Penelope Eckert And Sally Mcconnell-Ginet

Today, labels are placed upon people as fast as a blink of an eye. One of the most common labels being placed upon people is their perceived gender. Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet, the authors of “Learning to Be Gendered”, argue that gender is not based on biology; instead, it is a binary meant to categorize people for how they should live their lives. Eckert and McConnell-Ginet have effectively written about the societal pressures and expectations placed on children to fulfill their “specific” gender role. Through the rhetorical strategies of tone, ethos, logos, and pathos, the authors thoroughly explain the effects gendering has on children.

Eckert and McConnell-Ginet used a formal and educated tone to help them effectively convey

that gender is not based on biology. They had an abundance of scientific research to support their thesis along with many situations that are relatable to their readers. The tone is consistent throughout the article until you reach the last two pages where there’s a shift. The majority of the article centers around research until the emotional shift at the end where they state that boys and girls “do not have the option of growing into just people, but into boys or girls” (Eckert and Ginet, 742). From the moment one is born, one is characterized as either a boy or a girl. The nurses in the hospital place a “pink [cap] for girls and blue [cap] for boys” (Eckert and Ginet, 737). Parents place their children in either a “frilly dress with puffed sleeves [or]… overalls with vehicles printed on them,” in order to tell society what gender they are. The tone of the article makes it effective because it clearly shows Eckert and McConnell-Ginet’s disdainful attitude toward the subject matter and the reader. Their writing is relatable and brings light upon the other strategies they use that adds to the effectiveness of their argument.
Though there are three rhetorical appeals that are prevalent in this article, the most popular form used in Eckert and McConnell-Ginet’s main argument is ethos. Philosophers, surveys, experiments, and case studies are referenced throughout the article. The case study that was the most effective in providing insight and proving their argument was the study done by John and Sandra Condry. In this study, the Condrys’ “found that adults watching a film of a crying infant were more likely to hear the cry as angry if they believed the infant was a boy, and as plaintive or fearful if they believed the infant was a girl,” (Eckert and Ginet, 739). This study was the most persuasive because of the connection that it makes with the reader. The way it is written makes one feel as if the authors are talking directly to oneself, and not to just a random person. The article installs the thought of “why are we labeling infants that cannot do anything on their own?” in the reader’s brain.
The second most common rhetorical appeal found in this article is logos.

Logos strengthens Eckert and McConnell-Ginet’s effectiveness by providing logical reasoning and examples to sway the reader. Eckert and McConnell-Ginet use logos mostly through examples of “gendering” ordinary life. There are numerous examples that include: “[t]he first thing people want to know about a baby is its sex,” colors when staying at the hospital- a blue or pink blanket or cap, “overalls with vehicles printed on them” can be found in the “boys” section of Baby’s R US, and even the fact that boys and girls are not only spoken to differently- “[p]arents use more diminutives (kitty, doggie) when speaking to girls than to boys (Gleason et al. 1994), they use more inner state words (happy, sad) when speaking to girls,” but that adults also tend to “actually…treat boys and girls differently…teachers respond to girls when they talk, babble, or gesture, while they respond to boys when they whine, scream, or demand physical attention,” (Eckert and Ginet, 740). Eckert and McConnell-Ginet were able to effectively apply logic because they appealed to their audience’s intelligence along with offering credible evidence to support their argument. The authors effectively used inductive reasoning, adding logical pieces to the evidence to reach conclusions, through

logos.
In the last two pages of the article, Eckert and McConnell-Ginet incorporate pathos.

Even though pathos is the least prominent form of persuasion found in this article, Eckert and McConnel-Ginet’s use of it is powerful and not over-done. Eckert and McConnell-Ginet use the sentimental feeling of “growing up” to speak towards the reader’s heart. Society does not give children “the option of growing into just people, but into boys or girls” (Eckert and Ginet, 742). Pathos is incorporated into this statement by making the reader feel sympathy towards children that are forced to grow into a gender rather than being able to choose. The last sentence of “Learning to Be Gendered”, Eckert and McConnell-Ginet use pathos in order to explain how parents are even expected not to force their children to have a certain gender as they have “been observers in experimental situation[s] doing just that” (Eckert and Ginet, 743). Eckert and McConnell-Ginet create an effective argument by utilizing pathos that hope for children to grow up without pressures regarding their gender identity has vanished because even the most accepting parents cannot truly refrain from “gendering” their

children.
These logical appeals worked as an aid in Eckert and McConnell-Ginet article. They established their credibility through ethos by doing extensive research and incorporating what they found in the article. Ethos is the most effective form of logical appeal because they were able to provide concrete research on why gendering children is a negative. When writing about infants and babies, Eckert and McConnell-Ginet used more logical approach in order to help the reader understand their argument. They provide examples that introduce new information to the reader and that makes sense. At the end of the article, Eckert and McConnell-Ginet start to manipulate the reader’s emotions in order to effectively end their article through pathos. Their entire article is effective, but the added icing at the end leaves the reader believing that it is even more effective than they thought it was.
Eckert and McConnell-Ginet are informing the public of the mistreatment that they, themselves are doing to their own kids, and to make them aware of what actions are defined as “gendering”. Through educating the public, parents will be convinced to cease to force their children into their “expected” genders.