Gender

3 Pages 866 Words

Children learn gender roles
In reading Katha Pollitt’s “Why Boy’s Don’t Play with Dolls” it showed how she has seen gender roles in her life. Her essay brings up many good points that need to be addressed in the future, but I believe you can only take one step at a time. I think that there are still gender roles today, but that they are becoming more insignificant. I believe most gender roles are learned by children from their parents and in the school systems.
Children learn at a very early age what it means to be a boy or girl in our society. With all the gender stereotypes and biases, it is no wonder that sex segregation exists. During childhood, children are exposed to many factors that influence their attitudes and behaviors regarding gender roles. These attitudes are learned in the home, in schools, and even at the playground where children play among their peers. From the time they are born, children have already been assigned a gender. Blue blankets are used for baby boys, and pink ones for girls. It is difficult for a child to grow up without experiencing some form of gender bias or stereotyping. When in school, many of their ideas and beliefs are reinforced by their friends, teachers, and other adults. For example, when teachers ask their students to form two lines, there is usually one line for boys and the other for girls. When children play, they avoid playing with the opposite sex because they prefer the company of "their own kind." The result is a self-imposed segregation between boys and girls. Research has been done on this phenomenon. Many sociologists have been trying to explain gender roles and differences. Some say sex differences are biologically determined and some believe they are socially constructed. Children behave according to their assigned gender roles as early as two or three years old. From preschool on up to middle school, children live in two separate worlds-- girls and boys. Inside the cl...