How Does Your Embodiment of Gender Reflect Your Parents Views
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The answer to the questions of what is feminine and what is masculine often depends on the gender roles that people are exposed to as a child. From a young age parents have developed and expressed gendered ways of thinking to their children. They have come to expect different and certain behaviors from male and female children. Parents have enforced gender roles on kids by the types of toys they are given to play with, the colors of their clothing and rooms etc.
My embodiment of gender reflects that of my mother in some ways and in other areas it does not. Although my mother reflected some traditional feminine such as being caring & sensitive and being “Superwoman”, she also embodied some masculine features in order to raise her children mainly as a single mother. She took up masculine jobs such as being able to do minor plumbing, changing of gas & a tire and do minor construction around the home. These are also roles that I have also learnt and am able to do. I can remember my mother liking to dress up, put on a fancy hat and lightly powdering her face but was not vain with appearances. This is also a reflection of myself as while I enjoy dressing up and putting on makeup it is mostly limited to times like a special occasion.
I believe that my upbringing reflects the social learning theory (Wood) where the behavior of others was imitated and the behavior continued or discontinued based on the response gotten. As a child I remember being raised in a gendered manner; toys bought were in yellow and pink and consisted of girly things such as tea sets, dolls and cooking sets. Playmates were expected to be of the same sex and riding bikes was in the confines of the yard. Other activities for example climbing trees and playing on the streets were considered a thing for boys. Going against these norms was often met with reprimand.
In the same way that my mother is a nurturer I was expected to be the same, if someone was ill or upset empathy was to be shown to them, these same views were not expected from my brothers who did sometimes express compassion but were not necessarily expected to look after someone who was sick. Being a caregiver/nurturer is a role I enjoy much that has lead be to become a volunteer at a kids club teaching four to seven year olds. Whenever my mom was in the kitchen cooking she would call me and two sisters to watch her cook so that we could learn and know what to do when we had our own families. I have deviated from my mothers view in that even though I know how to cook it is not something that I do, however I find myself a replica of my mom when cooking by doing the same thing and calling my niece to help me in the kitchen.
The time spent with my father was where I developed competitive skills and was encouraged to achieve, take risks and be assertive, attitudes that I have used many times and hold firm to.
In conclusion the way children