Gender Studies Class Analysis

Gender can be a hot topic within cultures; a male or female does not want to be told that they can or cannot do something based on their gender. Every culture views gender roles differently, and some cultures are more serious about gender than others. Many times, male and female actions are determined by what a person has been taught is right; furthermore, gender roles are a set of societal norms that are the behaviors that a sex is generally known to do and what is considered accepted of a person based on their sex; gender roles can also known as stereotypes (“Gender”). Many times men are associated with masculine and logical ways in the United States, whereas women are associated with nurturing and passive ways.

As individuals, we are all given assigned aspects that define us. Race, gender, and social class are just a few of the characteristics that make us who we are. We also choose to take on certain aspects that reflect our own interests such as careers, fashion, and fandom. When our chosen and assigned aspects come together, our own identity is formed. These parts eventually impact and affect each other with the idea of intersection. The interconnection of being a woman and belonging to a certain career cross and act on each other in ways that are mostly negative. Many women find being successful in their careers very difficult especially women who are based into a male dominated industry.

Gender norms, a controversial topic that is prevalent in this world today, is based on acceptable and inacceptable roles that are considered “normal” for male and female genders. Society places stereotypes on almost anything- if not everything- that has to do with gender. Roles that are done by a specific gender group that seems to be abnormal will be judged and will come with a cost. Working against gender norms can result in several costs including bullying, criticizing and rejection.

The film industry has created the conventional gender roles of society into their movies; A majority of films have supported some of the male and female stereotypes. In the history of the film industry, the role of men is primarilythat of the stereotypical working class man or hero, while the roles of women are primarily portrayed as being somewhat inferior to men. In the 1930s through the 1970s, men held the leading roles in films while women played smaller roles. Men were typically employed, successful gentlemen, while the woman’s only job was a housewife. The film industry was mostly dominated by men. In terms of jobs, women were given mostly family roles and rarely were shown outside of their homes, while men had

In pre-ap english, I interviewed Jacquelyn who is a freshman at Macarthur High School in Lawton, Oklahoma. In our society, we are often subjected to gender roles. Gender roles is the act of assigning certain emotions or behaviors to men or woman. In response to finding out what gender roles actually are, Jacquelyn does not agree with the idea of them and states that people should “be able to do what they want.” Gender roles often prevent us from being the person we want to be. For example, if a guy were to wear makeup there are people who would judge him harshly and possibly even outcast him, simply because they believe women are the only ones who can wear makeup. Same thing goes for women, like if a girl wanted to play football many would

2. I chose this test because I was interested in seeing what I thought about male/female roles.

The typical classroom consists an image of boys and girls coexisting, working together, and learning in the same way. As when you walk into certain schools you will see rooms with blue walls with race cars on it, while other rooms will have pink walls with flowers on it. These classrooms would be single-gender. Many students or parent is not given an option of single-sex classrooms without it being a private school and costing hundreds of dollars. Schools should be able to offer students more than one option without having a distraction of the opposite gender.

West and Zimmerman’s theory of “Doing Gender” defines sex and gender as two separate entities within this binary society. Sex refers to the biological characteristics that are typically attributed to males and females. Gender is the status of the individual performing the activities that are commonly associated with masculinity and femininity. These traits are rigid in dictating the individual’s consistent performance of them. A gendered individual must execute the appropriate acts that are linked to masculinity or femininity respectively. It is a learned behavior that is taught at an early age through observation of society. Therefore, it is society that decides whether an action is attributed to masculinity or femininity. Gender is a socially constructed idea of thought that people unconsciously follow. The acts that constitute a particular gender can change based on the views of society within a generation. Certain activities and forms of appearance have shifted between males and females. As society evolves throughout history, the interactions between individuals and their gendered actions have changed. West and Zimmerman state, “When we view gender as an accomplishment, an achieved property of situated conduct, our attention shifts from matters internal to the individual and focuses on interactional and, ultimately, institutional arenas” (West and Zimmerman, 1987, page 126). Thus the performance of gender has developed passed the individual and is engrained within the

There are many potential problems that may arise in a Women’s Studies class, however one that stood out to me from the course reader is one that I have witnessed in my own classes, and as such, I have chosen to speak on that. The problem is that a class is predominately comprised of white students, except for one native student who is quiet in general, but becomes visibly more shy when topics related to race are raised.

With ultrasound technology we are able to correctly identify the sex of a baby at just four months. With this knowledge, expecting parents will go out and buy all the pink or blue things needed for their little boy or girl. These new parents are expecting their sons will grow up big and strong and their daughters beautiful and smart. By one year after birth a baby can distinguish male and female voices and faces. It is only around the age of two, a child begins to identify the differences in in toys meant for boys and girls. By the time a child is three they begin to label themselves and others as male or female. By age four, a child’s identity is stable, and they know they will always be a boy or a girl. Between ages four and six, children begin to adopt gender role and categorize activities as female or male.

It is a common belief that a person’s gender is biologically determined, where in fact, gender does not occur naturally from the body (Butler 1999). Rather, gender is a social construct (Hansot & Tyack, 1988). It is a set of expectations and behavioural norms that individuals learn and perform (Butler 1999). Depending on time and culture, every society sets out what is considered appropriate behaviour for a man or a woman, based on concepts of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ practices (Holmes, 2013). It is through socialisation that we learn these expectations (Holmes, 2013). We then shape our behaviour to fit the gender that is assigned to us at birth, according to our sex category (Butler, 1999). West and Zimmerman (1987), discuss the idea that gender is a “routine, methodical and recurring accomplishment” (p. 126) and that one can never not ‘do’ gender, as every activity, attitude and behaviour is

Coming in to this class I didn’t know half the things I know now about gender studies and social justice for women. I knew the basic topic in gender studies but couldn’t go into depth if asked. Taking this allowed me to gain an insight on different topics that go on in the world dealing with women’s and men’s social justice rights. I was able to learn how women lack equal rights. This course taught me to think historically on issues surrounding women and equal rights. Since I am a female, I can think historically and put myself in other women shoes and attempt gain the perspective of what women faced in the early 1900’s to the late 2000’s.

The article “Learning to be Gendered” co-written by Sally McConnel-Ginet and Penelope Eckert accurately sums up the process of becoming a boy or a girl starting before birth. Children learn to be a boy or a girl from both their family and peers then put their learnings to practice as they become older. Everyday interactions are predetermined by our own gender and our own interpretation of another’s gender. Sex is a physical and mental aspect of one’s character. If asked to place gender in a category of nature vs. nurture, Sally and Penelope provide sufficient evidence that gender is strictly nurture.

The concept of gender has a strong social impact on me. When I was born, I was immediately assigned to a biological sex as a female with two X chromosomes. I was then socially classified as a girl in the society with feminine gender roles. Gender is defined as a social principle which attribute to the roles and expectations of males and females through the years of different societies (Phillips, 2005). Gender can be considered as behavioural, cultural and psychological traits

I felt frustrated when students told me short hair made me look like a boy. While it seems trivial, I think having short hair influenced me in two different ways. First, so people wouldn’t confuse my sex category and to avoid further censure, I grew my hair out and dressed in more “appropriately feminine” clothing in college. While I didn’t want others to confuse my sex category, I think I also started to realize that other’s perceptions of me didn’t define me. In realizing this, I think it freed me to challenge societal views of gender. While I still “do” gender in more conventional ways, I think my ideas about gender are changing. I also think my views about gender are slowly changing how I “do” gender. In addition, while living up to stereotypes of femininity is still important to me in some areas, such as clothing and hairstyle, overall living up to these prevailing norms and stereotypes is becoming increasing less important to