Gender socialization is the process by which society shapes our ideas about appropriate behaviors for men and women. The term brings to mind ideas about societal control over actions.
The process of gender socialization has many agents. The first thing I remember in the process of gender socialization is the idea that boys get blue things and like rough and tumble play whereas girls get pink things and like quiet play. These ideas are ingrained from birth and are supported by most young children. Any action by a person outside of these expectations results in quick and brutal sanction of peers.
Another experience that shaped my ideas about gender was watching the TV show “I Love Lucy.” This TV show portrayed men and women in very stereotypical ways. The women were homemakers and the men were bread winners. The women were portrayed as needing male guidance, less intelligent and mischievous. The men were portrayed as in control, smart and sophisticated. While this show is somewhat outdated many of these ideas about men and women are still underlying our concepts of appropriate gender roles.
The greatest factor shaping my ideas about gender roles is the household I grew up in. In our home we were taught that each person was equal and should be treated in the same way. This meant we were allowed to wear what we wanted and play with whatever interested us regardless of the attached gender ideas. We were also taught that we could have any job we wanted if we worked hard enough. These experiences led me to believe that gender roles as portrayed by our society are unimportant. Any person should be allowed to do what makes them happy regardless of the gender ideas attached to the actions.