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Analuisa Alonzo
Professor Beadle
English 115
30 September 2016
Societal Norms on Children: The Foretold Prophecy
Many people assume that gender and sexuality is the same concept. According to
Websters Dictionary gender is, a fact of being male or female and sex is the division of two
organisms, male or female, by the appropriate reproductive function. People do not realize that
society has set that predisposition onto our mindsets. Most people grew up with the same
thinking of, if they were born a girl they have to dress like one and if they were born a boy, they
have to like girls and be tough. Aaron Devor and Ruth Hubbard both argue, in their articles in
Composing Gender, how society has a predilection that males are superior to females. This is
based on certain behaviors and actions in order to demonstrate how society has influenced
people's perception of what the correct sexuality is. Both authors do this in order to inform all
children and young adults of the accepted behaviors and attributes of a certain gender and how
gender enforces a higher hierarchy. Gender conformities have especially impacted my life by the
closest people in my life. Gender includes the concept, presentation and biology of a person.
In the article, Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender, author
Devor believes that researchers test the establishmentof gender identity through the use of
the concepts mediated by language (Devor 36). In other words, the way people speak can
influence the different views of gender. Humankind can come in terms by labeling themselves as
the gender they have chosen but having to hide in the closet from their family members,
friends and surrounding community. Children and young adults are more susceptible to being

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influenced by the way people talk about the two genders. Society perceives the female gender as
being weak and, fragile while men are seen as strong and, more aggressive. Since gender norms
revolve around this, people grow accustom to the daily routines of gender stereotypes and
expectations. Many people do not fall into the different gender performances and social norms
that they begin to hide their true identity in fear of being punished.
At a young age, children begin to notice their gender role you demonstrations such as hair
styles and clothing. Parents dress up their children accordingly to the childs sex and therefore
sets an early example to the child exactly what gender they are expected to be. For example, if a
couple has a baby girl, they may be apt to put a dress on her so people can acknowledge that she
is in fact a girl and not a boy. Some parents even land on the conclusion of piercing their little
girls ears and giving her earrings to wear. The gender norms have been set since the early
nineteenth century. According to Ruth Hubbards article, Rethinking Women's Biology,
women were denied from obtaining many abilities and privileges that include receiving an
education (Hubbard 46). Men have always been perceived as higher and more powerful than
women. The attributes that played a role in deciding on which are more powerful is height,
weight and strength. Devor states, People use femininity or masculinity to claim and
communicate, (Devor 38) the sex or gender they chose. Men are seen to be as more courageous
when women are seen as more simplified and conservative. In today's generation, women are
being more active and more participant in sports. There are two results to this: women are being
stronger and taller. When being more active than usual, women slow down their start of their
menstruation cycle thus causing them to be taller. On page 49 of Composing Gender, Hubbard
states that we need to begin to take notice of, the obvious contradictions between stereotypic
descriptions of womens biology and the realities of womens lives.

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Societys norms are self-fulfilling prophecies that not only describe how we are but tell
us how we are supposed to be. Although these norms are self-fulfilling, this generation is
changing the norms by introducing new genders and acceptance towards them. Barbara
Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert state that people are beginning to, consider themselves gender
neutral or gender variant (Kantrowitz and Wingert 68). The main contributors to the new
gender norm are parents. Parents have now been more acceptant towards what gender their
children chose to be. In return, their children are being more confident and opening of who they
really are and setting new examples to children. Children are now seeing that any gender that
they choose will be accepted by their family members, friends and surrounding community.
People are feeling more at ease about who they really are but there are still some cases where
someone may not feel as comfortable in talking to their parent(s) about what gender they are.
There have been cases where friends know about ones sexuality and also know to keep that
information hidden from their parents. It all depends on how the parents react towards that
specific group where children are able to evaluate whether or not it is safe to tell the parents.
Having to hold this information in is a really hard and stressful task; many people have become
depressed because they have been hiding their proper gender from their parents.
As a child, I have experienced most of the examples given from gender norms and
parents. My parents have been the type of people to think little of gender norms. I would be
dressed in gender neutral clothes and would only experience wearing a dress on special
occasions. My mom would want to force me to play with Barbie dolls while my father would
allow me to play with toy cars and action figures. My parents sought to teach me the two gender
roles by my mom teaching me the duties of a lady around the house, how to cook and, the
proper mannerisms and my father would teach me how to change a tire, the properties of a car

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and, he taught me how and when to use tools. I have been influenced by both gender norms and I
can be glad to call myself gender neutral. Although my experience has led me to identify myself
as gender neutral, it is not expected for another person to have the same outcome.
Since the earliest century, society has set an extremely profusive and overbearing gender
norm that has made like glue and stuck until todays society. The norm has set parents to pressure
their children in being the gender that they should be. Children have been given a selffulfilling prophecy by society and they have not been able to break free from it until the 21st
century. Thankfully, with this generation, parents are now allowing their children be the way
they want to be and are even letting their children play with toys (of the childs choice) that
display gender specific roles. There are new genders and sexualities in society that now has
demolished the predisposition of gender roles and norms. Overtime, society has changed and has
given children and gender seekers different types of norms and role models, leading to
generations of acceptance and happiness.
Works Cited
Agnes, Michael E. Webster's New Pocket Dictionary. Place of Publication Not Identified, John
Wiley, 2011.
Devor, Aaron. Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender. Composing
Gender, edited by Rachael Groner and John F. OHara, Bedford Spotlight Reader, 2014,
pp. 35-43.
Hubbard, Ruth. Rethinking Womens Biology. Composing Gender, edited by Rachael Groner
and John F. OHara, Bedford Spotlight Reader, 2014, pp. 46-52.

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Kantrowitz, Barbara and Wingert, Pat. Are We Facing a Genderless Future. Composing
Gender, edited by Rachel Groner and John F. OHara, Bedford Spotlight Reader, 2014,
pp. 68-71.

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