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Ashley Garcia
Professor Jon Beadle
English 115
3 October 2016
Societys View on Gender
What do you think about societys thought on gender? The way people view gender now
has changed throughout the years but at the same time has remained the same. In the past years,
you didn't witness cross dressing between men and women or same-sex couples embracing
themselves in public. Now we have gay pride parades, and you can express yourself and your
style in a way that represents you. But one thing that remains the same is the way people judge
people for who and how they are. The articles Night to his day: The Social Construction of
Gender by Judith Lorber, Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender by
Aaron Devor and Are We Facing the Genderless Future? by Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat
Wingert give us different points of view on how society views gender in various ways. The
articles are similar to each other by each writer stating how society perceives gender. Even
though society and gender have been evolving, growing up you still get instructed two categories
either male or female which make putting labels on things start at such a young age. .
When you see a clothing item of the color pink with a flower design on the front of it,
most people will automatically think the clothing item is for a girl and will think its strange if a
boy wears it. Judith Lorber, In Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender, Lorber
asserts that everyone puts labels on things and groups them into categories without thinking
about it. She even admits to doing it herself, As they started to leave the train, the father put a

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Yankee baseball cap on the childs head. Ah, a boy I thought. Then I noticed the gleam of tiny
earrings in the childs ear. (Lorber 20) I am guilty of doing this myself, when I see a baby in a
pink flowered shirt I also automatically think its a girl. But why do we do this? It is as if we
have it programmed into our brains that the color pink defines girls and the color blue represent a
boy, Then babies are dressed or adorned in a way that displays the category because parents
dont want to be constantly asked whether their baby is a boy or a girl. We grow up with
automatically putting labels on things because that is what we were taught, for example, a baby
shower; if it is a boy the color of the decorations most likely will be blue and be adorned with toy
cars. If it is going to be a girl the colors of the decorations will probably be pink and be
decorated with bows or other girly things. But if you think about it, thats normal to us because if
the baby is wearing a unisex color like yellow or white, you start questioning yourself whether it
is a boy or a girl. Even with names, parents like to name their babies with what matches their
gender. For example, a John will most likely be a boy, and a name like Alice will probably
belong to a girl. When someone has a name like Jordan or Cameron, it gets a little confusing
because if you only get to hear the name without seeing the person, its hard to identify if they
are a male or female since the names are unisex. This is important because parents dont want
their child to be mistaken as a male if they are female or female if they are male.
Ever since we were young, we get taught right from wrong. But we also get taught what
we are supposed to be playing with and how we are expected to act. Our parents teach us those
toy cars, and tough sports like soccer and football are meant to be for boys. While cheerleading,
dolls and playing dress up are supposed to be for girls. Devors Becoming Members of Society:
The Social Meanings of Gender, states Masculine characteristics are used to identify people as

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males, while feminine ones are used as signifiers for femaleness. Ever since we were little, we
have also be taught that girls should show emotion and be sensitive which is known as a
feminine thing. While boys are supposed to hide any painful emotion and show anger and
aggression which is known as a masculine thing. Men are thought out to be more aggressive, and
women should be submissive towards them. I have seen this myself with my parents friends; the
man works all day and when he gets home they usually expect the woman to have food ready
and have it served to them. The way you portray your mannerism also puts you in a particular
category, people appear feminine when they keep their arms closer to their bodies, their legs
closer together, and their torsos and heads less vertical than do masculine-looking individuals.
and just because a guy acts like that people view them as feminine. Why is it that when a man
wears a pink shirt, it is known as feminine? When did colors portray how you are and act? It is
known as feminine because society has installed that into people's brains that men shouldnt
wear the color pink so people believe it. Friends that dont identify themselves with the standard
genders of masculine and feminine question themselves since they feel as if they can not express
themselves because it is wrong. But it is only wrong since society says it is. I believe that the
way you choose to express yourself defines you, it shouldnt be categorized.
Over the past few years, the way society views gender has changed quite a bit.
Individuals are more open with what they identify as. But now there are things to make a living
for a person easier, such as sex change surgery or hormone pills. Kantrowitz & Wingert Are we
facing a Genderless Future, asserts Although no one is keeping statistics, researchers who
study gender say a small but growing number of people (including some who have had sex
change operations) consider themselves gender neutral or gender variant. Even the language

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that people identify with has been evolving for example being known as gender neutral, gender
variant, genderless and much more. But a good amount of individuals have come out with what
they identify themselves with and have inspired more people with the platform of the internet
and social media. For example, YouTube is a big platform that is growing and YouTubers like
Gigi Gorgeous, Joey Graceffa, and Ingrid Nilson and much more have used that platform to tell
their stories and make it known with what they want to be identified as. I have seen the
confidence in people as they become more open and free with what they identify as. Some of my
friends would deny what they are and even did things to try and be normal, but you can never
hide who you are. Over the years they have gotten a lot more confident and arent ashamed of
what people might think of them and express themselves the way they identify.
Although society and gender have been evolving, growing up you still get instructed two
categories which make putting labels on things start at such a young age, so societys view on
gender hasn't changed. Some people separate sex into two categories with male and female.
Others find it better to live without gendering or become gender variant. But that is what we have
been instructed to do since we were born. We are to label things and put things into categories at
such a young age that it is common for us to do so. Everyone has their opinions whether it is on
the way you dress a baby or if you want to have a sex change surgery. As the years go by I,
believe society will start adapting to the evolution of gender even though not everyone will have
the same thoughts on it.

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WORKS CITED:
Lorber, Judith. Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender, Composing Gender,
Rachel Groner and John F OHara edited by Carrie Wastal,Christine Howell, Craig
Bartholomaus, Derek Malone-France,Karen Gardiner, Laurie Cella, Lynee Lewis Gaillet, Megan
ONeill, Michelle Sidler, Robert Cummings,Samantha Looker, Stephanie Odom, Bedford/ st.
Martins, pp.19-31.

Devor, Aaron. Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender, Composing
Gender,Rachel Groner and John F OHara edited by Carrie Wastal,Christine Howell, Craig
Bartholomaus, Derek Malone-France,Karen Gardiner, Laurie Cella, Lynee Lewis Gaillet, Megan
ONeill, Michelle Sidler, Robert Cummings,Samantha Looker, Stephanie Odom, Bedford/ st.
Martins, pp,35-43.

Kantrowitz, Barbara and Wingert, Pat. Are We Facing A Genderless Future?, Composing
Gender,Rachel Groner and John F OHara edited by Carrie Wastal,Christine Howell, Craig
Bartholomaus, Derek Malone-France,Karen Gardiner, Laurie Cella, Lynee Lewis Gaillet, Megan
ONeill, Michelle Sidler, Robert Cummings,Samantha Looker, Stephanie Odom, Bedford/ st.
Martins, pp.68-71.