As soon as we are born gender roles are placed on us and we begin to learn the way we are expected to act. For example, " children use gender as an organizing theme to classify and understand perceptions about the world"(Lefton 319). Children get many ideas about how they are supposed to behave, and that there are many differences between boys and girls simply by the way they are treated by their parents as a child. Boys are usually treated a little rougher than girls and get bounced around on their parent's knees more often, where girls on the other hand, are cuddled and treated delicately. The toys children are given are also dif

Some other gender role expectations placed on us by the media are that men are strong and women are weak. An example of this could be seen in a James Bond movie. James was always trying to save the world from definite destruction while at the same time, trying to save a weaker less intelligent woman, who he would eventually have, sex with, from being killed. As a result of these gender stereotypes, men begin to learn that they are expected to be strong and capable of handling any situation. They should also be assertive in sexual activities being able to seduce any woman at any time or place. Women may get the idea from movies such as these, that they are weak, passive, and must depend on men to survive.

1. Crooks, Robert. and Karla Baur. Our Sexuality. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1996

3.Nevid, Jeffery S., Lois Fichner-Rathus, and Spencer A. Rathus.

Sexuality in a World of Diversity. Needham heights.

ferent. For example, boys are often given guns and sports equipment such as, baseballs and footballs, where as girls are given dolls and tea sets to play with.

Another way socialization influences our gender roles are through television, movies and books. In most segments of the media men are usually portrayed "in a wide variety of occupational roles, where as women, are stereotyped as housewives, mothers, brides, and waitresses." For example I have never seen a man selling laundry detergent or a woman C.E.O. in a television commercial, it is always the opposite. This reinforces the old gender stereotypes of men being breadwinners and women being housewives. However, times

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