Alonzo 1

Analuisa Alonzo
Professor Beadle
English 115
1 December 2016
Societal Norms on Children: The Foretold Prophecy
Many people assume that gender and sex is the same concept. According to Websters
Dictionary gender is, a fact of being male or female and sex is the division of two organisms,
male or female, by the appropriate reproductive function. People do not realize that society has
set that predisposition onto our mid sets. Most people grew up with the same thinking that, if
they were born a girl, they have to dress like one and if they were born a boy, they have to like
girls and be tough. Aaron Devor and Ruth Hubbard both argue, in their articles in Composing
Gender, how society has a propensity of males being far superior to females. This is based on
certain behaviors and actions in order to demonstrate how society has influenced peoples
perception of what the correct sexuality is. It can be assumed, within the readings, that neither
Aaron Devor or Ruth Hubbard agree with the hierarchy society has given. Both authors do this in
order to inform all children and young adults of the accepted behaviors and attributes of a certain
gender and how gender enforces a higher hierarchy. Gender conformities have especially
impacted my life by the closest people in my life. Gender includes the concept, presentation and
biology of a person.
In the article, Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender, author
Devor believes that researchers test the establishmentof gender identity through the use of
the concepts mediated by language (Devor 36). In other words, the way people speak can
influence the different views of gender. People that do not fit in the social norms can come into

Alonzo 2
terms with themselves and other people by labeling themselves as the gender they have chosen
but having to hide in the closet from their family members, friends and surrounding
community. Children and young adults are more susceptible to being influenced by the way
people talk about the two genders. Society perceives the female gender as being weak and,
fragile while men are seen as strong and, more aggressive (Devor 40). Since gender norms
revolve around this, people grow accustom to the daily routines of gender stereotypes and
expectations. Many people do not fall into the different gender performances and social norms
therefore they begin to hide their true identity in fear of being punished.
At a young age, children begin to notice the gender role you demonstrate such as by the
way you style your hair and the way you dress. Parents dress up their children accordingly to the
childs sex and therefore sets an early example to the child exactly what gender they are expected
to be. For example, if a couple has a baby girl, they may be apt to put a dress on her so people
can recognize that she is in fact a girl and not a boy. Some parents even land on the conclusion of
piercing their little girls ears and giving her earrings to wear. The gender norms have been set
since the early nineteenth century. According to Ruth Hubbards article, Rethinking Womens
Biology, women were denied from obtaining many abilities and privileges that include
receiving an education (Hubbard 46). Men have always been perceived as higher and more
powerful than women. The attributes that played a role in deciding who is more powerful are
height, weight, and strength. Devor states, People use femininity or masculinity to claim and
communicate, the sex or gender or gender they chose (Devor 38). Men are seen to be as more
courageous when women are seen as more simplified and conservative. In todays generation,
women are being more active and more participant in sports. There are two results to this:
women are being stronger and taller (Hubbard 49). When being more active than usual, women

Alonzo 3
slow down their start of their menstruation cycle thus causing them to be taller (Hubbard 50). On
page 49 of Composing Gender, Hubbard states that we need to begin to take notice of, the
obvious contradictions between stereotypic descriptions of womens biology and the realities of
womens lives.
Societys norms are self-fulfilling prophecies that not only describe how we are but tell us how
we are supposed to be. Although these norms are self-fulfilling, this generation is changing the
norms by introducing new genders and acceptance towards them. Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat
Wingert state that people are beginning to, consider themselves gender neutral or gender
variant (Kantrowitz&Wingert 68). The main contributors to the new gender norm are parents.
Parents are now more accepting toward what gender their children choose to be. In return, their
children are being more confident and opening of who they really are and setting new examples
to children. Children are now seeing that any gender that they choose will be accepted by their
family members, friends and surrounding community. People are feeling more at ease about who
they really are but there are still some cases where someone may not feel as comfortable in
talking to their parent(s) about what gender they better identify with. In my personal experience,
one of my friends went up to me and told me what gender they really are but asked me to not tell
his parents because they would not accept it. It all depends on hoe the parents react towards that
specific group where children are able to evaluate whether or not it is safe to tell the parents.
Having to hold this information in is a really hard and stressful task; many people have become
depressed because they have been hiding their proper gender from their parents (Landau).
As a child, I have experienced most of the examples given from gender norms and
parents. My parents have been the type of people to think little of gender norms. I would be
dressed in gender neutral clothes and would only experience wearing a dress on special

Alonzo 4
occasions. My mom would want to force me to play with Barbie dolls while my father would
allow me to play with toy cars and action figures. My parents sought to teach me the two gender
roles by my mom teaching me the duties of a lady around the house, how to cook and, the proper
mannerisms and my father would teach me how to change a tire, the properties of a car and he
taught me how and when to use certain tools. I have been influenced by both gender norms and I
can be glad to call myself gender neutral. Although my experience has led me to identify myself
as gender neutral, it is not expected for another person to have the same outcome. This is only
one real-life example from many others about this type of situation, regardless of our situation,
everyone is being influenced by societys social norms.
Since the earliest century, society has set an extremely profusive and overbearing gender
norm that has stuck until todays society. The norm has set parents to pressure their children in
being the gender that they should be. Children have been given a self-fulfilling prophecy by
society and they have not been able to break free from it until the 21st century. Thankfully, with
this generation, parents are now allowing their children be the way they want to be and are
even letting their children play with toys (of the childs choice) that display gender specific roles.
There are new genders and sexualities in society that now has demolished the predisposition of
gender roles and norms. Overtime, society has changed and has given children and gender
seekers different types of norms and role models, leading to generations of acceptance and
happiness.

Alonzo 5

Works Cited
Agnes, Michael E. Webster's New Pocket Dictionary. Place of Publication Not Identified, John
Wiley, 2011.
Devor, Aaron. Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender. Composing
Gender, edited by Rachael Groner and John F. OHara, Bedford Spotlight Reader, 2014,
pp. 35-43.
Hubbard, Ruth. Rethinking Womens Biology. Composing Gender, edited by Rachael Groner
and John F. OHara, Bedford Spotlight Reader, 2014, pp. 46-52.
Kantrowitz, Barbara and Wingert, Pat. Are We Facing a Genderless Future. Composing
Gender, edited by Rachel Groner and John F. OHara, Bedford Spotlight Reader, 2014,
pp. 68-71.
Landau, Elizabeth. For LGBT Teens, Acceptance Is Critical. CNN, Cable News Network, 6
Dec. 2010, www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/06/lgbt.teens.punishment.problems/.