Tiny Traditions Essay examples

In the article, “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meaning of Gender,” the author, Aaron Devor, is trying to convince his audience that gender shapes how we behave and relate to one another. He does this by using an educational approach, describing gender stereotypes, and making cultural references. These rhetorical devices serve his larger goal of getting readers to reflect on how their childhoods formed their genders. “Maleness and femaleness seem “natural,” not the product of socialization.” (Devor 527) Throughout his article, he makes us wonder whether or not gender is recognized through socializing.

Gender coding is not a natural or biological characteristic. People are born with different physical and biological characteristics, but make sense of their gender roles through cultural influences. “Stereotypes are amazingly powerful, and we may not realize the degree to which our thoughts, beliefs, and actions are shaped by them” (Silverman, Rader, 2010). Boys and girls are labeled as masculine or feminine, which is considered the “norm” for society. Children are not born masculine or feminine, they learn these roles from parents, peers, media, and even religion. Concepts of gender identity are sometimes placed on children even before their birth, such as with the selection of paint colors for the nursery.” Children begin to form concepts of gender beginning around the age of 2, and most children know if they are a boy or girl by age of 3” (Martin & Ruble, 2004). From an early age, children are encouraged to identify with gender coding. Gender is formed at birth, but self-identification as being male or female is imbedded into their minds by parents and society. A child learns to understand their gender role and their identity by what is taught and expressed to them by others. Yet as a child grows, gender coding can cause cultural confusion, and insecurity issues throughout the course of their life.

Children learn to process information in terms of an evolving gender schema. According to (Hetherington & Parke, 2016, Chapter 15) “Gender schema theory suggests that children develop naive mental schemas that help them organize their experiences in such a way that they will know what to attend to and how to interpret new information. According to this theory, we should expect individual differences in how gender-schematic children will be”. This gender-based schematic processing is at the heart of the present account of sex

Children learn as early as age two what it means to be a “boy” or a “girl” (Aina & Cameron). This is described as gender identity, a person’s sense of self as male or female. Gender stereotyping emerges hand in hand with the development of gender identity in Early Childhood (Halim). Gender roles are society’s expectations of the proper behavior, attitudes and activities of males and females. When babies are born they are either put in pink or blue, as they grow up they still maintain the same “gender” colors. As young children start to socialize, they are playing with either “girl” toys or “boy” toys. When they get older they

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.

Sociologist Dalton Conley wrote his book, You May Ask Yourself, addressing how “gender is a social construction” that is so normal for society to think how a man or woman should act towards the public. Society often categorizes roles that females and males are suppose to play in, but not only are they categorized they are also being taught what their gender role is suppose to do. The beginning of gender socialization can start with a child who is not born yet by simply having the parents purchase items that are all pink if its expected to be a girl, but if its expected to be a boy then everything they purchase will be blue. Conley states that gender roles are “sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany ones’ status as male or female” (Conley [2008] 2013:134). So even when a child is growing into their infant years, toys are made specifically for their gender. By examining how social construction places gender in categories it becomes apparent that males and females get differentiated a lot which emphasizes inequality between them.

"Gender Socialization is the process through which children learn about the social expectations, attitudes and behaviors typically associated with boys and girls (Hanish & Fabes, 2014)". Children learn from their parents about how the world works. Children first teacher are there mother and father. If they had learned children who play with the opposite sex toy grow up into a gay man or a lesbian female, then they would believe the same acts could happen to them if they were to play with the opposite sex toy. Children not only learn about gender roles from their parents but they also learn from their peer groups. According to Doctor Laura and Richard also stated: In regard to gender development children’s gendered behavior becomes more similar to those they spend time with (Hanish & Fabes, 2014). Children learn either bad habits or good habits from their peer circle, they would change their self’s in order to be well liked by the others in their groups. Our society should not care about socialization and what's an appropriate toy for children to play

Gender identity is defined as the identification of a human being as being male or female. The knowledge that we have about gender acquisition is still not as accurate as we would like. Biological and environmental factors are at play and not one or the other seems to be completely wrong. Biological views relating to gender identity are supported by chromosomal and hormonal based differences. Environmental perspectives emphasize on modeling and experience (individual and cultural) affecting gender acquisition. However, the only unbiased way to assess gender identity is by taking into account both biological and environmental factors (McCabe, 2007). This paper focuses on gender identity in early childhood development.

