Parental Influence On Gender Roles

One who claims any gender other than male or female would be considered taboo or highly unusual by our society. Biological sex is often thought to determine one’s gender identity. Though sex and gender align for the mass of our population, there is a minority group that does not feel that they belong to either male or female genders. To understand gender fluidity, one must recognize that sometimes a person’s gender and sex do not align. A person may not feel that their biological sex reflects who they are, they may feel uncomfortable with the expectations and roles placed on them due to their sex. These gender roles are created by social expectations of our western society. Gender roles are merely social constructs, and if one does not want to conform to societies conjectures placed on them due to their biological sex, they should have the freedom to non-conform.

From a young age, children are surrounded by influences that shape how they come to understand the world around them. With the formation of schemas during early childhood comes along the development of gender stereotypes and gender roles that have an impact on how children come to understand their own gender identity. Environmental factors such as peers, the media, and even parents perpetuate stereotypes through their own actions. Children come to understand gender during development through experiences that are shaped by their environment and perpetuated by their culture, which ultimately encourages gender stereotypes and conformity to gender roles.

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

Gender as defined by society as a division between biological sex and the roles you must take on in society. In reality gender is a true spectrum that does not follow a simple linear pattern. There are three major aspects that make a person who they are inside. These aspects are Sex, Gender and Gender Identity.

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.

It is important to note that gender schema cannot be considered a monolithic entity in the field of gender. Children do no classify themselves as being a boy or a girl and act in congruence with that perception in all situations. Rather their gender conduct varies based on a variety of circumstances, and such variability is observed among adults as well. For instance, a woman can perform manly duties such as hard-driving manager while at the workplace and still be able to assume her traditional chores at home.

One mark of gender socialization is the configuration of gender identity, which is one’s distinction of oneself as a man or woman. Gender identity molds how we judge others and ourselves which then impacts our actions. For instance, gender distinctions are present in the possibility of drug and alcohol abuse, violent atmospheres, and depression. Gender identity furthermore has an predominantly powerful effect on our emotions about our exterior reflection and our body image.

The term ‘gender’ was coined by John Money in 1955: “Gender is used to signify all those things that a person says or does to disclose himself/herself as having the status of a boy or man, girl or woman, respectively” (Coleman and Money, 1991, 13). In

Society has clearly defined boundaries between what is considered to be male or female. The development of an individual’s gender role is formed by interactions with those in close proximity. Society constantly tells us how we should look, act and live based on gender. Family, friends and the media have a tremendous impact on how these roles are formed and the expected behavior of each gender role.

Throughout history gender differences are have thought to start evolving early on in a child’s life. Through the process of socialization not only underneath the parent’s care, but through experiences with other children and adults children start to develop a sense of gender identity and how they should behave based on their scientifically determined sex. Gender is defined by how one performs a given role and the characteristics they display that determines whether they fulfill a male or female role in society (Newman 139). Each culture varies in how the two genders are characterized, based on values that have evolved over thousands of years of history. However, many basic traits of men and women are agreed upon throughout the world. Males are stereotypically known to be strong and assertive, smarter, go-getters. They are the dominant sex. Their appearance is known to support their psychological characteristics with large muscles and tight jaw-lines. Their strength has shown to give them the upper hand in history. Females in Western society have historically always been known to show emotion easily and are thought to be as softer psychologically and physically and are generally less aggressive. These characteristics have made it harder for women to be taken seriously, to obtain the same rights as men, and to be treated fairly. The two widely known genders, male and females exhibit characteristics almost completely opposite one another, dividing the two genders completely.

Typically, gender is defined as the social construct that sets variances among men and women as well as the opinions and characteristics that back the disparity. Despite the efforts made to enhance diversity

The dictionary definition of gender is “The behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with the one sex” Basically, whatever is deemed okay for that sex to do physically, mentally, or psychologically is gender appropriate. One's personal gender identity is found in in who they believe they are inside. It is what they like, how they react, and what they choose. These two definitions often coincide due to various factors such as biology, conformity and the maleness of the human brain.

Family plays a significant function in the foundation of one’s gender roles. The influence of family, specifically parents, institute gender roles and a young understanding of the expectation of gender conformity in young children. Emanuella Grinberg, author for CNN.com says, “More than biology, family influences impressions of what it means to be a boy or a girl, placing rigid gender expectations on children from a young age.” From the start of a child’s life, parenting begins. Namely, parents strategize

Gender Identity: An individual’s inner sense of being and ones own understanding of how one identifies either as a man, woman, neither or both.

Family / Parents, differential treatment becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (Fig. 4.1, Seccombe p.99). The family is considered as the primary and the most important and influenced agent of socialization. A child initially learns in the family what it is to be as female and male. Parents are the first educators who teach, show, and guide their children on how to act, dress, behave and adapt what a society deems suitable for male and female. For instance, parents play more aggressive or let rough-tumble play with their sons (play mostly with father). Parents buy trucks, cars or toys that come in a blue color for boys and mostly parents set a higher standard of achievement for boys than they do for their daughters. Whereas, parents describe their daughter as gentle and lenient; so, parents play more calm and quiet with daughters (play mostly with mother). Parents buy dolls and cooking stuff or toys that come in a pink color for girls and parents teach daughter’s to do household chores.