Personal Narrative: The Gender Schema Theory

I envisioned a ranch with endless acres of apple trees blooming, a quaint house near the back with various farm animals roaming around, a Father and Mother watching their children play amongst each other on a sunny spring afternoon. I’ve seen this farm in person, it’s now commercialized for the local sale of apples from the trees that still reside to this day. The sole structure of the old modest adobe home still stands, no roof, just the greenery that’s surrounded and grown throughout the home over the decades. Despite the fact that I’ve only been alive to see this land commercialized and the adobe house abandoned, my visits during apple picking season as a young girl lead my imagination to invent a childhood I assumed my grandmother lived. …show more content…
From early on her mother made the distinction between her and her brothers clear and she was never left alone with them. This realization was the beginning of the gender schema theory. She mentioned an occasion where she was lifting a heavy object and her mother disciplined her and told her that it was not her job but her brothers and to instead go inside to clean the kitchen. That was a clear moment where she internalized the gender schema theory, and because of being reprimanded avoided male related tasks. Regarding a different aspect of the gender schema theory, there was always a cautious attitude from her mother about her well being regarding sexual assault, she mentioned that the machismo culture and its sick notion of women needing to be submissive was a constant threat. Decent dress code was one of the answers to prevention for her mother, the length and whether or not it was too form fitting was perpetually judged. My grandmother was married at eighteen, envisioning her dream of a happy husband and a family, she had to marry for financial support because of her lack of education. The fantasy of marriage included happiness, love and support, and sadly she was quick to find out that her idea of marriage was not at all what it turned out to be. The family she wanted was starting to grow but she was terribly unhappy with her husband. Remarrying was a thought but not an option, divorce and being alone …show more content…
She did live happily on the ranch but it wasn’t with both parents and it wasn’t an easy life style to not eat some days and not have adequate shoes or clothing for years. I’ve been back to the ranch with her recently and she smiles at the adobe house. I can’t help but believe when she tells me that even amongst having nothing sometimes, her mother 's sacrifices maintained her and her siblings happiness. My grandmother’s childhood influenced her to want better for her children, which is of course what my mother wanted for me. Her perseverance and selflessness made her the independent strong woman she is today, socialization affected her greatly in the manner that as a mother her children were always before herself. My grandmother is my hero, she sacrificed her happiness and her sanity at times for her children and she doesn’t regret it. She has made it clear that no one and especially no man should come before my aspirations and especially my well