Aspects Of Gender Socialization

As humans we are all born differently either male or female, but there is another difference that we are also aware of and that is the difference between gender and sex. Being a girl or a boy, for most children, it is something that feels extremely innate. During childbirth, infants are announced either male or female according to his/her physical attributes. This is known as the "sex" of the child. At the point when children can express themselves, they will identify with being a boy or girl; this is considered to be their "gender identity." One 's sex, as dictated by his or her physical characteristics, does not generally correspond with his or her gender. In this way, the terms gender and sex are not interchangeable. Most children 's gender …show more content…
The first major agent is family, in this agent families tend to socialize their children into gender roles, such as boys play football and be masculine, girls play with dolls and be feminine, or boys take out the trash while girls do the dishes. Also families tend to treat their daughters differently than they do their sons. Girls are given more freedom to step outside of their gender role. The father of a family has stronger expectations for gender conformity for their sons than they would their daughters; this results in boys fearing the disapproval of their fathers and being out casted. Sexual minorities have a hard time deciding when or whether to expose their true selves to their families. Sears (1991) reported that the average age of telling their parents was less than three months after their initial disclosure to their friends, at age 19 and 20 for lesbian and gay youths. This is mainly because they feel as though their friends are less objecting and more supportive. They would also tell their mothers before their fathers, due to their mothers being more understanding than their fathers, since fathers tend to hold a higher expectation for gender normalcy. The families or either supportive or unsupportive of their homosexual son or daughter. A supportive family lets their child know that they are supportive, approving, and loving. A families supportive behaviors can reduce a homosexual child’s risk for health, mental health problems in adulthood, and increase their well-being. In Ryan’s (2010) study she found that young adults whose parents and foster parents supported their gay or transgender identity had better overall health, and mental health. They had higher self-esteem and were much less likely to be depressed, to use illegal drugs, or to think about or try to kill themselves. Individuals who are accepted by their family live healthy and