Lesson 4. Learning and Doing Gender

American society is great at telling and teaching people what is right and what is wrong. Because gender roles are learned and are not born with, society drills in the expectations from birth and continues to reinforce the behaviors throughout time. Society scrutinizes those who are defiant to their gender roles and praise those who confine themselves within their gender roles. Marking, ads, and manufacturers are great at relating gender roles with product association. On my visit to random stores, I have been able to skim through the aisles and come up with relating products to their definitions.

1. Gender identity is viewing oneself masculine or feminine. Because society encourages these behaviors manufacturers use color to differentiate and identify with a gender. Usually pink is considered feminine, blue for boys, and green gender neutral.

2. Gender socialization is associating specific behaviors, values, and things associated with the skillset that pertains to the gender norm. As you can see this magazine is marketed for young girls who display femininity gender qualities. We can assume that because it teaches girls how to be feminine. It teaches relationship advice, arts and crafts, and how to keep fit, all of which is assumed to be the gender socialization norm for girls.

3. Heteronormativity is when society considers heterosexual to be the default like portrayed on the cover of this DVD, Focus. This is a perfect example that displays the man and women together which also states the dominance of the man and the inferiority of the female.

4. Flippin' the script according to Goffman is going against the gender norm. I automatically think Rowdy Rhonda. This game proves that there are those who defy social expectations and can succeed. Rhonda is just one example of how she was taught and brought up to fight and defeat those in the way. Wearing dresses and decorated in pink was definitely not  embedded in her gender norm. 

5. You're doing gender when you associate with one or the other. When you select pink with Minnie Mouse you're siding with femininity and when you choose blue with Mickey Mouse you're choosing to side with masculinity. Basically, girls versus boys are considered doing gender.