Hernandez I

Jacqueline Hernandez

Professor Ditch

English 115

26 September 2017

Differences in Gender Performance

Gender is performed differently depending on what kind of space one surrounds

themselves in. Judith Lorber in, Night to His Day: The Social Construct of Gender explains

that women are put in a lower role compared to men. Author and Aaron Devor Becoming

Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender discusses that gender is taught from the

beginning of childhood, by their parents as well as having certain manners depending on the

sexuality of the individual. Professor of biology Ruth Hubbard, Rethinking Womens Biology

talks about womens hormonal profiles that society agrees on a certain behavior and rules. Men

and women are to have culture differences as well as social. Since they have biological

differences determines how both genders should acquit oneself. Society says a girl should be

weak, passive, and reserved; moreover, a boy should be strong and dominant.

I perform gender in different spaces based on where I am. I do it because of the way I

was raised by my parents. I behave feminine in different ways in different spaces because society

portrays I should behave a certain way. I perform a different behavior in class, talking to friends,

gym and many other places; hence, by being quiet, passive, and reserved Im showing femininity

in different ways because Im being surrounded by a different group of people. This reveals that

because Im in different spaces I stick to my prescribed gender role. Moreover, that gender is

divided by biological differences.

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Gender is normally performed differently in different spaces. I perform gender the way I

was taught to behave from my parents and the way I observed other females performing

femininity as an adolescent. Children begin to settle into a gender identity between the ages of

eighteen months and two years, (Devor 35) which is relevant to me because I was already

developing my gender identity by analyzing another womens behavior. I was figuring out my

gender role in different spaces and I didnt even recognize it.

Sometimes as a child my gender behavior would adapt to who I was playing with. When

I would play with girls Id play feminine activities such as Barbies, babies etc. However, when

Id play with a boy, I would adapt to whatever they were playing such as guns, cars etc.

Children five to seven years old understanding is that gender (role) is supposed to be stable, but

that it is possible to alter it at will, (Devor 37) which I saw in my gender performance when I

was younger. When I was younger I played with my cousin that was a boy and playing with him

I would show more masculine traits because I was playing with a boy. Ive recognized as I got

older that its not lady like to play with toy guns and Legos. I was changing my behavior to be

more masculine, so I could have someone to play with. Now when Im with a boy I portray only

my femininity Im passive and quiet. The reason I stick to my gender role is because society has

this ideology on the behavior of both genders. If a woman doesnt stick to what societies

principles are towards behavior, sometimes those people that break free are judged.

Gender performance does not come from hormones or sexuality. Just because a girl came

out to be a female and have female traits doesnt mean shes going to automatically behave

feminine. In the article, Night to His Day The Social Construction of Gender Lorber states,

For the individual, gender construction starts with assignment to a sex category bases of

genitalia on what the genitalia look like at birth, (20) because society categorizes behavior
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depending on ones genitals when one is born born. This reveals that gender has ideology tasks

based on ones sex. Because one has tasks to fulfill, this explains why one has different

presentations based on what space one is placed in. I was socially constructed to behave a certain

way because of what genitals at birth. Humanity shouldnt have an ideology of how we should

perform accordingly to our gender. The nation shouldnt have to change conduct depending on

the space someone is held in.

Just because a woman has feminine parts does not mean that she will refer to feminine

gender; furthermore, vice versa for men and masculinity. The hormonal input will not create

gender or sexuality but will only establish secondary sex characteristics; breasts, beards, and

menstruation alone do not produce social manhood or womanhood, (Lorber 25) A girl is not

going to naturally behave like a woman because of the way her body develops. A girl or boy is

routinely taught by begetters how to perform gender. This matters because gender behaviors are

made up by society which leads parents to teach their how to behave based on their childs

sexuality.

I was at a baseball game at the park and noticed boys playing. I couldnt figure out if one

of them was a girl or a boy because of their long hair. I continuously stared until they passed me

and had a masculine voice. I then presumed once I heard his voice that he was a boy because of

his voice. We are uncomfortable until we have successfully placed the other person in a gender

status; otherwise, we feel dislocated, (Lorber) which has revealed for me that in different spaces

I analyze the sexuality and gender of a person without even acknowledging it. By Lorber stating

we feel dislocated he means we feel uncomfortable with the situation of not knowing someones

gender status. We feel uncomfortable because our society pays so much attention to gender

specificity as well as the corresponding roles. My performance changed to figure out the gender
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because I was in a different environment surrounded by new people. Gender is such a familiar

part of daily life that it usually takes a deliberate disruption of our expectations, (Lorber 20) this

statement isnt just true for me but for my friend; moreover, her family as well we were all

standing there trying to figure out what his gender was. We were interrupted and stopped what

we were doing to figure out the gender, we felt uncomfortable until we figured out the gender

type.

The way a male or female position him or herself also describes your gender type and

gender performance. As a female, I usually sit with my legs crossed or with my knees touching

each other. A male normally sits with his legs closed. Body postures and demeanors which

communicate subordinate status and vulnerability to trespass through a message of no threat

make people appear to be feminine, (Devor 41) most women sit more enclosed, while most men

sit openly more dominant. I was always taught to sit with my legs crossed or closed even if

Im not wearing a dress. Even when Im not in front of people I sit with my legs closed. Growing

up I wanted to be portrayed as feminine because Im a girl and thats how women are supposed

to be portrayed as. Furthermore, even now I do it without realizing. It just comes naturally to

behave feminine at this age.

Gender performance is an everyday thing no matter what space we are in and who we are

surrounded with. Gender is so much the routine ground of everyday activities that questioning

its taken-for-granted assumptions and presuppositions is like wondering about whether the sun

will come up, (Lorber 19) humankind thinks about how we should be behaving depending on

what space we are in. Society needs to confirm that we are behaving the way we should

according to what our sexuality is. I analyze different genders in most spaces without noticing

until this assignment came upon.

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Even the way boys and girls dress are a gender behavior. Our society has this idea that

men and women should be dressing a certain way to show gender role. Speech and dress which

likewise demonstrate or claim superior status are also seen as characteristically masculine

behavior patterns, (Devor 43) women and men should also speak differently to portray

femininity and masculinity. You can perform different gender roles in different spaces based on

who youre with. This reveals that women and men should be speaking and dressing a certain

way to perform gender.

Performing gender in different spaces is important to our society no matter where its

taking place. Performance is continuously changing because we are told to behave a certain way.

We need to perform our gender according to our sexuality. Most men and women will continue

to raise and develop to how social construct says we should. This reveals that in certain places

behavior needs to be a certain way depending on who the person is being surrounded by. Society

does not have a broad ideology on how gender should be behaved.

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Works Cited

Devor, Aaron. Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender

Composing Gender: a Bedford Spotlight Reader. Boston, Bedford/St. Martins, 2014

Hubbard, Ruth. Rethinking Womens Biology Composing Gender: a Bedford Spotlight

Reader. Boston, Bedford/St. Martins, 2014

Lorber, Judith. Night to His Day: The Social Construction Of gender Composing

Gender: a Bedford Spotlight Reader. Boston, Bedford/St. Martins, 2014