”
Men only receive flowers at their funerals, but by then, they won’t get to enjoy them. Instead, celebrate the men in your life today, even without a special occasion.
Alberto Zavala, a senior finance major, said he feels anybody could receive flowers nowadays and men should be more open about receiving them.
“I think a lot of them are just stuck in like the machismo way of doing things and now it’s getting better with the younger generations,” Zavala said. “You don’t have to be a guy or a girl to receive flowers. It could just be like, well, you’re graduating or they’re celebrating you like on a special occasion.”
Besides breaking stereotypes, sending men flowers promotes romantic equality and inclusion. It makes both partners feel loved and valued. As society broadens gender roles, we must challenge notions and welcome different ways of showing affection.
“I could be really close friends with somebody, and that person might just feel like brightening up my day; just bring me a nice group of flowers, and I would appreciate it,” Aiyelabola said.
A thoughtful floral arrangement may say more than expensive gifts or actions. Embracing and recognizing a normal experience surpasses gender.
“If somebody just gave me flowers randomly, I would be shocked because I have not received flowers like that before,” Zavala said. “I would be like, ‘wow, I got flowers; that’s never happened to me before.’ So it would make me feel good, I would say happy.”
We must finally free flowers from gender stereotypes. We should accept that men and women deserve the happiness and beauty that flowers provide. Gift-giving should be gender-neutral.
“Rejecting assumptions and expectations that come from outside and just asking ourselves and the people with whom we’re celebrating or close ‘what would be meaningful and authentic to us?’” Littauer said. “And trying to especially take the kind of gendered assumptions out of the equation.”
