The Social Construction of Gender

In studying gender in regards to social construction again we hear the debate of nature vs nurture. In my opinion nature plays a much bigger role than nurture does. Even as children many people tend to have two different types of personalities, there are those children who play dolls and house (which are generally girls), and there are those children who play games such as Indians and cowboys or war (which are generally boys). Just as this happens as we are growing up there are people who tend to be more passive and those who tend to be more aggressive. This is even shown in early societies as well as societies that still have hunters and gatherers, the men tend to more aggressive and are therefore hunters while women tend to  be more passive and are therefore gatherers. This can be seen today in jobs as well. As the book says more women tend to gravitate towards secretarial jobs which are more passive. I think that while people may learn to be one way or another there is always generally a natural pull towards roles and has a fair bit to do with personality. Sometimes that aligns with ones sex as well and sometimes it is the opposite. Personally I see no problem with typical gender roles as long as some crosses are accepted.

When I say that crosses must be accepted I mean things such as an even playing field. I do not believe as our ancestors did that men are more powerful or should be more respected but instead believe that men and women are equal people that simply still play these old roles. I think that a women is just as qualified as a man to do anything however am still apt to ask a boy to carry a box, or get something off a high shelf, that there are "boy tasks" and "girl tasks" in a home. I think perhaps this view comes from the almost fairytale I believe in. I have been told that I see the world not for what it is but more for what I would like it to be, for what I see in movies with "happily ever afters" and the stories companies such as Disney push upon us.

I also however believe that gender socialization contributes to gender roles. That while people always have a natural pull towards feminine or masculine roles they are also taught some of those traits as well. I do not completely believe that gender roles are learned because all over the globe some similar roles can be found in men and women. Women tend to be more nurturing and almost "softer". The example conversation between the two grandparents to me seems normal. I could see this conversation happening any day although the book points out the exaggerated differences.


Reading further we come across a theory involving social construction of gender, I can also agree with this as well. I think that no matter what one's sex is people have gender roles, while I do typically align gender and sex I do not believe that is the only way one can feel. I said previously that I like gender roles, and I do, however I can embrace that people feel the way they do. A man may feel more nurturing then socially assumed and a woman may be more aggressive, that is okay and that is another reason I believe that nature has very much to do with ones gender.While I said there are "boy jobs" and "girl jobs" I mean simple things such as taking out the trash, not things that affect a large part of ones life. Like I stated in the beginning of my entry I believe that every person has a natural pull towards a gender and most of the time this aligns with their sex as well however some of the time peoples genders and sex can be polar opposites, situations like this further substantiate, in my eyes, that gender begins as a natural feeling.