Argumentative Essay On Gender Norms

Gender roles have been used as a way of raising children for generations. While they have not always been the typical “pink is for girls, blue is for boys” stereotypes that we have grown accustomed to, there have always been certain roles for men and women that deem what is appropriate and what is not. Although the idea of gender roles has existed for centuries, the stereotypes themselves have evolved, leading many to believe that they are a social construct. “Up until the beginning of the 20th century, pink was actually more associated with boys, while blue was more associated with girls—illustrating how socially constructed these associations really are” (“Gender and

Gender roles are categories that characterize what it means to be feminine and masculine in society, on how people think about gender as they relate to one another (Adams et al., 2013). For example, women are expected to be accommodating and emotional, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive, this shows how men and women are to behave in society. However, these sayings were taught to individuals based on norms, or standards created by a society which is called Gender Socialization (p. 318). Growing up as a child, we were taught as girls to play with dollhouses, pretend kitchen sets, cleaning supplies and play dress up. Whereas boys are taught to play with cars, sports equipment’s, action figures, and weapons. However, if a boy was playing with dollhouses, or playing dress up, he would be considered gay, or not masculine and looked down upon by society, and families. The same goes for girls who play with boy toys, or dresses as a tomboy, this is what we are taught to play with at a young age. Our families tell us how to behave, our schools tell us what

Throughout the history of society, women and men both have faced the constricting roles forced upon them, from a young age; each gender is given specific social and cultural roles to play out throughout their lives. Little girls are given dolls and kitchen toys, little boys are given dinosaurs and power tool toys, if one was to step out of this specified role, social conflict would ensue. Contrast to popular belief, sex is a biological construct, and gender is a social construct specifying the roles men and women are to follow to be accepted into society as “normal”. The effects of gender roles have had on women have proved harmful over the decades. Although the woman’s involvement in society has improved throughout the decades,

Sociologist Dalton Conley wrote his book, You May Ask Yourself, addressing how “gender is a social construction” that is so normal for society to think how a man or woman should act towards the public. Society often categorizes roles that females and males are suppose to play in, but not only are they categorized they are also being taught what their gender role is suppose to do. The beginning of gender socialization can start with a child who is not born yet by simply having the parents purchase items that are all pink if its expected to be a girl, but if its expected to be a boy then everything they purchase will be blue. Conley states that gender roles are “sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany ones’ status as male or female” (Conley [2008] 2013:134). So even when a child is growing into their infant years, toys are made specifically for their gender. By examining how social construction places gender in categories it becomes apparent that males and females get differentiated a lot which emphasizes inequality between them.

Why is pink designated to girls and blue to boys? Because each color marks its respected gender. For example, upon meeting a newborn baby wearing pink, what gender would you assume it was? Most, if not all, people would immediately assume female. This idea of markedness – marking something as pertaining to a gender – is present in our everyday lives, perhaps without us being aware of it.

The gender based expectations are taught and the sometimes subtle, often overt lessons begin at a very young age. It starts with the color of the blanket a baby is wrapped up in, the toys bought for them to play with, and extends to the pretend play they engage in. So from the earliest ages of social awareness, society reinforces the ideals of masculine and feminine throughout life. Consequently, it is perfectly acceptable for a girl to put on a purple tutu and twirl about granting wishes to her stuffed animals, while it would be discouraged for a boy. He should be outside in the sandbox setting up his toy soldiers in a mock battle. In spite of the entrenched idea of gender, some mothers and fathers aspire to a more gender-neutral parenting style, that doesn’t restrict their child to specific societal ideals. However, the pressure to conform to the gender binary is ever-present and difficult to deconstruct. The boy that cries when he gets hit by a baseball is called a “sissy” and told to “man up” by his coach. The girl who tells her high school counselor, she wants to take auto

What exactly is a standard? According to Webster’s dictionary, a standard is a level of quality or excellence that is accepted as the norm or by which actual attainments are judged. Standards are created because someone believes that a fair and efficient form of doing something is necessary. The military is full of these standards. One of the most widely known is the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). It tests the maximum amount of push-ups and sit-ups a person can do in two minutes. Along with completing a two-mile run in the allotted time prescribed. The APFT is different from any other standardized test I have ever seen. It is painfully obvious that the test is severely skewed in the females favor.

