Several researchers over the years have been able to recognize significant differences between the sexes. The distinctions of them include the structure of the brain, child development, and perceptions about the world (Gervais, 2012). Similar to this, parents will often take this knowledge and use it to raise their child, or children, following the structure of gender roles. However, there are consequences to this, as a child’s first teacher in life is their parents. Children raised this way will be brought up as a prophecy to what their parents believe. For example, boys are expected to be much more aggressive and stronger than a girl child, while the girls are thought of to be more emotional and more social than the boys. These gender roles …show more content…
Parents need to raise their children in such a way that allows them to be instrumental, responsible, and successful in future society (Ehrensaft, 2007). Over the course of the years, many activists have advocated for fairness between men and women. This is along the same line with the values that work towards ensuring gender equality in every aspect of life. Parenting involves shaping the future of children, as they play a significant role at the young ages of children. Like what was stated earlier, parents are the very first teachers of their children. So why is it that we shower boys with toy trucks and sporty clothes and tell our girls to wear pink dresses and play with dolls? Perhaps this is something that the children are only taught to want, not what their hearts sincerely desire. The process of parenting involves helping children out of their comfort zones and helping them explore new opportunities (Ehrensaft, 2007). In addition to all of this, parents are there in order to aid their kids in reinforcing the imperfect aspects of their life. As such, it is crucial to allow girls and boys to grow in the same environment, since this will allow them to have alike abilities. With this, equal treatment allows independence of children from their parents, enables them to grow their confidence, and have the ability to …show more content…
Favoring or focusing on one particular sex will make the other disadvantaged in society, thus regurgitating the same issues our world has faced in the past. Moreover, equality of both genders will result in parity that gives both children the same opportunities to succeed in life (Ehrensaft, 2007). So, as we go forth as future parents and role models to our children, let us be aware about our gender stereotypes and just how damaging they can be. Let’s think twice before assuming a boy wants to play football outside and a little girl wants to have tea party. Let’s keep in mind that both genders have the same right to be treated equally before they grow up and decide how they want to portray themselves to the world. This is the beauty about the gift of being a child; you have to world at your fingertips to be exactly who you want to be, and it’s wrong to silence
Parents do not need to change how they raise their kids because it is not very natural to be that way with girls. The Debate of “Are we raising sexist boys?” states that a young girl got mocked by a boy because she wanted to pursue a football career, and play for the school. Jane McManus is the parent; she is a reporter at ESPN. She wrote an article and people are speaking out about the situation. We Should not change how we raise our boys, because not every boy is the same way.
The documentary “The Pinks and the Blues” and the podcast “Can a Child be Raised Free of Gender Stereotypes” discuss the unconscious gender stereotypes and assumptions that our culture places upon children. Children are enculturated with ideas about who they should be, how they should think and behave, and this enculturation has distinct effects upon the child psychology and way of living in the world. The viewer is left with the question: Is it possible to raise a child without gender stereotypes? “The Pinks and the Blues” states that gendered treatment of children begins within 24 hours of the child’s birth. Descriptors for male infants and female infants were different, with boys being labeled as big, strong, and alert while girls were labeled as being delicate, petite, and inattentive.
The fight for women’s or people of colors rights is not new. Women and people of color have been fighting since the beginning of time for their systematic rights. Sojourner Truth said in her speech “to the Women’s Rights Convention,” “I have heard much about the sexes being equal. I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too, if I can get it. I am strong as any man that is now” (890).
The requirements our growing children face daily is absolutely absurd, and the scary part of it is that we don’t even realize we are doing it. We don’t realize the signals being sent to our children, because they have become such a regular part of society. Based off of the article by Lise Eliot, “Special Issue His Brain, Her Brain: The truth about boys and girls” even though there are biological differences between genders, the biggest factor heavily relies on the culture and upbringing in which the child is raised. Studies have proven that boys have larger brains and heads than girls do. However, girl’s brains finish growing earlier than boy’s brains.
Rhetorical Analysis 2 Boys will be boys, or will they? Gregory McLeod Dr. I. Williams ENGL17889GD October 2, 2015 “Good morning boys and girls! Today in class we are going to talk about what is expected of good little boys, and good little girls, so turn on your listening ears!” The expectations of boys and girl historically are far from being realistic, and ultimately harmful. To understand this we must first look at what society defines for good boys and girls, the difference when gender stereo-trying, and the effects on children.
