Gender Socialization

            According to James Henslin gender socialization is “learning society’s “gender map,” the paths in life set out for us because we are male or female (2012, p. 73). In simpler terms this means that from when we are born we learn different traits that are expected in males or females. In the study by psychologist Susan Goldberg and Michael Lewis, it was found that mothers even begin gender socialization unknowingly before the infant has even reached six months. The mothers tended to keep their daughters closer to them than the ones with sons. After some time passed and the children were thirteen months the mothers left the children and the psychologist watched the children’s reactions. The girls were more likely to cry for help while the boys tried to get to their mothers (Henslin, 2012, p. 73). Gender socialization does not just come from the mother though; everyone in the child’s life plays a role. The development Social Psychology of Gender by Thomas Eckes and Hanns M. Trautner states that in Hohlberg and Zigler study it was found that “most children know their own sex and recognize that of others by age three and sterotyping of behavior is not only evident but rampant between the ages of three and six” (2000, p. 67).

            For me gender socialization is very real. I am the only girl after two boys who are five and six years older than me. My mom had always wanted a girl so when I came along I had everything girly and pink. At the age of three though I rejected the pink and followed my brothers. My brothers ended up being the biggest influence on my gender socialization. I played in the mud, played baseball with the boys, and grew up as a tomboy. I thought playing house and tea party was boring and would much rather be playing with the boys. It was not until I reached school that I realized that this was not the case for most girls. Still today some of the tomboy tendencies have stuck with me. For example I would much rather be comfy than stylish or play sports rather than shop. In high school I played water polo and swam with boys and also most of my friends were guys. Through my gender socialization I have become the person I am today.  

References

Henslin, J. M. (2012). Sociology a down-to-Earth approach (11th ed.).

Eckes T., & Trautner M. H. (2000) The developmental social psychology of gender. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.