Molding Gender Roles essays

Molding Gender Roles essays "What is gender? It is something everyone has, but rarely thinks about. They know they are either a man or a woman and simply take it for granted. Does it mean genetic status as XX or XY, or does it mean the sum of our development up until birth? Or is it simply the social label applied to us by our birth certificates?" (About Gender). In one short essay, "Women and Men Talking on the Job," Deborah Tannen argues that gender roles are defined from our peers when we are children. On the other hand, in "How Men and Women Think," Nicholas Wade disagrees saying the difference may be the direct result of men and women brains. Most people believe that we learn to behave the way we do, while a few argue that behavior is instinctive and predicted by our biology. In American societies, girls are taught by their family members and peers to act in feminine ways. As the child grows, it learns that certain expressions of its personality are appropriate to its sexual label, while others are not. Although times have changed, stereotypical images and ideas of women can still be found. For instance, women are known to be more intuitive, emotional, and submissive. One of the aspects of femininity, submission, can be developed through the relationship of childs parents. In the stereotypical marriage, the wife is submissive to the husband. When the daughter witnesses this relationship, she learns to mirror her mothers behavior. However, her peers also hold a strong impact on her actions. For example, when girls act too aggressively they lose acceptance from their peers. Tannen discusses these social impacts on girls stating, "From childhood, girls learn to temper what they say so as not to sound too aggressive-which means to certain" (Tannen 5 53). She adds, "Being a leader often involves giving directions to others, but girls who tell other girls what to do are called bossy" (Tannen 553). For ...