Penelope Eckert Learned To Be Gendered Analysis

In their article “Learned to be Gendered” Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet, state their opinion on how the society classifies human as a boy or a girl and assigns detailed roles, attitudes, and manners to a specific sex. A male is a boy and a female is a girl.” The dichotomy of male and female is the ground upon which we build selves from the moment of birth” (737). This clearly reflects how the modern society is totally gendered structured, it defines what type of behaviors is acceptable and appropriate based on the human sex, which limits the individual’s behavior along gender lines. In fact, from their birth, children are exposed to gender difference, these ideas are largely formed and imposed by family and society, and has a negative …show more content…
As soon as the fetus’s sex is determined, the unborn children are assigned a gender identity by which they are characterized and expected to behave upon on. According to Eckert and Ginet “the ritual announcement at birth that it is, in fact, one of the other instantly transforms an “it” into a “he” or a “she” (736). This idea of gendering babies the instant they are born, into a boy or a girl and bringing them to the light of gender differences, restrains children from freely choosing and expressing their personal gender identity. Often, parents tend to set a gender themed environment for their children that match their biological sex, so they can learn from their caregivers what does it mean to be a boy or a girl. By way of example, parents have a habit of choosing a blue color clothing for a boy and a pink color for a girl. The first baby outfit represents the expectation and the label parents have for their children, while a rugby custom might be a boy’s first outfit because he is expected to be rough and masculine. A baby- girl outfit might be a princess themed dress because she is expected to be soft, sensitive and …show more content…
Otherwise, the person’s free choice of a different sex orientation will be considered improper by the society and could lead to discrimination and rejection. By way of example; a person who does not adhere to the society gender structure are refused by the community, denied employment and might also be rejected by their families. Until today’s, many Americans believe that the acquisition of a higher education by women and contribution to the society by seeking employment is less important than caring for her family. Their role is already defined by their social environment to be