Boundaries between Masculine and Feminine
Whereas sex is a biological term that denotes male or female in terms of their reproductive organs, gender is learned through socialization. Genderization begins in infancy when adults say baby boys are handsome and tough while they call baby girls angelic and beautiful. Unlike their reproductive organs, gender is not something we have. We learn to construct it, enact or perform it by choosing to wear clothing associated with masculinity or femininity, for example, moving about in certain ways, and pursuing interests and goals that society has deemed appropriate to our specific gender. By the time boys and girls start school the socialization process is well underway and children are actively constructing gender. Boys learn to fear and reject anything that might mark them as girlish rather than "masculine." Girls' toys, such as dolls and dollhouses, are taboo. In the article titled "Boyhood," the author observed and analyzed an incident at the opening ceremony of soccer season. Gender was enacted and performed in the incident. The author analyzed what happened from the perspective of several different gender theories and asked the question "How and under what conditions do boys and girls constitute themselves as separate
Masculinity involves behaving in ways considered typical for men. "Real" men in our society are supposed to be tough, rugged, physicall active, strong, unemotional, and aggressive. In "Warrior Narratives in the Kindergarten Classroom: Renegotiating the Social Contract?" the authors explore why the public/private divide is so much more deeply entrenched in the lives of men than it is for women. The author argues that little boys are introduced to a public/private dichotomy in school. They bring with them already established ideas about gender appropriate behavior and are determined to act out narratives of masculinity-guns, fighting, fast cars-while in the interest of school discipline, the teacher may outlaw such play in the classroom setting. Two definitions of masculinity emerge during the negotiation process-warrior narratives and civil society (which requires rationality, responsibility, and decorum). The conflict may account for why boys do not adapt as readily and speedily as girls do to classroom life. Girls' gender behavior fits in well in a classroom setting, so they do not have to change. What happens to boys seems unfair in that we teach them certain behavior is not only appropriate, but essential to being a "real" man; then, we try to drum it out of them when they get to school--after it has already become part of their socialized gender identi
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Approximate Word count = 927
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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