The socialization of little boys and little girls in Western society inevitably results in a perpetuation of the status quo of gender inequality. Walk through any toy section of any store in any give Western society, and you will understand what is meant by this. The socialization of boys and girls into men and women with unequal roles in life begins within minutes of birth.
Studies have shown that upon learning the sex of a child, parents and hospital staff immediately begin treating the child in accordance with gender stereotypes. Girls are described as cute and delicate, while boys are said to be strong and stubborn. Girls are given pink hats and boys blue ones. Even the way parents interact with the child is a direct result of the child’s gender. Girls are tended to quicker if they cry, and boys are handled more roughly.
The situation does not improve upon leaving the hospital. In fact, it gets worse. A baby girl is generally brought to a pink room, with dolls and dressed in pink clothing, little dresses and bows. A boy, on the other hand is given a blue room with teddy bears, blue trousers and baseball hats.
As the children begin to grow older, a boy is played with roughly, encouraged to be curious and to be assertive. A girl, however, is discouraged from playing too roughly or venturing too far from her mother and is rebuked for being too assertive.
Once the child enters school, the socialization process reaches hyper speed. Boys are called on to answer more questions than girls and are offered clearer more in depth answers. Girls again, are encouraged to be delicate, play “nicely” and not be overly assertive. Girls and boys are discouraged from playing with each other (often by peers), thus increasing the gender gap as girls are encouraged to engage in more cooperative games while boys are expected to play more competitively.
As the children age, their gender difference begin to become strikingly apparent, even to them. Girls begin to realize that Police Officer, Fireman and Astronaut, are not “girl” occupations, and boys likewise realize that Teacher, Dancer and Nurse, are not career options they should look toward.
By the time the child has reached high school, they have already experienced so many instances of gender discrimination and inequality in general, that most take it as a “normal” part of life. Girls begin to lower their educational and occupational expectations, while boys’ goals flourish. Girls apply for more secretarial type jobs, and boys look for jobs that require more active involvement.
Upon entering the work force, these now men and women, are practically in totally different worlds with different world-views. The women struggle with the idea of career vs. family or the daunting possibility of trying to juggle both and deal with the burden of the ever-popular “second shift.” Men, on the other hand, are concerned with finding a wife, starting a family and advancing in their careers.
Once these men and women have settled in their careers, many decide to start families of their own. The husband and wife must debate the issue of how their living structure will change with the introduction of a child. Should the woman quit her job, or just take time off? Should she start her career on the “mommy” track, or should the husband agree to take an active role in childcare?
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And regardless of whether these dilemmas are solved or not, when the baby arrives, he or she is met with “ohhs” and “awws” in accordance with their gender and either a little blue hat or a little pink one is nestled over their sleepy heads, and the gender socialization process has come full circle, successfully fulfilling it’s purpose with one generation, and vivaciously starting on the next.
Without the socialization of little boys and little girls into strictly defined gender roles, the situation would be considerably different. Imagine what a child would be like boy or girl, who was treated simply as a human being. Imagine a child that grew up not assuming their opportunities in life were already somewhat predetermined by their sex. Imagine what a child would be like who never thought it necessary to say the words, “I can’t do that because I’m a girl” or “boys don’t do that.” Imagine what a child would be like if they knew that everything in life depended on their own innate ability and motivation to succeed.
