Genderless: Sex and Children

Even though adoption as a process has negative results for adopting children, some people still takes this act to be a good act where children who are deprived of parents still have a

In the beginning of this article, Andrew Reiner described his experience with having a son. He stated, “I was faced with one of my biggest fears about parenthood: having a son” (Reiner, 2016, para. 6). Reiner elaborated on the growing trend of parents wanting female children instead of males. The article mentioned that adoptive parents are even willing to pay an average of $16,000 more in finalization cost for a girl instead of a boy (Reiner, 2016, para. 10). Reiner also noted that the boys-will-be-boys behavior does not originate with them (Reiner, 2016, para. 12). Instead, it is a product of their environment. He cited “... parents tend to touch infant boys less often and more roughly than infant daughters and that daughters are handled more gently and protectively… (Reiner, 2016, para. 12)” This displayed how societal norms shape behavior attributes that can be seen as non advantageous. Towards the end of the article, Reiner emphasized that we should empower our daughters and empower our sons with the same emotional literacy skill set and expansive worldview we teach our daughter (Reiner, 2016, para. 18). He finished the article with a short anecdote about how his son only wanted his attention and that is why he was acting out.

Gender role expectations are inescapable in our society as we naturally tend to sort humans into categories, the easiest one being gender. Upon first meeting a person, most people automatically classify the other’s gender. With this classification come the inevitable gender role expectations. Even for those who consciously try their hardest not to cloud their perceptions of others based on “traditional” gender role expectations, it is almost impossible not to subconsciously succumb to these expectations that are ingrained in our minds virtually since the day we are born. These expectations often influence how one interacts with another. This is especially important when taking into consideration the effects that gender socialization of children through gendered toys, media, and parental affects child development.

Environmentally, a child’s experiences impact gender identity. Depending on family values or morals, a child could be confused by their gender. When a baby is born, there is much control on colors (if boy or girl) and ideas of the parents on how they would want to raise their daughter or son. For an example, a father would treat his son in a rough or unemotional way, while a girl would be protected and nurtured. Known as traditional roles, a boy doesn’t cry or play with dolls, but he can roll

The huge number of articles and research papers on this topic shows the immense importance of this issue to be discussed and acknowledged in the coming future.

This provided good insight into how these children should be nourished and more facts like that would have helped the overall effect of the ethnography. The final thing I wish Dettwyler looked more into was the male/female relationship and how the males felt about the female gender. I do not know if she didn’t address this because she had limited interaction with the males because of her gender, or whether it was simply of no interest to her. If she could have explained further why she didn’t take much account to this it would have added a more well-rounded ethnography. What roles did the fathers play in the child raising? Were they passive like it appeared or was it just not discussed?

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

Sociologists reject the idea that behavioural differences between men and women are biologically determined. Outline the key grounds for this rejection and discuss what this means for a sociological understanding of gender.

Throughout history, humans have always had a system the dictated the way men and women are supposed to act. These gender roles define society and if you do not act upon these terms, now anyway, no one really cares. We have learned to become tolerant of those who are different, however, back when religion played a major role in the world, and everyone judged everyone by the way they acted, going against these norms would mean excommunication. Not only from the church but from society itself. These gender roles though have been challenged by people that want to do more. In “The Third Generation” a girl tells the story of her family and how women should change the way things are done. She watches her family struggle because they followed the norm

Kathy Witterick (38) and David Stocker (39) are the parents of Jazz (5), Kio (2), and Storm; who is being raised genderless. Storm’s gender has not been disclosed to anyone other than their family. The family receives a lot of questions about the child’s gender but they just brush it off. This all started when Jazz, born a boy, decided he liked girlish items. Many have said they are leading their children’s lives to a life full of bullying and ridicule. Witterick and Stocker believe they are giving their children the freedom of being who they want to be.

Some believe parents need to be more accepting of what gender their child chooses to be. In Linda DiProperzio’s article, she quoted an associate professor of Women 's Studies at the University of California named Jane Ward, who stated, “Raising a child under these strict gender guidelines is denying them an entire world of colors--they become tracked into the characteristics of their biological sex.” (Par. 7) Moreover, it is stated that limiting the views of a child can, and will, drastically change them and their future self. Not allowing children to be creative in what they choose limits their mindset. It is even worse that these narrow-minded ideas are thought up and enforced by the

It seems that many middle class and lower/working class families do not want to have a child that is a boy, they instead prefer a girl. This article explains why these parents are truly hoping to have little girls and breaking away from traditional norms that preferred boys. Having a male child is a fear amongst certain social classes in the United States. This fear is due to the expected gender roles that society expects from males, the normal aggressive behavior and boys don’t cry roles.

Brinkman, B. G., K. L. Rabenstein, L. A. Rosen, and T. S. Zimmerman. “Children 's Gender

Kathy Witterick and David Stocker are the parents of the five months child who have decided not to reveal her gender identity to anyone. The genderless baby raised concern, and the news trended in the mainstream media but the public response was negative and the referred to parents’ behavior as freakish and creepy. She does not express her stand on the issue, but she says she will go to mental health experts to understand Storm’s parent stance. However, Williams had raised her credibility and her stand before voicing her thoughts on the issue.

Now let’s go back to a much more basic, established and dangerous reality I stumbled upon these last two weeks as I was editing an academic book about the many forms of contemporary “paternities.” Yes, you heard it right. The book reproduces articles and panels from a Psychology Congress that took place last year, whose main subject was, as the title describes, a variety of possible family arrangements concerning children’s care in a world where diversity of gender is the highest value.