Becoming members of society: Learning the social meanings of gender

In Aaron H. Devor's "Becoming Members of Society:Learning the Social Meanings of Gender", he explores the gender roles casted by our society. Gender roles vary between culture to culture. In some areas gender is loosely guarded while in others there are very strict behaviors between men and women.   As children we "learn" how to become boys and girls. Everyone is born male or female BUT society forms us into men and women. These known behaviors for men and women are commonly known as masculinity and femininity. Masculinity is associated with aggression while femininity deals with passivity. Women are almost naturally given the role of the caregiver, mother, and a dependence on men. The way women are supposed dress, act, and speak is meant to attract a male counterpart. There are many things that are considered feminine to our society. From our body postures to our careers. Women and men have distinct characteristics to show the separation between man and woman. Men are established in society as successful, confident, and self reliant. This level of success often makes men more competitive and aggressive in order to achieve this idealized sense of being a "man." Along with this perception men are advised to become insensitive to emotion. People who often take control of situations and speak loudly or crudely are considered more manly. In many senses men and women are complete oppositions of each other.

Gender role characteristics reflect the conceptions that our society sees as acceptable and natural for human behavior. We are vunerable to these assumptions as young children and grow up to believe these assumptions are true. People who do not conform to our social gender roles are often not accepted and seen as "unnatural." It's a bit unfair and without justice that gender is assumed for all of us. In the United States I see gender roles with a much larger emphasis than any other. Society plays a larger part here and as individuals we seek acceptance from our society which fuels our motives to becoming more manly or more womanly. Not only does society shape how others see us but how we see other people also. We assume the ideal of a man or woman and take on that role ourselves.