What Factors Influence Gender Roles?

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What factors influence gender roles?
“It’s natural for her to act that way”, I think not. In order for someone’s behavior
to be accepted as natural they would have to be born that way. Unfortunately, many of the
behaviors that are seen in men and women are the results of continuous influences they have
been exposed to throughout their lives. Many roles determine how a person might act into
adulthood. These influences come from many different places such as the family, toys, and the
differences of responsibility given to the child.
When a child is born, the first thing they are exposed to is a colored blanket and their
first toy. The influence of these two things will follow this person into adulthood. Throughout
their infancy, the baby is referred to differently depending on its sex. If it is a boy the adjectives
to describe him range from handsome to brave and strong. Whereas if it is a girl, she is
automatically classified as sweet, gentle and kind. These words have alot of influence in what a
child is given as a toy and the clothing he or she is dressed in. Little girls are dressed in pink and
purple, soft and gentle colors. On the other hand boys are dressed in blue and green In other
words only these genders can wear these certain colors. This is evident once a person walks into
a department store and asks to see the little girl’s section. The person is almost instantly
bombarded by pinks, purples, and light pastel greens. Once a girl is of school age and is allowed
to choose her own clothes, she will mostly gear toward the same exact color. All of the things a
child is exposed to now is influenced by the family. “The family is by far the most significant
agent of socialization (L.L.Lindsey).” Whatever the family teaches the child at this age will
somehow trigger the child to act a certain way in later years. The family is the first thing a baby
is exposed to. Afterwards, it is the family’s rel...