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Tracy Gonzalez
Dr. Ditch
English 113A
7 December, 2015
Societys Conformity on Gender Roles
Gender is the identification of being a male or female, but societys perception of what a
male or female role should be is more than the physical attributes. Societys view on gender
influences a childs process thinking of what makes you a male or female, and their roles. People
have been influenced since early childhood by society on their views of gender conformity roles,
the way it is learned, the expectations from early childhood, the behavior that is appropriate, and
struggles of those who believe otherwise. I have observed and experienced these assumptions,
about gender beliefs where criticism and opinions are sensitive topics between family, friends,
school, and including our own beliefs. It may change ones perspective on gender, yet people
will adapt to the social norm of what gender is or go against it. I will discuss the idea about
social construction of gender, childrens behavioral upbringing, in terms of gender, what is seen
as normal gender roles, the expectations, and changes with three articles base on this topic.
In the first article: Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender,
describes how children observe their parents actions, behaviors, and style to determine their
gender role. After figuring out their gender role and carefully seeing the sex differences between
man and female, they are in many ways encouraged and in some cases forced to stay away from
opposite sex activities, such as; a boy should not play with girly toys. This illustrates gender
conformity which begins with learned behavior, and adaptive skills. For instance, I remember

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playing video games in the living room and all of a sudden my grandma says Why cant you
dress up nicely like girls are supposed to be and not play videogames like boys! After
explaining to her that I like the way I dress, I can play videogames as long as I finish my
homework, and why do I have to dress like a girl? I sarcastically said Do you also want me to
learn how to cook and like wearing pink all the time like you?! During the time, I was a bit of a
rebellious teenager, but it really shocked me how my grandmother wanted me to change my
whole appearance and attitude of her traditional views. Many adults believe it is their
responsibility to have the child stay away from any opposite sex objects. As children develop,
and find their identity they learn to develop behaviors based on how they are perceived by
others, so they may be socially accepted. Children quickly acquire behavior, values, social
standard rules to their personal life because it is viewed as traditionally accepted in gender roles.
Boys are viewed to grow up to be masculine men, and girls are viewed to be feminine women,
therefore, any behavior opposite of that in the slightest is nonconformity with gender role
ideology. How do we learn this behavior is another way society has a strong influence on gender
roles.
Teachers and parents always ask children questions like, What do you want to be when
you grow up? These types of question are contradictory with the idea that you are able to have
your own beliefs because societys conformity on gender prevents most individuals to have their
own thoughts, actions, behaviors, and lifestyle. Parents teach children at an early age what
gender roles should be like. Like in the article No way my boys are going to be like that:
Parents response to Childrens Gender Nonconformity, explains how parents respond to what
their children are allowed to play with, such as; certain toys, pretend play clothing, icon toys, and
accessories. For males the action of allowing them to play with nail polish, an icon toy like

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Barbie, tea cup play set are all seen as taboo. Parents implement their teachings so that their
children learn the standard rules to gender roles, and what is perceived to be right from wrong.
Furthermore, society views are that gender is in our genes, that it is a behavior that can be
learned, but it is failed to view as what it is, a physical appearance. Society influences parents on
its views of gender, and then have them manipulate their own children to follow along with
conformity gender roles. In the article, Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender,
Judith Lorber states Although the possible combinations of genitalia, body shapes, clothing,
mannerism, sexuality, and roles could produce infinite varieties in human beings, the social
institution of gender depends on the production and maintenance of a limited number of gender
statuses and of making the members of these statuses similar to each other (pg.23). This
scenario would be like joining a club called society, that parents view it as keeping their
children safe from discrimination, because it is what they learned, and as a society, it is easy to
target the ones that are nonconformists.
In this article Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender by
Aaron Devor, he states As we move through our lives, society demands different gender
performances from us and rewards, tolerates, or punishes us differently for conformity to, or
digression from, social norms (pg. 35). Allowing this ideology to repeat will be a vicious cycle
that will always lead to the same outcome making it even more difficult for acceptance with
those who choose to live their lives opposite of the norm. Our genders are classified into two
social orders that are applied to the standard rules of what is expected to be viewed normal.
Anything that is nonconformity behavior is thought to be believed as a sexual preference. This is
where learning applies as a young age in order to be socially acceptable. There are those people

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who chose to live their lives as they believe they are entitled to whether or not it applies to
societys standard rules of gender.
It is believed that genders are accounted for two different types, this is false because we
live in a time where males can be more feminine or feel feminine, and females can be more
masculine or feel it as well. Conformity within genders has been drastically changing in the last
few years. Children are being influenced in some schools, or by parents to play with opposite sex
toys, and to play dress up with opposite sex play-pretend clothing. This type of upbringing,
leads to labels like male women. These types of women are females who work, parent as men,
and marry. Then there is the female men where they do not have to do dress, or behave as men,
just as long as they can afford a wife. This begins with some of the teachings in schools or at
home where children are able to play with any kind of toys male or female. There are some
mothers who are open to allowing their sons to play with domestic toys For example, this
mother described her purchase of a variety of domestic toys fir her three-year-old son without the
ambivalence: One of the first big toys [I got him] was the kitchen center We cook, he has an
apron he wearsHes got his dirt devil vacuum and hes got his baby [doll]. And hes got all the
stuff to feed her and a highchair (pg.92). This shows that not everyone follows the gender
conformity rules that society believes to be normal. Gender truly is not what society thinks, it is
physical characteristics.
Societys view of the traditional way gender roles should be has a greater influence on
people since an early age. Children learn behavior actions by observing, or being thought what is
normal based on their gender. Those who oppose the gender conformity are yet criticized,
condemned, and viewed as inappropriate. While this is a sensitive topic within family, and
friends, it is still an issue since it is a learned behavior at an early age. Gender is the idea of for

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man or woman portraying to be masculine or feminine. In my experience, I did not expect to get
criticized, and opinionated from a gender perspective. However, when ones perspective of
gender is changed then it only matters if he or she adapts to the social norm of gender or go
against it.

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Work cited
Devor, Aaron Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender. Composing
Gender. A Bedford Spotlight Reader. Eds. Racheal, Grover and John F. Ohara. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martins 2014. 35-45 Print.
Lorber, Judith. Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender. Composing Gender. A
Bedford Spotlight Reader. Eds. Racheal, Grover and John F. Ohara. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martins 2014. 19-33 Print.
Kane, Emily W. No Way My Boys Are Going to Be Like That: Parents Responses to
Childrens Gender Noncomformity Composing Gender. A Bedford Spotlight Reader.
Eds. Racheal, Grover and John F. Ohara. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins 2014. 91-97
Print.