Gender stereotyping, while it may be considered a minor issue, has plagued both men and women in the United States for decades. Despite affecting society for decades, little to nothing has been done to combat gender stereotyping properly. In Melissa Hogenboom’s “The Gender Biases That Shape Our Brains,” Hogenboom brings attention to how gender stereotyping can negatively affect both parents and children and offers possible solutions to the issue. Similarly to Hogenboom’s article, The peer-review journal by TJ Arnold focuses on the effect gender stereotyping has on children, but unlike Hogenboom, Arnold takes both traditional and non-traditional households into account. In contrast, Emilie Kao’s "Woke Gender" argues that the "woke gender" values
Although some inherent distinctions between the sexes exist, Orenstein mentions Eliot’s findings on neuroplasticity to suggest that nurture supersedes nature in determining a child’s behavior. A child is most impressionable during the earliest stages of life, when his or her brain is still developing. That is why learning various concepts such as language, for example, is most easily acquired before the age of puberty. Thus, an individual’s upbringing is fundamental in the development of traits and therefore, gender
These studies suggest that children observe gender stereotypes at an early age unintentionally. Since children’s brains are constantly soaking in new information about the world around them, they have to do so in a way that they are seemingly most comfortable. Studies show that children are most comfortable learning from people who are actively in their lives and attractive movie and TV
The topic that I have been curious about for a while is gender role development in children. I have witnessed my niece and nephew grow older and often wondered if it is just a biological differences that explains why my niece prefers my little pony foofoo things and why my nephew likes to be rambunctious and play with transformers. We often hear, “Boys will be boys” and I initially thought this was a biological predisposition; however, it is interesting to find out there are many other factors at play that form the gender roles we see. Some of the readings suggest several reasons why girls and boys behave so differently. For example children will learn from their parents, seeing what their mom does or dad does and associate those things
After baby enters the world, individuals are overwhelming with symbols and languages which build the concept of gender roles and gender stereotypes. Language fitted to girls by family might involve affection, expressivity, delicateness or frangible, on the other hand, language appropriated to descried boys by family is usually focused on physical characteristics and cultivated traits such as strength and agility. In additions, fathers play a major role of instilling their children with the strongest pressure for gender specific behavior (Long, 2011). They give rewards and positive feedback for gender behavior to daughter but punish sons for gender inappropriate behavior and given more on negative
First and foremost, parents have a great responsibility when it comes to providing care and support to their children. Without love has a child little chance to develop normally, both in social and academic work. Parents are also strong norm transmitters, in the sense that they are role models as well as mother and father. Children tend to imitate their parents and identify with them, therefore it is crucial that parents are good role models. The values parents are for continued often to the children, that is the parents (standard transmitters) strength very strong.
In “X: A Fabulous Child’s Story”, Lois Gould reveals that she thinks gender stereotypes are unnecessary and negative. In the story, girls are expected by society to behave a certain way while boys are expected by society to behave another way (Gould). For example, Jim’s character starts “wheeling his little sister's doll carriage around the football field” which is a behavior his parents disapprove of (Gould). In this way, gender stereotyping limits what boys and girls feel is acceptable behavior which can prevent children from being themselves and contributing to society in their own ways. Expecting girls for example, to “vacuum the carpet” and expecting boys to “mow the lawn” forces the idea that girls and boys must each conform to gender
Gender roles are built on gender norms, or standards, which are rooted in cultural perceptions or based on societal expectations. In many societies, masculine roles are associated with strength, aggression and dominance whilst female roles are associated with subordination, nurturing and passivity. Men and women are expected to adhere to these roles. Gender is a learned behavior.
Society has made a clear distinction that there are some behaviors and responsibilities designated to specific genders. Although the line between genders has blurred over time, gender expectation is very much still in place. For me growing up, my mother was my role model, as a woman she taught me what my responsibilities and behaviors should be. Along with my mother, the media has also helped to reinforce gender distinctions. Having the opportunity to be raised alongside my brother opened my eyes to the difference between what our parents were teaching us.
When parents first find out the gender of their baby, they automatically start to characterize the objects they buy based on that gender. They start to decorate the nursery in certain colors and a common theme they believe matches the sex of the baby. The most common representation for girls is pink and for boys is blue. Even a non-blue and a non-pink theme, such as a jungle, can still reflect the gender identity of the child based on the undertones of femininity or masculinity. This common theme of adults assuming what they believe is appropriate for a girl or boy will continue throughout the child’s life and will affect his or her views on acceptable gender roles and gender behavior.