Gender Construction Of Gender Identity

I grew up surrounded by strong women who fulfilled both male and female gender roles. I attended an all-female high school where girls took on the positions traditionally reserved for boys. All my friends were girls and I did not have male friends until I reached college. For most of my childhood I took on neither masculine or feminine gender norms. I was not a traditional tomboy or girly girl, over all I identified as a nerd more than anything else. I looked up to both men and women, but not because of their gender performances. I never questioned my gender or even thought much about it and so; I fell within a strange limbo of identifying as a female but not participating in female gender roles. It was not until later in life where I encountered terms such as non-binary, androgynous, and gender non-conforming. After talking to people who identified with these terms, and learning more about what they mean; it made me question where I fall on the gender spectrum. Many of my mannerisms are traditionally masculine yet I fulfill mostly female gender roles. Today I still identify as female and occasionally chose to actively participate in my gender

I was taught to be polite, to work hard, and above all, to be a good person. I was told “boys don’t cry,” more times than I can count, and I was taught the basic differences between girl traits and boy traits. While this may sound politically incorrect, at such young an age, I appreciated the simplicity of having only two categories in my life, and I enjoyed being taught to “be a boy.” However, despite instilling the ideas of boy characteristics in my head, my parents never let me sacrifice my individuality. When I became a target of bullying in my public school, my parents allowed me to switch to a private all-boys school. It just so happened that the time I switched schools was the same time that I was going through puberty. Looking back, going to an all-boys school during those years made my life much easier simply because I was taught to be a respecting individual who just happened to be male. I was allowed to be as different or as similar as I chose because everyone around me had the same ability. Gender was almost completely overlooked, and that was a great way to go through the supposedly “most awkward” years of my life. As a result, I think that I benefit now because I am more accepting of unfamiliar ideas, and I am also not afraid of being more “feminine” at

When I was in the kindergarten, my parents were busy with work and they seldom policed my gender. Peer and friends play a more influential role in the field. There was a time when my sister painted her nails, she also painted my nails, too. When I went to the kindergarten, other children were unwilling to play with me. The teacher also told me to wash away the nail polish. I came to understand that boys cannot paint nails because it weakens men’s masculinity. When we moved to a new apartment, my parent painted the wall in my room blue and the curtain was grey. When I was in primary school, I was weak and some bad boys often bullied me. When I was bullied, I cried and reported my sadness to my father. However, my father said boys should not cry but

In the 21st century, social formalities in America have been increasingly questioned especially the construct of gender and gender identity. Millennials are pioneering to change gender stigmas and the traditional beliefs of the role of man and woman. This upsurge in breaking gender roles has allowed for a new wave of identity where people aren't satisfied with being boiled down to one textbook definition of masculine or feminine. Across social media platforms such as Instagram where individuals can post pictures of their everyday life, we see men and women preforming non-traditional acts. Women post pictures of them bench pressing at the gym and men are posting pictures of their sweaters they've knitted. Among those advocating against

In my assignment for week four, I discussed some stereotypes of women and gender roles. These stereotypes have affected and bothered me since childhood. I knew that I was unlike my brothers because my father treated me differently. In fact, he expected me to be more emotional and fragile. The more he tried to instill his philosophy in me, the more I tried to be brave and tough. However, on the inside it made me question who I really was, and if my dad would love me the way I was, even though it was not what he felt I should be. After reading in week four about stereotypes among gender and emotion, I feel free to be who I want to be. I feel confident that I can be emotional, hormonal, but also angry and bossy. In other words, no matter who I am, I am going to love me for me regardless of what others may

I am a boy. Are you surprised? Take a second to think about why. We are told, based on our genders, to play with certain toys, like certain colors, and do certain jobs, among a number of other things. When was the last time you were told you couldn’t cry because ‘it’s girly’ or that you were ‘gay’ because you liked a certain color? Or if you’re a girl, think about when you’ve heard a teacher say “I need four strong boys to carry this table,” or you were told couldn’t wear a shirt because it’s ‘for boys.’

I paused when someone questions my masculinity. It was a sign that I had absorbed what society views how a man should behave. I never understood why this is so. Throughout my life, I have loved giving my friends hugs and getting close to them and going shopping for as long as I can remember. Surprisingly, I even recall asking my mother and father that I wanted a Barbie for Christmas. At American University, I hope to continue these discussions with AU students and form a group where we support each other to accept ourselves and understand these gender

By comparing the experiences and frequencies of users of all-gender and gender-specific public bathrooms, my dissertation project seeks understand how individuals use gendered spaces not only as an actualizing component of their own identities but relationally to construct the gender and sexual identities of others. It explores how power (in the form of self and relational identity construction) is picked up and utilized through the construction of gender via access and use of gender space, by both individuals and institutions This study will argue that while all-gender public restrooms play a critical role for refuge, self-determination, and access to the wider public sphere as meaningful occupiers for non-normative bodies,

