LESSON 2

GENDER SOCIALIZATION

What are the factors that affect our gender identity? Ever since we start to have
consciousness in this world, the society we are living in also starts to mold and shape
us. These factors give us individuality and personality. Maybe it is in nature but it can
also be in nurture. Here are some gender socialization that gave us a gender identity.

First one is the family. Family is where our first interactions begins, and parents
is our first teacher. Parents are the ones who influence their child’s first. When a mother
or father has a hobby they want their child to have that hobby too, not just hobby but
also any activity they want their children to adapt. An example is doing house chores
wherein the mother taught her daughter to do it since she is a girl, while the father
taught his son doing heavy and manly things like fixing and lifting something. In this way
we began to have a gender assignment wherein a boys have a different job to do to the
girls inside the house.

Second are the peers. Girls and boys tend to group their selves into the same
sex. As an innocent child they also think that when a child has a short hair his a boy and
long hair for girl. They also play by what they think a girl or a boy should supposed to
play. Like girls playing dolls and boys playing robots and machines.

Next is the school where in gender segregation happens. Girls and boys have
different uniforms, skirt for girls and pants for boys. Teacher also expect girls to behave
accordingly. Girls are also have a privilege when using a comfort room, they can spend
more time and they are allowed to bring one more student with them.

Lastly is the religion in which both genders have different roles in their churches.
Since I’m a catholic I only say what I observe. Mostly in catholic the one who leads the
mass is a man and he’s assisted by a sacristan which is also a man. I don’t usually see
a woman, maybe because that church was small but usually a woman who serve a
church usually calls a sister. We usually see a gender equality in choir because both
gender can sing and play instrument.