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FatimaHussain
ProfessorCorriDitch
English113A
30September2014
GenderBiologicalandSocialConstruction

Genderconstructionisaprocessofwhichalotofpeopleareunaware.Inthe21st
century,alotofpeoplestillcannotdifferentiatebetweensexandgender.Theystillthinkthat
genderisapartofsexandbecauseofthisassumption,theybelievethatgendercanbeidentified
onthebasisofwhathumangenitalialookslikeatthebirth.Thispresumptionischallengedin
botharticles,Nighttohisday:TheSocialConstructionofGenderbyJudithLorberandFrom
Women,MenandSocietybyClaireRenzettiandDanielCurrananditissupportedbyfirm
evidence.Numerousresearches,storiesandevidencemakeitclearthatgenderisasocial
constructionthereforeinitiallyparentsshapetheformationofgenderfortheirchildrensincethe
timetheyareborn,butlaterinlifetheycanchoosetobecomegendernonconformist.
Genderisasocialconstructionthatiswhyparentsplayanimportantroleintheformation
ofgenderfortheirchildren.Theytreat,response,expect,andcommunicatedifferentlyonthe
basisofsex.AccordingtotheauthorsofFromWomen,MenandSociety,strongsexpreference
doesnotexistamongAmericanparents,howevertheystillcommunicatewiththeirchildren
differentlyontheaccountofsex(76).ResearchinthearticleFromwomenmenandsocietyby
Adam,FivushandKueblistatesthatparentsusegreaternumberandvarietyofemotionwords
whentalkingwithdaughterthanson(79).Furthermore,theyalsotalkmoreaboutsadnesswith
daughters,whereastheytalkmoreaboutangerwithsons(Renzetti,Curran79).Theoutcomeof


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thesedifferentinteractionsbetweenparentsandtheirchildren,makegirlsandboystofollowthe
givengenderroles.Parents/adultsresponsesalsoplaysanessentialpartinthedevelopmentof
differentcommunicationstyleamongchildren.Forinstance,RenzettiandCurrandiscussesa
researchbyFagotandhercolleaguesinwhichtheyobservesthat,thirteenandfourteenmonths
oldchildrenshowednosexdifferenceintheirattempttocommunicate,howeveraftereleven
months,theysawacleardifferenceintheirstyleofcommunicationboysweremoreassertive,
whereasgirlsweremoretalkative(78).Thesedifferencesbetweencommunicationstyleswere
becauseadultsaremorelikelytorespondtomaleinfantsemotionssuchascrying,whiningand
screaming(Renzetti,Curran78).Whilethesimilaremotionsbyfemaleinfantsareusually
disregard.Adultsaremoreresponsivetofemaleinfantswhentheyusegentletouchingorbabble
(Renzetti,Curran78).Furthermore,parentsalsoexpectparticularpresumptionsoftheirchildren
onthebasisofsex.Forexample,someparentsreportedthatfemaleinfantsandtoddlersare
betterbehavedandeasygoingthanmaleinfantsandtoddlers(Renzetti,Curran78).Thisreport
wasresearchedbyapsychologistLizConnorsin(1996)inwhichsheindicatesthatgirlsmaybe
betterbehavedthanboysbecausetheirmothersexpectthemtobe(Renzetti,Curran78).These
alldifferentinteractionshelpchildrentofollowthesocietysgendernorm.Similarly,mycousin
Mavigavebirthtotheboy,girltwinandtoavoidconfusion,shemostlydressedAdamindark
colorssuchasblueandredwhileshedressedSerenainpinkandpurplecolors.Shetalkswith
moreemotionstoSerenaascomparetoAdam.ThesedifferentinteractionstaughtSerenatoact
moreinfemininewayandAdaminamasculineway.
Furthermore,parentsareprescribinggenderrolesthatalreadyexistedbysocietythrough
gendertypedtoychoices.ForInstance,Rheingold&Cookdidaresearchinwhichtheyexamine


