TE 250: Reading Response

The section "Night to His Day": The Social Construction of Gender by Judith Lorber explains how the gender process happens and how people in society view gender roles. We do not realize how much we talk or relate to gender acceptances and differences everyday.

The first thing we notice in gender is the symbols such as the color clothing you are wearing or accessories you have on. This happens right when babies are born. People view a child by whether they are wearing blue or pink, earings or no earings, long hair or short. These characteristics determine whether the baby is a boy or a girl in society's eyes. It is uncommon for a boy to wear pink or a girl to wear a baseball cap. Although these children do not realize what gender they are at first, as soon as they begin to speak and walk they call themselves by their gender and begin to realize who they are. with adults.

Although it is common with children, we see adults gendered as well. We would not normally see a father walking with a stroller or carrying a child in a baby sling. When the author observed this she saw a father putting a baseball cap on his child and assumed that the child was a boy but when she looked closer she saw earrings on the child and realized it was a girl. What is most common is for parents to dress their child according to how society would be able to determine whether they have a boy or a girl so there is no confusion.

Another thing that is gendered with adults is their job. Job titles with higher power or position would normally be given to men and the lower titles to women. The jobs of parents also reflect the experiences their children go through which can also help shape their gender role whether it is masculine or feminine. Each job places them in a social class and based on how you live in your social class will change or keep your gender role the same because of changing hormones and passed down genes.

Gender roles are different in each society and culture. In today's culture we have men and women and they are placed in these catagories because of the characteristics they posses. It is becoming more common for transexuals (people having sex changes) or berdaches, hijras and xaniths (men who dress, behave, work and are treated as women). The gender roles in society are changing everyday because of new environments and living situations.