We are taught Gender by our family members from a very young age. For example, girls receive pink gifts and boys receive blue gifts. Shaw & Lee said, “Gender is embedded in culture and the various forms of knowledge associated with a given community.” (Shaw&Lee, p.116.) For example, in one community it might be acceptable for a girl to play football, and in another community the members believe, girl

Gender socialization often begins early once parents are shown the sex of their child; from then on, baby showers are planned according to gender “appropriate” colors, which are often pink for girls and blue for boys. Even differences in how children are spoke to can be picked up easily in Western cultures. Girls are called pretty and sweet, whereas boys are handsome and strong. Ultimately, the way children learn to identify with their gender culture is in part due to not only family and friends, media, schools, and religion, but also from the toys that may inexplicitly advertise gender expectations. Gender-typed toys may be bought for children as a way for parents to encourage and reinforce gender-appropriate behaviors. However, recent debates have engulfed toy manufacturers and major retailers, which has brought about changes in toy design and marketing in an effort to make reflect more realistic and gender neutral options.

Judy Pearson and Shannon VanHorn conducted a fascinating study on the concept of gender particularly the way in which men and women perceive gender. Their study was built upon the many theories of how gender is created within an individual. For example Pearson and VanHorn immediately state that “Gender as a learned behavior” (Pearson and VanHorn 2); which as their study begins to prove by the responses of the participants. Furthermore, their introduction includes the symbolic interaction theory in which parents become the primary symbols that a child sees and begins to mimic, such as the role of the father (male) and the role of the mother (female). Also, the constructionism theory is presented in which children continue to build upon previous knowledge. Yet the most interesting theory presented was the standpoint theory. In this theory, Pearston and VanHorn state that individuals accept the “standpoint” of the larger group in which they reside; such as social class. Over all their

At a very young age children are labeled on what it means to be a male and female based on their gender. This labeling is taught, but also it is something we as humans pick up on. Most of the time infants start to categorize gender by three months and are fully developed by one and half to two years old, and labeling by eighteen to twenty months (Hunt, 2016). At about two to three years old they start to develop the knowledge of roles of men and women hypothetically and start to stereotype men and women (Hunt, 2016). With the influences such as kid’s toys and TV shows it further reinforces what women and men should do. They develop an ignorance towards gender, and by playing with and watching gendered things they are learning a misinterpretation

The two biggest components of a child’s cognitive development are the individual and their environment. So it is little surprise that by the ages of 5 and 7 children already internalise and express knowledge of gender roles displayed in society by way of unpaid (ie. household) and paid labour division. Previous research has supplied evidence of this claim (Durkin & Nugent 1998, Martin & Ruble, 1998), however it is found that after the age of 7, children’s thoughts surrounding gender roles become more fluid in interpretation. Furthermore, it is discovered that there is a positive association between parental gender ideas and their children’s attitudes towards gender roles (Epstein & Ward, 2011, Fulcher, 2010). Fulcher (2010) found that when mothers held more traditional (women more likely to have an ‘at home’ role) idea of their gender stereotype,

The APA completed a study at two similar preschools, fifty-seven children evaluated were aged 3-5 years old. At the first pre-school, teachers used gendered language and divisions, In the second preschool, teachers avoided characterisations by gender. After the study, researchers questioned children concerning gender. Similarly assessed, was their interest in interacting with children of the opposite gender. Children in the second preschool exhibited no change in response or behavior. Surrounding environments affect

“Gender socialisation appears very early in childhood, and it is generally regarded as one of the most related issues.” (Early Childhood, 2007) Children learn the