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childrensroom.Inthegirlsroom,theyfoundatraditionalconceptionoffemininitysuchas
babydolls,dollhouseswhereasintheboysroomstheyfoundatraditionalconceptionof
masculinitylikeblocks,trucks,wagons,militarytoysandathleticequipment(Renzetti,Curran
80).Aftertenyears,Stonemanandhiscolleaguesdidthesameresearchandobtainedthesame
resultsasRheingold&Cookstudy,Toysforgirlsstillrevolvedaroundthethemesof
domesticityandmotherhood,whiletoysforboysfocusedonactionandadventure(Renzetti,
Curran80).Inthesameway,InoticedthataswellbecausemysisterAreeshasroomwasinpink
colorandhaddolls,kitchensets,anddollhouseswhilemycousinFaiqsroomhadblocks,
militarytoys,andcarseventhoughtheybothwerethesameage.Thesegendertypetoyschoices
forboysandgirlsillustratesocietyencouragementformaleinfantstopreparethemselvestodo
moresocialworkthatcontainmovements,andheavydutyworkwhereasfemaleinfantstomore
focusondomesticworkthatcontainprovidingcareandkitchenwork.However,Ineverreally
foundpleasureplayingwithdollhousesaswellasdomesticwork.Ialwaysenjoyedplayingwith
blocks,andcomputergamesthatiswhyIamtheonlygirlinmyfamilymajoringinengineering.
Whereasallthegirlsinmyfamilyarestudyingmedicinewhichismorecommittedtohelping
peopleandmakeothersfeelbetter.Moreover,accordingtoresearch,childrenexpress
gendertypedtoypreferencesasearlyasoneyearofage,buttheirtoychoicesmayhavebeen
inspiredevenearlierbyparentalencouragement(Renzetti,Curran82).Thisencouragement
automaticallymakeschildrentofollowtheirprescribegenders.Theparentalencouragementis
furthersupportedbytoycatalogs,televisionsandthroughthedivisionoftoystoresinto
masculineandfemininesectionsastheseallplaysanessentialroleintheconstructionofgender
normsinthesociety(Renzetti,Curran82).


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Inaddition,genderisneitherabiologicalfunctionnoranythingthatcanbeidentifiedon
thebasisofhumangenetalia.Itisahumanproductionthatdevelopsinthesocietywelivein
(Lorber19).Peoplecandeconstructthegivengenderandreconstructitontheirpersonalchoice
ortheycanchoosetobecomeagendernonconformist.AccordingtoLorber,insomesocieties
therearemorethantwogendersuchasmen,womenorberdachesorhijrasorxaniths(22).
Berdaches,hijrasandxanithsarebiologicallymalehowevertheybehavedress,work,andare
treatedinmostrespectasasocialwomen(Lorber22).Similarly,inwesternsocieties,people
candeconstructtheirgivengenderandreconstructanewgender.Forinstance,malescanalter
theiracting,dressingstyleandcanlivetheirlifeaswomen,inthesameway,femalescanalter
theirdressingstyle,actingstyleandcanlivetheirlifeasaman(Lorber23).Thesegender
alterationisknownastransvestism.Furthermore,Lorberinherarticlediscussesaresearchby
Durova1989andhercolleaguesinwhichsheobservesthat,thereweretransvestiteswomenwho
adaptedmasculinecharacteristicssuchasdressing,speakingstylejusttotakepartinwar(23).
Someofthetransvestiteswomensoldierslivedtheirwholelifeasmenwhileotherwentbackto
theiroriginalgenderafterthewarwasover(Lorber23).Similarly,afamousjazzmusicianBilly
Tiptonwasawomanbutshelivedmostofherlifeasamanasshegotmarriedtowomenand
adoptedthreesons(Lorber23).Thesegenderalterationsmakeitclearthatgendercanbeadapted
andmodified.
Furthermore,gendercangobeyondmasculinityandfemininityperformances.Numerous
culturesinscribegenderdirectlyintobodies(Lorber24).InthearticleNighttohisday,Lorber
giveanexampleonhowinChinesesociety,motheronceboundtheirdaughtersfeetinto
threeinchstumpstoenhancesexualattractiveness(24).Moreover,Jewishparentscircumcise


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theirinfantsonstoshowtheircovenantwithGod(Lorber24).Similarly,fromthecultureI
belong,Inoticedpeoplewhoarebiologicallymalesbutbehave,work,dressandtreatedas
women.Theyhavecreatedtheirowncommunityandaretreatedassocialwomen.These
examplesdemonstratesthatculturealsoplaysanimportantroleinshapingagenderasitcan
influencegenderconceptionthroughparenting.
Inconclusionitisclearthatgenderisasociallyconstructed,thereforeitcanbe
deconstructedandreconstructedaccordingtothepersonalchoice.Forinstance,transvestites
womenchoosetoperformmasculinerolesduringthewarwithouthavingsexchangesurgery.In
thesameway,parentsinitiallyshapestheformationofgenderfortheirchildrenthrough
gendertypedtoychoices,communication,treatmentandlanguage.Forexample,myparents
alwaystaughtmetoactinfemininewaybecausetheydidntknowthedifferencebetweensex
andgender.TheseallexamplefromthearticlesNighttohisdayandFromWomenMenand
Societymakeitclearthatgenderisacreationofasociety.


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WorksCited
JudithLorber,NighttoHisDay:TheSocialConstructionofGenderfromParadoxesof
Gender.Copyright1994byYaleUniversityPress.Reproducedwithpermissionofthe
publisher.Allrightsreserved.
ClaireM.Renzetti,DanielJ.Curran,andShanaL.Maier,GrowingUpFeminineorMasculine
FromWomen,MenandSociety,6thEdition.Copyright2011byClaireM.Renzetti,
DanielJ.Curran,andShanaL.Maier.ReproducedwithpermissionofPearson
Education,Inc.,UpperSaddleRiver,NJ.Allrightsreserved.