Conry-Murray, Clare, and Elliot Turiel. "Jimmy's Baby Doll And Jenny's Truck: Young Children's Reasoning About Gender Norms." Child Development 83.1 (2012): 146-158. Education Research Complete. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. Clare Conry-Murray and Elliot Turiel write in this article about the reasoning behind gender, and whether or not it’s a fixed or changeable concept. Children ages 4 through 8 years of age were asked questions about gender norms, and most of the participants believed that non-traditional gender norms would be acceptable in a different cultural context. They also said they believed that gender norms should be a personal choice, and they didn’t believe that forcing gender norms on children in school should be allowed. Children

From the beginning of life, we are coached to believe that by being a female, there are certain rules we must follow. As infants it begins with the color of our clothing, pinks for girls. We are pretty in pink and as we grow we are given toys that reinforce how we develop. From kitchen sets to baby dolls, we are shaped into society’s view of womanhood.

Before we have even been born, society gives us so many expectations that we are supposed to live up to. When told by the doctor that you are going to be a girl, a baby shower is thrown and everything is pink. Pink is the color associated with the soft and more feminine side, while blue is the strong and more masculine side. Girls are given dolls and pretend kitchens while boys are given toy guns and cars. While they might not notice as kids, you begin to learn what is expected of you as you grow up, which can lead to many unnecessary problems. There has always been a separation of males and females and the way they are raised and taught, even what jobs they take on. Over time these have become more of gender boundaries. I believe that this behavior and way of thinking can, over time, have a negative impact on the way we are upbringing children today.

Because school is where students learn about culture, it follows that the activities therein should contribute to the understanding of their culture, as well as the culture of others, preparing them for a pluralistic world (Quebec Education, 2001, Section 1.2). This makes the project in question all the more relevant as it does the aforementioned. Additionally, by concentrating on gender norms, the project has the ability, and will to expose the intercultural nature of gender boundaries, how stereotypical images of gender pervade the world as a whole (Schieffelin, & Ochs, 1986). But more than just preparing its students theoretically, highlighting the multitude of diversification will work to arouse the feeling of harmony, that no matter their differences, they are all part of humanity. By doing so, the project, and school, will “act as agents of social cohesion by fostering a feeling of belonging,” contributing to a socially just society (Quebec Education, 2001, Section 1.2).

First, I will prove that societal influence is a real thing. It starts early, usually as soon as the mother realizes that she is pregnant. Once she finds out the gender immediately the separation of boy and girls starts and the coercing begins. It is very interesting how mothers or just people in general never question the establishment. Where is it stated that a boy must wear blue and a girl must wear pink. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule but rarely does anyone question this age old influence that society and the media has set for the masses. Even in terms of furniture colors, white is usually reserved for girls and brown for boys. The only bias is as it relates to baby furniture is usually the basinet.

Throughout the United States history, there has been many political debates, one of which was Women’s Rights, which had played an important role in US society. One major debate on this subject was the proper role of women in American society in 1848-1910. Many people had different viewpoints. For example, in “How to be the Perfect Housewive”, an article from Godey’s Lady’s Book and Magazine, the author explains that everything you do should be for your husband. On the other hand, American activists, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, believe women should have equal rights to men, to show the wrongness of men tyranny over women, they decided to write the Declaration of Sentiment. In one of the excerpts, they wrote, “He has compelled her

The textbook identifies four approaches to gender development: biological, interpersonal, cultural, and critical. Define each theory. Then answer the following question: which of the theoretical approaches to gender do you find the most valid? Be sure to include at least two examples from your own experience as well as two scholarly sources to back up your claim.

Ever since the dawn of time, women and men have been associated with specific gender roles that can be seen controversial in the eyes of many. Traits and roles associated with a specific gender can be either innate or learned over time. Looking into the deeper concept of gender roles and stereotypes, it is clear that these fixed gender roles are not naturally born with, but rather taught, learned, or influenced by external forces.