When we speak about gender being socially constructed it means just because a person is conformed to what society thinks he or she should be involved in or surrounded by doesn’t depict their future. Children are taught when they are little that there are distinct expectations that have to fulfill based on what gender they are. Just because a parent gives their daughter nothing but dolls and sons trucks does not mean they will only play with those toys or even like them in the long run. When being feminine a woman is known to ‘act like a lady”. Be classy, respectful of yourself, seen not heard and all words that defines being nurturing and loving and maybe even whiny. The expectations of masculinity is someone who is strong, confident, status

I am an open minded individual and will attempt to truly listen to someone if the sincerely asked for advice or help. I like to listen as well as provide feedback and insight with whatever I may, this supportive quality would be associated more to a feminine gender style. However, when I need to be firm and move forward I would be consider the person and even at work to make that call. For instance, my coworkers don't like confrontation, whenever it's something that gets escalated they find the way I communicate with people is "interesting" and resolves the matter at hand no matter what the issue may be. This trait would be considers more assertive and firm which would be considered a masculine gender trait. I notice a lot as well through others that I use my body language and non-verbal cues really well. As a communication major we tend to be more in tune into what perception we give off to a body of people and I believe that if you feel confident and proud people will pick up on that and body language and non-verbal’s aside with verbal’s are all integral parts of mastering effective communication strategies. I would almost venture to say that it is in art in

When I was much younger and still growing up, and even now, my mother would always make sure that they boys and the girls participated in activities which were geared towards our respective sex and gender. An example that comes to mind is that at dinner time we all come and eat together at the table, and once the meal is over the boys and men get up and go to watch TV, play video games, go outside, etc. but my mother, my younger sister, and I stay inside to clean up everybody's plates/ dishes, the table, and the kitchen area. I never really thought much of it until I was in middle school because one day I grew a little agitated that we always had to stay inside and do housework while my brothers could go outside and play, or watch TV instead. So I asked my mom, "Why do I have to clean up and my brother doesn't?" and she responded that I was a girl so that it was my job, she said because I am a girl it was my job to clean up after the men of the family, clean the kitchen, the bedrooms, and help do the laundry while the males never had to because that's just not what they

Growing up, I lived in a home where my mother expressed herself as an independent woman. The majority of my life I saw two different worlds. An outside world where women were treated unequally, and then there was my mother’s point of view where you were allowed to defy the standards given to women by society. She always told me that I could do anything in this world as long as I do not set any limits on myself. I grew up in a household where genders were not given a specific task. Every day she made sure I did not live only for societal standards but for myself and what I felt was comfortable to do. Being sheltered in a home with these thoughts and ideas helped me build a different mindset than other girls that I surrounded myself with. I never thoroughly understood the concept of why men perceived superiority against women. Prior to this speculation, my mother would constantly reassure me that I did not to act or dress a certain way, that I could do anything and everything a male could do.

There really haven’t been many times in my life where there was a conflict between my personal experience and the gender identity that I was expected to conform to. Although I am a bit of an introvert. There have been less cases of these because with people that I choose to surround myself with I make sure that they know that I don’t care what anyone expects me to conform to. “Individuality makes its appearance by being differentiated from other individualities” (Buber, pg. 162). In response, they question me about why their likes, dislikes, and choices are different from mine, and not from society’s.

Gender roles and the attributes that a person is believed to need, in order to be male or female, has at times, affected me negatively throughout my life. I never questioned my gender as a child, but made the connection that our society views femininity with being biologically born female and masculinity with being male. I didn 't have much of a problem going outside of my assigned gender roles as that is what my parents exposed me to. My father though, he fits the traditional roles of a man; going to work and providing for his family, did many things that are considered women 's roles: taking care of his kids, cooking, cleaning, he was very nurturing and often did not discipline us as harshly as my mother, etc. My mother seemed to fit

I was the first born girl in my family. Growing up in a big family with many girl cousins, my life was filled with Bratz and Barbie’s. We spent a lot of time playing house, school, and playing with the easy bake oven. Even when we was outside we were fake cooking with leaves as greens, sand as salt, and using sticks as spoons, and also talking our babies dolls for walks in his/her stroller. Everything we did was centered on feminine activities. I think this was because the household I grew up in with two boys in two girls. My mother was always an advocate for gender roles. She believes males should take out the trash and females should wash the dishes. This was never challenged by any of my teachers. It wasn’t challenged until I went to the College of Education summer program where I learned about gender role. The chapter “Unlearning the myths that bind us: Critiquing fairy tales and films” in Christensen L (2001) book talks about how Disney displays the gender roles. She was talking about kids when she said, “They learn that