Short Writing Assignment: Gender Socialization and Social Constructs

This short writing assignment delves into the concepts of gender socialization and social construction, examining how societal norms, expectations, and stereotypes influence individual behaviors and beliefs. The assignment analyzes the impact of these constructs on gender roles, using examples such as the association of colors with genders and the traditional division of labor between men and women. The author discusses how these constructions are reinforced through various agents like parents, media, and schools. The assignment also explores how these constructs, though often limiting, are evolving due to feminist movements and changing societal views. The author provides examples of how these constructs affect both children and adults and how these constructs influence career choices. The essay also highlights the ongoing efforts to dismantle traditional gender roles and the challenges that remain.

Running head: SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Short Writing Assignment
2-7-2020

SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT 1
1.
Social construction is considered to be the ideas that are introduced with the common
understanding of the world which also creates a basis for the common assumptions in the
society. In other words, social construction is a way of thinking that is common in many of
the social groups that are implanted within those society members from one generation to
another. In regards to the gender, it is very clear the way social constructions are at play. For
instance, it is generally said that blue colour is for boys and pink for girls. This is considered
to be a social construct that is learned by people in the world. Gender socialization is
considered to be the procedure which makes people learn about the gender related
expectations, norms, and rules of a culture. The common gender socialization agents are
media, parents, schools, and teachers (Vinney).
2.
The simple attribution of the gender of a baby to pink or blue colour or fitting them with
some of the society believes reveals that social constructions can be wrong. For example,
people now link these colours with not just the gender but also with the femininity and
masculinity. When parents take their child for shopping and the child does not gets fit in their
specified social construct of the colour then those parents put their efforts to correct their
behaviour. For example, if a boy likes toys of clothes with pink colour a parent may refuse
them to buy those things by saying that it is pink and it is for girls. Besides this, they ask boy
child to buy something in blue colour which increases the confusion of the child regarding
the colour connection with the gender. The concept of masculinity and femininity are also
reinforced by buying sports games for boys and buying domestic toys and doll for girl child.
3.
Social constructions not just impact people as kids but also as adults. These constructions
related to gender deliver a basis for the traditional gender roles. One example and common

SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT 2
role related to this is men is asked to work in office whereas female is asked to look out
domestic work in the house. Today, this is very problematic because of the feminist
movement outcomes, increasing number of women are involved in finding jobs that were
previously handled by men and few of the men stay at their home for looking out their kids
(Eller). But, the social constructs and roles many times limit men and women since women
are deterred away from engineering as it is considered as “man jobs” and men deterred away
from decorating or primary school teaching jobs. But, this model of the society is changing
because of many feminists, still there is a long way to decompose these types of traditional
roles and social constructions.

SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT 3
Works Cited
Eller, Jack D " Culture and diversity in the united states: so many ways to be american ". U.s:
Routledge, 2015. 1-23. Web.
Vinney, Cynthai " What is gender socialization? definition and examples. " Thought co.. Web
7 february 2020. 2019. < https://www.thoughtco.com/gender-socialization-definition-
examples-4582435. >