Observation/Reflection piece - Over the course of the six weeks I’ve been studying Gender sociological perspectives there has been a myriad of key topics we have discussed in class. The one which I had a particular interest with was the week two and the topic of how gender is socially constructed in early socialisation. Five key concepts are talked about including Biological reductionism, Essentialism, Social constructionism, Symbolic Interactionism and Early gender socialism. Social constructionism is perhaps my favourite concept as it focuses on how categories are produced socially and culturally. Socialisation plays a key role in social constructionism and most importantly primary socialization – family. Topic covers …show more content…
Countless theories and concepts are used to highlight gender as a social construct such as the five key concepts Biological reductionism, Essentialism, Social constructionism, Symbolic Interactionism and Early gender socialism. These are all core arguments that help us see gender as a social construct one of which has been socially and culturally formed. In the life of kids their parents play a pivotal role along with society in creating there ideas based on gender through storytelling and interactions in everyday life based around gender. Along with this media is extremely influential in the way they showcase masculinity and femininity through sport in particular. (Connell 2005) Likewise, stereotypes are very prominent in socially constructing the idea of gender as they paint a clear message and image of what male and females should be like and what if people felt they fell outside these two distinct categories. (A. Olaiya et al …show more content…
This is just the start of early socialisation taking its grasp on how society pictures different materials and actions for both male and female. The most influential people who will construct your early views on gender are your family. This can be an accumulation of all your interactions with other children as well as watching your parent’s interactions. Girls often play dress up from a young age and boys would be frowned upon if they took part something most parents if not all would worry about the boys if they engaged with wearing dresses due to the how gender is socially constructed as this would be going against the ‘norm’. Girls that have masculine traits or act like boys are classified as “tomboys” whilst males who show off their emotion are said to be “sissy” or “gay”.
School
School is massive along with family and peers for portraying gender as a social construct. Even in pre-school kids are subconsciously learning about gender as a social construct as the toys in the nurseries are often colour coded like for example a cooking kitchen is pink the boys even at three years of age our likely to stay away from it. (A. Olaiya et al 2011) Girls are more often than not all going to be playing together with the girl’s toys and likewise the boys which is leading