To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: The Social Construction Of Gender

Je’Ronee Blackwell

Hum – 150 – E01

The Social Construction of Gender

Everyone’s gender is socially constructed. From the time we’re born until the time we die, there are influences come from society that assemble our gender. Gender is basically a creation of what is considered to be masculine or feminine. There are different ways we show gender, we determine gender through gender assignment, gender identity, gender expression, gender ranking, and gender acquisition. Gender assignment is given at birth from the physical body type. Gender identity is the gender one feels a part of. Gender expression is how one performs gender according to those around him or her. Gender ranking is valuing on gender over another gender. Gender acquisition is how one learns gender.

Society has many different forms of gender acquisition.

In this country, gender is constructed basically by two frequently used quotes. Those quotes are “act like a lady” and “act like a man”. Women are told to act like a lady. This means for women to be polite, happy, subordinate to men, and just be everything that society thinks a woman should be. Then, if a woman behaves outside of this social norm then, she is called many different disrespectful names such as, dyke, bossy, whore, bitch, jezebel, thot, slut, and tomboy. Women are cat-called, stalked, kidnapped, sexually harassed, and even told they are not wife material just because society has become accustom to this idea of what is perceived to be “normal.” However, men are told to act like a man. To be a “man” means being sex driven, rude, insensitive, and aggressive. When male acts outside of the social for men, he is called names such as, pussy, faggot, queer, weak, and, bitch. Yet, society always finds a way to make the women responsible for everything. When a man doesn’t “act like a man”, he is considered to not be raised correctly. Basically, stating that it’s the mothers fault because her son chooses to act outside of social

norms.
My entire life, I have been told to act like a lady from my father. I grew up with a house full of boys and I was the only girl. This had a large affect on my gender expression. Instead of me staying in the house and cooking with the women, I preferred to go outside, run around, and get dirty. Because I did these things, I was told that no man would want to marry me in the future due to me acting like a “boy.” I started to believe these things, so I started to hang with more females and to stay in the house more. I started to learn how to be a “lady.” My mother has taught me to aspire to marriage and that I shouldn’t be a sexual being. Yet, the boys who I was raised with were not taught to aspire to marriage. I am cisgender, my gender parts (identity, expression, ranking, and acquisition) all match; I “qualify” as female.