Boys Will Be Boys Not In These Families Summary

One topic that has grown in popularity in our society today is gender non-conforming individuals. This may be due to public figures, different values, and media. In the article “Boys Will Be Boys? Not in These Families”, Jan Hoffman brings up many topics concerning gender non-conforming children and how our society views them. She talks about how parents, society, and the children themselves view children who do not conform to gender norms. Her article sheds more light on the subject of gender non-conforming children specifically, which shows the wide range in ages on the subject of gender non-conformity. Supporting gender non-conforming children is important because accepting these children will help them grow and create a strong foundation for their future and everyone should have the same opportunity for a successful future. …show more content…
Some parents may feel ashamed or others they just need more time to warm up the idea while some parents don’t want their child to “find themselves” when it’s too late according to Hoffman. One father that Hoffman talks about wasn’t sure how to react about his son who enjoyed playing with Barbie dolls and dress-up clothes. The father gave his son a new Barbie doll as a gift one day. The act of giving that kind of gift and the excitement that the child expressed are just building blocks to a future strong and supportive relationship between the two of them. According to the article, “Why Relationships Are Important for Development”, it shares how, “loving interactions between you and your child prepare her well for things she’ll come across later in her life”. It is important to support your child now since family is considered a primary group in sociology. Primary groups are “key agents of socialization”