Really, in my experience, while gender roles are an arbitrary social construct anywhere, they're particularly consumerist, vapid, and dehumanizing in the west. Men are taught from childhood to see women just as a pair of tits and a vagina, rather than a fellow, potentially intelligent human being with thoughts and ideas of their own, and equally worthy of respect as any male (hell, it's mostly been men who've fucked the world up anyhow). And conversely, women are taught to pursue men based on perceived status moreso than any value to their character.
It's a lot better here in China, I'll just say that for what it's worth.
