How gender identity impacts young children

How would you describe gender identification based on the literature?

Gender identity and its corresponding impacts on society have become a very contentious issues within political and social discourse. Conservatives often argue that gender identification should be based on the sexual organs an individual possesses. Based on this identical, there should be no room for error as it relates to identifying a man or a woman. Recently, organizations have challenges this thought process and have asserted that an individual’s personal gender identity is based on how they perceive themselves. For example, an individual with a male sexual organ can identify as a woman based on their own perceptions. This notion of gender identification is based off self-identity rather than having it assigned to an individual based on their sexual organs. The first approach in literature is referred to as a binary gender classification. Here humans are separate into distinct categories based on genetics. They are then expected to behave, dress, use specific restrooms, take certain responsibilities, and use certain pronouns based on their classification of male of female. The literature and society overall have argued that these classifications should be much more flexible and refer to an individual’s self-identification. They argue that although a person is born a man, they can identify as a woman and adhere to the many of the more female societal standards. This debate has become contentious over recent years as advocates for both side continue to push their agenda.

What are some of your earliest memories and messages you were sent about the differences between genders?

As a young child, my memories were based on media, advertising, and parental influences. Here parents often displayed many of the traditional gender roles in society. The male was expected to take out the trash, perform maintenance on the house, lift heavy objects, mow the lawn and so forth. Likewise, the females were expected to cook, maintain the cleanliness of the household, maintain her fitness to be sexually attractive to her mate, and raise the children. These messages were exacerbated through media which tends to reinforce many of the above behaviors through movies and television shows. Commercials, particularly auto manufactures, depicted a hard-working man attempting to attract the sexy woman with a new BMW. Clorox commercials showed the blonde housewife struggling to keep the home clean while her children frolicked about. Each of these examples showcased gender messaging and the roles that both men and women had to occupy in society. Although not explicit, these gender roles also had subcategories based heavily on racial stereotypes as well. The media help create perceptions as what it meant to be a black male and black female in society. It helped expand stereotypes as what it meant to be an Asian man or an Asian woman in society. Looking back, this form of media advertising was meant to appeal to a certain audience as oppose to being factual correct. As a result, my earliest memories, particularly as a teenager assumed these depiction of men and women were correct. However, through life, I noticed that many exceptions exist to the predominant theory prevailing in the world today related to gender roles .

What messages did you receive about how boys and girls ought to be socialized?

Many of the messages related to how boy and girls should be socialized were related to the gender roles discussed above. Boys were expected to play with cars, be dirty, play sports, and be ambitious. Girls on the other hand were expected to be “feminine,” do housework, support the boys, be cheerleaders, and portray the “Damsel in distress” role. Each of these roles were reinforced by society in some way or form. For example, many girls were not allowed to play certain sports irrespective of their physical limitations. Boys were often ridiculed if they wanted to be apart of the cheerleading squad. They instead were honored when they played physical sports such as football, basketball, or track. Girls were expected to use their looks and beauty to appeal to the boys. They were conditioned through their parents and social media to wear certain makeup, to dress a certain way, and behave in a certain manner. Many of these mannerisms were ultimately designed to attract the male or to coalesce to his desires, both sexual and socially. Likewise, the boys were expected to be “masculine,” to grow and fight for whatever their desires were. The boys were trained to compete and to win no matter the cost. Here winning is the ultimately goal. Boys were taught winning meant having the most beautiful girl, having the most money, the largest house, and the most material possesses. However, none of these aspects determine happiness. Both the male and female role are heavily skewed towards pre-conceived notions on behavior. Much of this behavior is taught at a very young age and often does not reflect societal beliefs. Rather, it reflects an older way of thinking that prevailed when women’s rights were limited, and men controlled much of society (Blaise,, 2009).