Gender Identity And Gender Roles/Stereotypes
What Is Gender Identity?
- Gender Identity is a personal conception of oneself being a male or a female, or maybe something in between. This is very closely related to the concept of gender roles and stereotypes.
What Are Gender Roles And Stereotypes?
- Gender roles refer to the role or behaviors
learned by a person as appropriate to their gender and are determined by dominant
cultural norms. For example, a girl who wants to take karate classes may be
called a tomboy and risks gaining acceptance from both male and female groups. Boys,
especially, are subject to intense ridicule for gender nonconformity. They face
being criticized,
bullied, marginalized or even rejected by their peers and in some cases, families
and friends.
- A stereotype is
a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or group, even though it may
not always be accurate to the group. A gender stereotype is the relatively
fixed and overgeneralized attitudes and behaviors that are considered normal
and appropriate for a person in a particular culture based on his or her
biological sex. This can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a
person’s gender. This is called sexism.
How It Affects Me
- I grew up with an open mind and was always willing
to take time out of my life to listen to people that weren’t being heard or were
alone. I am a cisgender male, which means that my gender identity corresponds
to my biological sex. This also means that my struggles are not the same as
others who have struggled trying to “find themselves” or trying to be at a
place that they feel comfortable and happy in. However, gender is so complex.
It’s a set of expectations from society, about behaviors, characteristics, and
thoughts. Each culture has standards about the way that people should behave
based on their gender. This also typically only refers to male or female. People
do like to bring in body parts at time, but it’s more so about how you’re
expected to act based on your sex. I myself have always been a little to myself
and at times can be more feminine, wanting to partake in the activities of my female companions and not wanting to partake in the
things that “guys” want to do; however, gender identity is how you feel inside
and how you express your gender through clothing, behavior, and personal
appearance. It’s a feeling that begins very early in life. I present male and I
do feel like a male, but I do not fit most gender roles and stereotypes assigned
to me.
How It Affects The Community
- I am a child of two Mexican parents, which means I am
Mexican-American. In our culture, the term “machismo” is often brought up a lot
and is something expected of the males of the family. For the newer generation,
we know that this term is more harmful. Machismo is a term originating in the
early 1930s and 40s best defined as having masculinity and pride. It is
associated with "a man's responsibility to provide for, protect, and defend
his family". Machismo is strongly and consistently associated with
dominance, aggression, exhibition, and nurturance. For this reason, the males
of the family are expected to fit these descriptions, or gender roles. The
women of the family are also expected to cook, clean, do laundry, and basically
do the needs of the “man of the house” or the breadwinner, which is also
expected of men. This is harmful to children that are taught that these roles
are expected of them.
Whether it is enforced consciously or not, children
grow up with the perception that men are the dominant, strong sex while women
are the more emotional and vulnerable sex. By age six, children have formed a solid idea of how each sex behaves and how they should be treated. We
especially see it happen with toys. Sometimes boys want to play with “girl”
toys and are quickly corrected by the girls that its “a girl toy” and vice
versa. This has also been a huge debate with clothes.
When puberty hits, the pressure to conform to these ideas influence the identity of these children. This can be confusing at times when a child may not feel comfortable in their gender identity but are forced to conform to what society tells them they should. We see it happen to many adults now that are coming out and talking about their experiences. How they weren’t happy with themselves growing up, but are finally able to come to terms with their gender identity and self-expression and are authentically becoming their true selves. The world is slowly becoming more accepting of different gender identities and self-expression that people are feeling safer and more vocal about who they are.
In Elementary School, they always focused on
separating the boys and the girls during sports, activities, and sometimes in
the classroom, and I always thought it was unnecessary. I guess they believed
that there would be some sort of unfair advantage/disadvantage between us?
After taking a number of recent Child Development classes, I learned that they
are now trying to focus on integrating both sexes more to allow for a more rich
school experience and I think that this is a better way for all children to get
familiar with their classmates, promoting stronger personal relationships,
encouraging different learning styles, and letting go of
"traditional" stereotypical gender views. Additionally, I think that
putting effort to avoid gendered language and tasks can establish a more
healthy foundation within children to hopefully correct some of the wrongs of
the past. For example, teachers can ask for any sort of student who wants to
help carry an item versus asking for a "strong boy" for help. Doing
this can establish a neutral playing field for children of every gender and let
go of the stereotypes associated with gender as a whole.
What Can We Do?
- We can fight gender stereotypes and roles. You
probably see gender stereotypes all around you. You might also have seen or
experienced sexism, or discrimination based on gender. There are ways to
challenge these stereotypes to help everyone, no matter their gender or gender
identity to feel equal and valued as people.
- Point it out. Magazines, TV, movies, and the internet
are full of negative gender stereotypes. Sometimes these stereotypes are hard
for people to see unless they’re pointed out. Be that person! Talk with friends
and family members about the stereotypes you see and help others understand how
sexism and gender stereotypes can be hurtful.
- Be a living example. Be a role model for your friends
and family. Respect people regardless of their gender identity. Create a safe
space for people to express themselves and their true qualities regardless of
what society’s gender stereotypes and expectations are.
- Speak up. If someone is making sexist jokes and
comments, whether online or in person, challenge them and correct them. Don’t
be afraid to speak up for what is right.
- Try something different. If you want to do something
that’s not normally associated with your gender, think about whether you’ll be
safe doing it. If you think you will, give it a try. People will learn from
your example.
- If you’ve been struggling with gender or gender
identity and expectations, you’re not alone. It may help you to talk to a
trusted parent, friend, family member, teacher, or counselor.
References
Goyal, Sonia. “The Harms of Gender Stereotypes on
Young Kids.” The New Normal, October 25, 2020. https://thenewnormalnj.org/the-harms-of-gender-stereotypes-on-young-kids/.
Lavigne, T. “Stereotypes
and Gender Roles.” Culture and Psychology. MMOER, July 27, 2020. https://open.maricopa.edu/culturepsychology/chapter/stereotypes-and-gender-roles/.
“Machismo.” Wikipedia,
April 19, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machismo.
“Sex and Gender Identity.”
Planned Parenthood, n.d. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity/sex-gender-identity.
Worthy, L D. “Gender Identity.” Culture and Psychology. MMOER, July 27, 2020. https://open.maricopa.edu/culturepsychology/chapter/gender-identity/.
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