Argumentatice Essay Gender Roles

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‘Boys will be boys’, a phrase coined to exonerate the entire male sex of loathsome acts past, present, and potential. But what about the female sex, if females act out of turn they are deemed ‘unladylike’ or something of the sort and scolded. This double standard for men and women dates back as far as the first civilizations and exists only because it is allowed to, because it is taught. Gender roles and cues are instilled in children far prior to any knowledge of the anatomy of the sexes. This knowledge is learned socially, culturally, it is not innate. And these characteristics can vary when the environment one is raised in differs from the norm. Child rearing and cultural factors play a large role in how individuals act and see themselves.

When expecting parents want to identify the sex of their child, occasionally the doctor will inform them to paint the nursery blue or pink rather than tell them the actual sex. More often than not they know which to expect, a boy or a girl, dependent on the color, and how to stock the nursery, with trucks or dolls, why is it that children are separated according to gender, and so early in life too? Sex is a reflection of biological organs, while gender is a state of mind. The concept of gender is so deeply rooted in society it becomes difficult to pinpoint its effects as learned rather than natural occurrences (Devor 383). It seems just natural for women to be the care givers and men the providers. Behaviors people become comfortable with are exhibited openly towards their children. Susan D. Witt states:

From the time their children are babies, parents treat sons and daughters differently, dressing infants in gender-specific colors, giving gender-differentiated toys, and expecting differe...

... middle of paper ...

...ghton Mifflin Company, 2008.

Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl.” Rereading America: 7th edition. Ed. Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle. New York: Bedford. 2007.

Schmidt, Johanna. “Redefining Fa'afafine: Western Discourses and the Construction of Transgenderism in Samoa.” 7 March 2008: 1. Intersections. Web. 10 January 2010.

< http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue6/schmidt.html.>

Silsby, Gilien. “Sociology: Study examines gender roles of children with gay parents.” 30 May 2001: 1-2. USC News. Web. 4 January 2010.

< http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/6908.html>

Vázquez, Carmen. “Appearances.” Rereading America: 7th edition. Ed. Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle. New York: Bedford. 2007.

Witt, Susan D. “Parental Influence on Children’s Socialization to Gender Roles.” 1997: 1-2. BNET. Web. 6 January 2010.

< http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_n126_v32/ai_19619406/.>

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