Insecure Gender Identity

​​Gender is defined as whatever behaviors and attitudes a group considers proper for its males and females. Unlike sex, gender is something that we learn from the day we are born. “Young children begin to acquire gender role stereotypes at about the same time they develop gender identity and by the age of 3 or 4 most children” (Amanda Youmans). Peers, community, media, religion and our upbringing all play a role in the understanding of our culture and what is considered acceptable for males and females. When the sex of a child is revealed, they are automatically placed into a gender specific role with certain expectations. There are things in this world such as colors, toys, media depiction and taught behaviors that play into these gender roles.

In the article, “Changes in Self Esteem During Middle School Year”, it gives information about self esteem, and what effects it, which insinuates that self esteem is a recurring problem in middle schools. “...ethnicity, social class, gender, and social contexts can lead to changes in self esteem,” says the author. This quote shows that many factors influence changes in self esteem. These factors include dating, although it isn’t mentioned. Dating violence can strongly influence a person’s self esteem. “Gender can also effect changes in self esteem during the adolescent years. Girls consistently experience sharper declines than boys in self esteem.” This quote goes into greater detail about how gender can influence self esteem. Sometimes this

Gender is defined as being male or female as defined by roles, social status, and attitude. The perception of oneself and what characterizes gender identity. Included in gender identity is hormone and behavior interaction, along with the examination of psychological, biological, and environmental influences on sexual separation.

A significant point in Bems’ (1993) chapter in Lens of Gender on gender identity was the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy when it comes to the treatment and development of young boys and girls in society. The first point discussed is how the ‘maternal instinct’ is not so biological as much it is women being confined to the private sphere, in turn having the most interaction with children. This point stood out as I was reading because I have known from a young age I did not want children. Many told me that my opinion would change when I grew older, and when you have your own child being a mother comes naturally. As I reflected I was reminded of the point later made by Bem (1993) that “adults in the child’s community

The traits perceived to be possessed by certain gender identities are instilled to the children while they are growing as the society have strong influence over the preferences and the behaviors of the young ones in that by influencing the interest of children they bring them up in a manner that the children start stereotyping before even they know what the stereotypes actually are since they have been brought up in an environment that they have known that certain traits or activities are appropriate or inappropriate for them. They then tend to internalize and that becomes the way to go or do things in their whole life.

The influence of cognitive development on a modern comprehension of gender identity was examined. Cognitive theories in the context of human development were assessed and examples presented to provide empirical support. These theories surrounded early gender development with aspects concentrated specifically during middle childhood to illustrate how gender identity development was perceived in children ages 5 -11 years. The process of normal and abnormal gender identity development in middle childhood and implications for future research were examined.

This paper examines how cultural diversity impacted a child’s gender identification based on research from different studies. Gender is one of the first social categories children become aware of because concept of gender identity is sometimes placed on children even before their birth. In general, stereotypes exist in any society and the children after becoming gender aware begins to develop stereotypes, which they apply to themselves and others, in order to give meaning to and gain understanding about their own identity and their feelings and attitudes towards own-gender and other-gender. Specifically, they provide additional evidence concerning the developmental pattern in which knowledge of stereotypes and preferences for stereotyped activities

Gender Identity Disorder can make a child; adolescent or adult feel awkward and alone. Gender Identity Disorder paired with either Gender Dysphoria or Transsexualism will disrupt the development of social skills and create more problems behaviorally. Normative studies present evidence of the co-morbidity through parent report data revealing that children with Gender Identity Disorder have on

Gender nonconforming boys are expected to dress and appear in a way that fits their gender role (Toomey et al., 2010). For example, boys are supposed to dress in masculine clothes, such as pants and basketball shorts and should have short hairstyles (P.P., 2017). In a study conducted by Blakemore (2003), researchers found that boys who dressed in girls’ clothing were perceived as very negative. Researchers also found that boys who violated the gender role of physical appearance, for example, clothing or hairstyle, would be perceived more negatively than girls. Physical appearance is one of the most key factors in building relationships, therefore, people who are perceived as unusual from their assigned gender role have a harder time building those relationships (Adler, Kless & Adler, 1992). Therefore, students who are perceived as out of the ordinary can lead to students being victimized in school (Pacer Centers Teens Against Bullying, 2017).

