Social Construction of Gender
Right away when I get to the Kohl's online website and search under "departments" and click on "kids", there are already separate categories for the boys and girls clothes. However, under each category labeled "boy" or girl", the items are all the same, just with the gender word in front of them. For example, "boy hoodies, girl hoodies". Just by seeing this, we have already separated what girls are suppose to wear from what boys are suppose to wear. Boys wear blue sweaters with super hero faces on them, lego patterned socks, or shirts with toy trucks printed on them. Girls wear pink, soft and fluffy sweaters, colorful leggings, and dresses with princesses on them. By doing this, this already teaches young kids that go shopping with their parent, that they can only wear what is in the "boy" or "girl" section. As these kids get older, the segregation of gender clothes become even more prominent to society. Now, stores like Old Navy, Forever 21, and American Eagle are separated right when you enter the store. Men clothes to the left, women's clothing to the right.
For a long time gender is already given to a baby even when the baby is not even born yet. Even before we can tell the sex of the child, the father may already want a boy so he can play football, carry the last name, or be the new "man" of the house while mothers are already want a girl to dress up, go shopping with, and to cook with. By doing this, the parents have already established what their child is going to do when they find out the sex. Once they do find out the sex, the expectations for their child grows. They paint the room either blue or pink, buy blue or pink outfits, and buy toys depending on the sex. However, when the child is born, they should be able to decide what gender they want to be whether it fits their sex or not.
The qualities, activities, and characteristics emphasized for girls versus boys include what toys they're suppose to play with, what color clothes they're suppose to wear, and how they appear in public such as wearing makeup or shaving facial hair. Girls are suppose to play with dolls, play house, be "cute" and act "sweet and innocent", speak only when told, and wear makeup to look presentable for the public. Boys are suppose to act "tough" and play with action figures, play sports like football and basket ball, and have facial hair to show they reached puberty/are mature. These are not what I believe how boys or girls are suppose to act or look like, but how most of what society expects from either girls or boys.
What do you think about the separate categories to choose from right at the beginning? Do people of our age think this is a big deal or not when we go shopping online? Since babies are too young to have control over what they wear how can their gender identity not be decided for them?
ReplyDeleteIt's very interesting when you talk about how parents emphasize which gender is wanted. In my culture people have always said that with you deciding which gender you want the baby can also hear what you have said. Therefor the child is very depressed due to their parents lack of wanting them. I just found that interesting, maybe it could be true?
ReplyDeleteYou raise some interesting points in your last paragraph--how do you see these norms of how boys and girls are socialized connecting to the lists we made in class of male and female gender socialization? And does the binary nature of the clothing departments make it harder for folks to "cross" to the other gender section?
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