Society Defines Gender Roles - Research Paper Example

Society Defines Gender Roles Gender question seems to be a timely one because of popular modern social tendencies such as liberalism and individualism. The 20th century forced society to go through a line of changes, caused by great breakings made in humane sciences, sexual and feministic revolutions, and the fall of totalitarian regimes. It generally made people value individual revelations. Yet, a gender revelation seems the most painful for society who historically determined only two possible social genders: male or female. While some modern families, like the Witterik and Stocker couple from Jayme Poisson’s article “Parents Keep Child’s Gender Secret” consider a social gender as a stereotypic and tyrannical issue, scholars of social science, particularly Thomas D. Steensma in “Gender Identity Development in Adolescence” and Curt Hoffman and Nancy Hurst in “Gender Stereotypes: Perception and Rationalization?” are looking for a scientific explanation of a social gender prejudice. Gender firstly should be given a correct definition, and Steensma describes gender in “Gender Identity Development in Adolescence” as a very complex issue. It’s different from sex, because sex is an inborn biological characteristic which usually matches with genitals differentiation, while gender can be revealed during life (Steensma 289). Gender constitutes of biological inborn characteristic and gender identity, which is a personal revelation of gender, and of a gender role, which is determined by social expectations on males and females (different behavior, social roles and different personal characteristics are expected) (Steensma 291). Thus, gender depends on biological (hormones, chromosomes and genitals) and psycho-sociological (nurturing) factors. It doesn’t seem possible to reveal gender without social interference in a process. Society affects a gender identity by imposing different natures of male and female nurturing: parents and a social environment both tend to raise male and female children with a view of their future social roles (Hoffman & Hurst 197). A nurturing starts early, already from a new born period, and society behaves differently towards babies of different sex, starting from a lexicon used when talking about a baby to different toys and activities imposing. It seems important for society to define gender from the very first days of life. Witterink and Stocker who raise a transgender child admits, “When baby comes out even the people who love you and are close to you firstly ask if it’s a boy or a girl” (Poisson 365). Surrounding people do not understand why parents put their child gender on ice while Witterink and Stocker do not understand why society won’t leave gender revelation on child him/ herself. Hoffman & Hurst see a rational explanation of this social need of a defined gender: as there’s a strict traditional definition of social roles for males and females, gender should naturally be imposed from very early days of life for a better future socialization (Hoffman & Hurst 203). Scholars propose that people tend to stereotype male and female social roles, because they consider some personal characteristics are more likely to be found among a particular gender (Hoffman & Hurst 203). Hoffman & Hurst also define an ideological ground for this definition: “We simply suggest that people in our culture believe that there are inherent male and female differences”, and therefore there are no reasons for a personal gender identification (Hoffman & Hurst 199). Explanations on the importance of a gender strict definition, which friends and other society representatives were giving to Witterink and Stocker, confirm Hoffman & Hurst findings: surrounding people were worried that a transgender child would have problems with socialization and insisted on gender definition to be made by parents (Poisson 365). From this point of view Witter and Stocker’s decision may be considered as asocial and constitutes a problem. The consequences of his parents’ decision to neglect a social opinion on the matter and provide a transgender nurturing already experiences Witterink and Stocker’s elder son, Jazz. The boy (as he strongly identifies himself) experiences problems with socialization and doesn’t want to go to school, because there are a typical male behavior, look and personal characteristics expected from him, while Jazz look and preferences are mostly those which are considered to be girlish (Poisson 368). The point is that there’s no place for transgender culture in a mainstream society, and despite the biological point of view where there’s a natural period of transgenderness for babies (not mentioning some biological and/ or psychological variations on gender, like for example, gender dysphoria), there’s no social transgender period (Steensma 289). Society tends to stereotype individuals and doesn’t leave a gender revelation to a child to choose. In my own research I am engrossed in uncovering how society decides a gender. With a view of a very complex definition of gender which Steensma conveys in the article. I made a prediction that the concept of gender is commonly simplified and considered to be equal with sex (289). Thus, I expected gender to be identified with a person’s sex. In my own research I am also fascinated in finding what element is considered by society as the most influential for gender construction: nature or nurturing. With a view of a common social belief on inherited origin of male/ female personal characteristics discussed by Hoffman & Hurst, I made a prediction; in social opinion a pattern of gender will be considered as an inborn matter (199). For my research, fifteen local families with children were interviewed. They were asked two standard questions about gender: “how have you determined your child/ or children gender?” and “do you believe a male/ female personal characteristics are inborn or come with nurturing?” The results of my research confirmed my first prediction. When answering on the first question, twelve parents demonstrated a slight confusion and then, gave similar answers. Firstly, they tried to explain that they did not choose a gender for their child as their child was born a boy or a girl. One family couple clarified that all of their three children were born without any “questions in genital area”, and thus, they were nurtured as a girl, a girl and a boy correspondently. The other three couples explained gender in two terms: their children were born male or female and later, preferred male or female activities. One family couple among three explained, “Our child is a boy, because he is male in physical terms and also, he’s trying to behave and look like dad”. My second prediction was not fully confirmed by the results. Merely five couples have answered that they believe gender individual characteristics are inborn rather than nurtured. Two family couples also expressed an opinion, that most of personal characteristics are inborn and hard to be fixed by nurturing. The other ten family couples answered, that both inborn characteristics and nurturing are important to raise a man or a woman. It should be admitted, that all interviewed parents spoke on gender in terms of expected masculine or feminine social behavior. It also seems valuable to admit, that all interviewed couples do not consider gender as something willingly chosen by a child him or herself. Thinking of childhood I can say that my own gender was also identified by my parents according to my sex. Yet, my parents were not trying to impose activities or personal features with a view of a specific sex. My mother used to say, I should be sharing and kind, because people are kind-to-kind people, while my Father used to say, I should be strong, because life is hard and tricky. Among my interests I firstly find some transgender interests (like music and traveling). Though football is commonly known to be a typically male interest, I tend to explain my own interest in football by a family tradition: I used to watch World Cups together with my Father. With a view of the above said, it can be concluded that gender is a very complex issue. Therefore, society tends to simplify gender and imply gender stereotypes even during a socially transgender period, like early stages of newborn. The most likely reason for gender imposing is rationalization: a child is grown male or female to fit better for male or female social roles. For this reason, transgender is considered as a socially unacceptable behavior. According to my own research, gender is commonly confused with sex and thus, identified as an inborn characteristic. Gender personal characteristics are commonly considered to depend on nature as well as on nurturing. Works Cited Hoffman, Curt & Hurst, Nancy. “Gender Stereotypes: Perception and Rationalization?” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1990, Vol. 58, No. 2, 197-208. Print. Poisson, Jayme. “Parents Keep Childs Gender Secret.” Emerging Contemporary Readings for Writers, 2ndEdition. Ed Barlay Barrios. Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2010. 364-370. Print Steensma, Thomas D. (2013). “Gender Identity Development in Adolescence.” Hormones and Behaviour. 64 (2013) 288–297. 2013. Print. Read More