The Thomas, & Blakemore, (2013) study observed approaches about results linked with juvenile gender noncompliant; therefore, there were 518 college students at a Midwestern campus in the United States. Respondents were presented with one of ten articles re-counting the objective (Thomas, & Blakemore, 2013). Therefore, the juvenile, and the adolescent was diverse in gender-specific characteristics, well-being, and actions (Thomas, & Blakemore, 2013). The child in the vignette was: firmly male, discreetly male, neutral, discreetly female or firmly female, and the participant finished a fifty-item survey (Thomas, & Blakemore, 2013). They projected results for the objective (manhood and femaleness in maturity, stress to transform, mental regulation during the infantile and maturity, and sexual preference), and the Attitudes toward Women Scale (Spence et al, 1973) (Thomas, & Blakemore, 2013). The Thomas, & Blakemore, (2013) project presumed female objectives, children of different sexes, were thought to be probable to conquer anxiety, depression (Thomas, & Blakemore, 2013). Males were expected to demonstrate violence, conduct disorders, occurring maladaptive behaviors equally during their juvenile and maturity stages (Thomas, & Blakemore, 2013).

Previous research concerning peer aggression has been conducted under the assumption that women rarely display aggression; therefore, aggressive behavior has historically been viewed as a male phenomenon (Björkqvist, 1994). Recently, many researchers have challenged the gender bias in the existence of aggressive behaviors and have broadened the definition of aggression. Björkqvist’s research suggests sex differences exist in the quality of the aggression, but not the quantity. According to Paquette and Underwood (1999), an adolescent’s expression of anger and contempt for peers can sometimes be expressed through physical aggression, manipulation, exclusion, and/or gossip. This broader definition allows for

The construction of a self-identity can be a very complex process that every individual is identity is developed through the lenses of cultural influences and how it is expected to given at birth. Through this given identity we are expected to think, speak, and behave in a certain way that fits the mold of societal norms. This paper aims to explain how gender perform gender roles according these cultural values. I intend to analyze the process in which individuals learned and internalized their respective gender identities, through their cultural background. I will be conducting a set of interviews with the intention to compare my experience as a self-identified male of Mexican descent, to the experience of another male character of Japanese heritage in order to understand how we come to self-identify as masculine in diverged cultures. In this paper, I argue that the construction of gender identities is a direct consequence of societal influential factors such as family values; values that reflect the individual’s culture. This analysis will not only utilize evidence from these identity formations, but also in explaining why and how these self-identities were constructed using both theoretical sources and empirical studies as a framework.

However, people’s perception of gender due to society ignores these findings. Women who exhibit agency, or assertiveness in the workplace, are considerably less likely to be hired for a job than a man who has the same traits or a woman who is sensitive and motherly (Shibley Hyde). Gender stereotypes also affect young men in an even harsher way. Society believes that girls are more sensitive and more likely to have self-esteem issues. However, in Shibley Hyde’s meta-analysis, she found that there was almost no difference between adolescent boys’ and girls’ issues with self-worth (Shibley Hyde). This could potentially lead to boys not getting the help they need because society expects them to “take it like a man”.

However, the construct of perceived popularity and its positive association to aggression demonstrates that the use of some aggressive behaviours can be advantageous. Perceived popular, high status youth regularly use a combination of prosocial and aggressive behaviour to gain what they want, making them socially competent as well central to peer groups (Prinstein & Cillessen, 2003; Cillessen & Rose, 2005; Hawley, Little & Card, 2007). Thus, perceived popularity and its related aggression are not necessarily negative, and have been positively associated to group dominance, social competence, and high quality adjustment (Prinstein & Cillessen, 2003).

Throughout today’s society, there are multiple views and opinions on whether or not there are more than two genders or if gender is even just a social construct. Each person has their own individual preference on how they express their gender. Therefore, we can no longer assume what someone identifies as just by looking at them. Over the years I have learned more about gender expression and gender identity as I gained friends who were homosexual as well as transgender. I feel as if I was introduced to all of these ways of life at a young age, therefore I can, in some ways, teach those who are uneducated and do not know what to think. I have personally never really thought about the different gender identities I could label myself as but as of right now I identify as a cisgender female