Gender Roles Is Socially Constructed

I strongly believe education plays a vital role in the construction of gender. Gender is accepted to refer to cultural constructions of masculinity and femininity (Skelton and Francis, 2005). Many Sociologist agree with the idea that gender differences are socially constructed. According to this idea, socialisation develops gender roles, and these roles are described by Macionis, J and Plummer (2008) as the socially accepted characteristics for a given sex. Schooling plays an integral role in our lives from the onset and so inevitably shapes our gender ideologies. In this essay, I will discuss my stance on the above statement: “Schools are like old-fashioned factories, and what they produce is gendered individuals” (Kimmel, 2008). I will examine

At this stage, we are being educated in far more than our ABC’s, spelling, science and math. “We learn- and teach one another-what it means to be men and women” (Kimmel, 2008, p.175). This is portrayed clearly in our educational institutions, by what we are being taught, who is teaching us, the methods they are using to educate us, and lastly how the educational institutions are organised. I believe this aptly captures Kimmel’s view of schools as “old-fashioned factories, and what they produce is gendered individuals” (Kimmel, 2008, p.175). Kimmel (2008) continues by stating that we become gendered through the official curriculum consisting of textbooks and so on, and in contrast through the “hidden curriculum” comprising of our informal interactions with both teachers and other students. In the next paragraph, I will go into more detail on how early education assists in the construction of

It is common to locate play trucks, blocks and cars in one are and dolls and play kitchens in another area. Even this simple idea, teaches children how to act male and female. Children learn gender roles by engaging in activities. Messages are sent to the children from their surrounding environment that further heighten the notion of what it means to be male or female. Therefore, from an extremely young age, schools teach children that boys are expected to play with trucks and the likes, while girls are more suited to playing with dolls. Francis and Skelton (2005) note how even during the early years, modes of acceptable behaviour are firmly established among peer groups. Boys and girls then ensure that everyone behaves in accordance with the norms expected. Kimmel (2008) points out the role teachers and the school curriculum play in overtly and delicately reinforcing gender differences, and also the inequalities that go hand in hand with those differences. Kimmel (2008), explains to us a personal experience of his, when he used his position as a teacher to conform to gender norms. Kimmel, explains how all the girls in his class would start the day, quietly reading books or playing inside in the sandpit and how all the boys would race in, grab a truck and run outside. However, Brad was the exception. He would walk in and head straight to the easel and