Society's Influence on Gender Roles

We all know that as boys and girls, we are supposed to act certain ways according to our gender. So what exactly is gender, how can we define it? The book describes gender as behaviors and attitudes that are appropriate for males and females. There are different words or stereotypes associated with males and females. For example, males are strong, tough, handsome, masculine and dominant. Whereas females are sensitive, pretty, caring, loving and dainty. At a young age we start to develop gender role stereotypes and gender identity.

This video is a perfect example of this...take a look!!



As a society, we use what’s called gender socialization, or the gender map to guide how we are supposed to act in accordance to our gender. There are many different factors that influence this map.

One of those factors is the family. From the day a child is born, he or she is identified based on his or her sex. Ever since you were born, your parents have most likely contributed to the gender map just by dressing you in a certain color; blue or pink. We all know that if you see a little baby wearing pink, you can conclude that that baby is a girl, the same goes when you see a baby wearing blue, it will most likely be a boy. Another way the family contributes to the gender map is the toys they buy for their children. In most cases, the boys play with action figures, video games and guns, whereas girls play with dolls, jewelry, and dress-up clothes. Would you be upset as a parent if you little boy got a Barbie doll for his birthday? You most likely would be upset, and because of that, that helps to “shape” the gender map.

Another factor that influences gender socialization is peers. Peer groups are one of the most powerful groups that influence others. Peer groups would include friend, neighbors, classmates etc. These groups have been shaping what it means to be male or female while growing up. Most of us probably didn’t recognize our peers shaping our gender, but they were. Your peers guide socialization by the way they respond to certain actions. They are going to either approve or disapprove, or in other words give you a positive sanction or a negative sanction. For example, if a boy were to go out and play basketball with the rest of the boys during recess, he is most likely to get a positive sanction, or a sign that he is cool, and that the other boys like him because he is “doing” what the rest of the boys are doing. However, if a boy were to say inside during recess and play dress-up with the girls, he would most likely get a negative sanction from the rest of the boys. This negative sanction might include the boys making fun of him, or giving him a dirty look, or teasing him because he is doing a “girl” thing. These sanctions help guide genders to know what is appropriate vs. what is not.

The last factor I’m going to talk about that influences gender socialization is the media. However, I’m going to approach this factor differently, and talk about how the media is alternating what is appropriate for males and females. One of the biggest controversies going on in the media right now is homosexuality. When my parents were growing up, the media did not have television shows where girls were kissing girls, and boys were partners with other boys. However, now days there are multiple television shows that show homosexuality as a “normal” thing. This is changing what is expected in the sense of how males and females are supposed to act. This particular social influence I think is confusing young children. How are they supposed to know what is right and what is wrong? One way you could determine that question is looking at the kind of sanctions they are getting. Are they getting positive sanctions, or in other words saying its “cool” and normal to be a homosexual, or are they getting negative sanctions, saying that it’s not okay, or its “not cool” to be a homosexual. Well right now in the case of homosexuality they are getting both positive and negative sanctions. So this leads me to the same question, is homosexuality a “normal” behavior for gender? Is it appropriate for a male to be sexuality active with another male, or for a female to be partners with another female? Is this changing the behaviors and attitudes that are appropriate for males and females?