Gender: A Socially Constructed Ideal

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Where does a boy learn to be a man and a girl learn to be a woman? If is impossible for one to pinpoint the exact moment in time where they learned what it means to be a boy or a girl. The reason? Gender roles are a result of constant exposure to gender socialization. From birth forward, we become susceptible to society’s opinion on what a male or female should consist of. The way we dress, the way we act, the choices we make, and the way we interact with others can all be linked in some way back to the gender roles present in our lives. While that may not seem like such a bad thing, gender roles can prove to be quite detrimental to the growth and development of a child. This is because gender roles provide stringent guidelines that one feels compelled to adhere to, leaving little choice and autonomy for a child growing up in our society.

In order to explore the origins of how gender roles are learned, a solid definition of gender versus sex must be developed. Sex is completely biological, and the physical sex organs one is born with are determined by nature. Gender, on the other hand, is not biological in any sense—it is in fact something that is decided and dictated by societal and parental influence. What it means to be male or female is something that we are taught. Contrary to popular belief, it is clearly not something that comes preprogrammed into our brains. The American Psychological Association defines gender as “…the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for boys and men or girls and women. These influence the ways that people act, interact, and feel about themselves.” This definition confirms that gender is learned, rather than inherited. As psych...

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"Child Gender Identity." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. TVO Parents, 30 Apr. 2009. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.

"Gender Identity and Gender Confusion In Children." Healthy Children. American Academy of Pediatrics, 11 May 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.

Hoffman, Jan. "Boys Will Be Boys? Not in These Families."New York Times 10 Jun 2011, n. pag. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.

Maes, Cheryl. E-mail Interview. 16 Nov 2011.

McDaniel, Sarah, Kelsi Caywood, and Natalie Wahl. "Should Children Be Raised Gender Neutral? (Our Turn Column)." Michigan Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - MLive.com. Kalamazoo Gazette. Web. 07 Nov. 2011.

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