If you go to Google Images and search "female news anchor outfits", most of the photos that come up are dresses.

Kim Findlay

-Amy Whittemore

I think gender roles and norms are communicated in the media mainly by TV shows and movies.

I've found that most of the attributes that have influenced me and helped me come to the realization is honestly the interactions and the perceptions I've had from my peers. I grew up in the suburbs of Houston, TX in a predominantly Hispanic and Black area. Surprisingly to some, many of my peers were raised to be extremely open-minded and had much forward, 'progressive' thinking. It's because of this, that I remember hearing about the rumors of Lady Gaga supposedly being trans, and I never had ill thinking about the topic because my peers around me were very calm about the idea of gender and gender-swapping and transgender identities. If anything, they were more concerned and how she had various hairstyles (the concept of wigs was foreign at this time). And since I personally was extremely sheltered in my childhood days, I was like a sponge; soaking up all the knowledge and information surrounding me.

I feel that this mindset limited me a lot at a young age. Often times I wanted to do stuff that was different than my assigned role and I was not allowed to.

As an adult I am striving every day to do things that interest me. It does not matter if those things are for boys or for girls usually.

Until high school, this division seemed normal in my small, ranching and farming community. It wasn’t until I joined the military that I realized my upbringing was different from others.

As times have changed, I now make it a point to show my granddaughter that she does not need to be confined by traditional gender roles. She can shoot guns, ride horses, lift weights, and perform just as well as boys her age. It's crucial to understand that equal opportunities come with equal responsibilities.

"Boys go to jupiter to get more stupider, girls go to Mars to be movie stars!"

When I was little we ended it with "WE. HATE. BOYS."

Where the world did we learn this from?? And why was it okay to be singing as a child? The stigma between men and woman starts from childhood whether we believe or not. It's our responsibility as adults to ensure our children grow up to be kind, caring and welcoming to everyone, regardless of gender.

I linked an article of a study done where they chose a group of toys marketed to girls, boys, and gender neutral. The research shows that even the way toys are created for learning and playtime, they reinforce the typical gender roles for girls and boys.

I believe that gender roles are a social construct and reinforced by social, environmental and cultural aspects.

I grew up with mostly boy cousins and learned to do a lot of things that were considered boy activities. I was even often called a tom boy for wanting to enjoy "boy" activities such as skateboarding, ride BMX bikes, and motorcycles from an age of 5. I played baseball before switching to softball due to peer pressure. I think that your upbringing and exposure to differently gendered toys, activities has a huge influence on how you perceive gender. I would consider my upbringing very gender neutral for outside activities, but balanced with the expectation that I also abided by gender norm activities in the household, like cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

I believe that my parents allowing me to be in social situations that were predominately boy activities, but still allowing girl lessons in the household is what made less gendering in activities. I also believe this is why I was very gender fluid with my own children an aware to not construct of criticize them for playing or behaviors that were considered outside their biological gender norms.

As many people have mentioned throughout this discussion, this presents most blatantly in the realm of children's toys; toys marketed towards girls tend to focus towards motherhood (baby dolls), housework (toys oriented towards cooking and cleaning), and beauty as according to the common societal standard (makeup kits and dolls that have a specific look to them), whereas toys marketed towards boys tend to quite frankly have a larger scope, with a variety of play styles and possible interests addressed.

I believe that the media we allow ourselves on our phones has a lot to do with how we may view gender as well as gender staerotypes. I think once we see something new being done at first people tend to all point their fingers and laugh but in reality it’s just someone who is very confident with who they are and who they want to be. Once we see changes like these, especially with singers we like or people we look up to, it can make it easier for people to be more open minded about these things. 

For example, parents might encourage sons to play sports or fix things around the house while encouraging daughters to help cook or play with dolls. Even seemingly small things, like the colors of clothes, the types of toys given, or which parent handles certain chores, communicate powerful messages about what’s “appropriate” for boys versus girls.

I saw examples play out when I worked as an Early Head Start teacher. In my experience, I saw how girls often leaned toward fine motor activities, while boys often leaned toward gross motor activities. This was not true for every child, but it was a strong pattern I noticed in the classroom. This made me think about how early we all begin to receiving messages about gender and which activities are considered appropriate for us to engage in.

Adults may be more likely to encourage boys to be active, adventurous, and physical, while girls may be encouraged to participate in quieter activities or praised for being calm and careful. Children also learn by observing other children and seeing which toys, games, and behaviors their peers choose. Over time, these experiences can influence their preferences and their understanding of what boys and girls are “supposed” to do.

I also see how my own ideas about gender were shaped by what I lived growing up. I was raised primarily by my father in an environment with traditional ideas about the roles of men and women. Even when gender expectations were not directly explained to me, I learned through observation, comments, and the different standards applied to men and women. Now I tend to examine which of those beliefs I actually agree with and which ones I learned simply because they were repeated and modeled around me.

This connects to the course concept that gender is learned through socialization. People are not only taught about gender through direct instructions; they also learn by observing how others behave, how people are treated, and which behaviors are rewarded or discouraged. My experiences both growing up and working with young children have shown me how early this process can begin and how important adults are in creating opportunities for children to explore activities and interests without limiting them based on gender.