The topic of gender and its effect on one’s socialization is one of the most discussed concepts in social studies. Gender is a quality that society has been using as a source of information about a person for centuries, drawing conclusions about one’s personality and making assumptions about one’s abilities and limitations. However, research and philosophical theories demonstrate that the difference between men and women, for example, is enforced not by biological differences but by upbringing (Laugier, 2022). Therefore, the discussion of gender and its effects on one’s socialization should be viewed through the lens of social norms. One must consider how a gendered view of the world impacts young men and women and their perception of self and others. Gender inequality is enforced both consciously and unconsciously by people and results in the early adaptation of a person to fit certain gender roles.
It is essential to understand what gender inequality is and how it shows itself from early upbringing. Historically, in a large number of cultures, the roles of women and men in society have been separated based on gender. Men are expected to take on positions that require physical strength, aggressiveness, competitiveness, and bravery. Thus, cultural norms describe men as masculine, strong-willed, ambitious, and fearless (Määttä & Uusiautti, 2020). In contrast, the primary expectation for a woman is to be in a caring role, acting supportive and nurturing. The qualities often defined for women are compassion, empathy, patience, and passivity (Määttä & Uusiautti, 2020). These characteristics are demonstrated in all areas of one’s life, including work, education, relationships, and language. For example, the connection between a female-prescribed quality of compassion has led to the nursing profession being socially linked to womanhood, while doctors are mostly imagined as men (Kendall, 2017). The existence of this strong linguistic connotation raises the question of gender inequality’s origin.
It can be argued that the divide between genders results from a century-long resistance to eliminating gender bias from one’s upbringing. Määttä and Uusiautti (2020) find that home and school culture are responsible for children’s personalities, while media is a common source of information in modern society. Young boys and girls who attend school often see themselves presented differently in textbooks, which forms their early expectations from socialization. Further adaptation based on the perceived differences strengthens the genders’ resolve to fit into the roles. For example, research notes that girls are aware of the social dissonance between the need to appear passive and quiet and the requirement to achieve academic success (Määttä & Uusiautti, 2020). To navigate this issue, they develop specific skills to stay within the expected feminine role while working hard to achieve good grades (Määttä & Uusiautti, 2020). This example explains a pattern in gendered behavior, which reveals that one’s awareness of the roles’ limitations is not enough to eliminate gender inequality.
To conclude, gender inequality is a result of a continually enforced set of gender expectations placed on people from the early years of their lives. Studies have demonstrated that children see the assignment of different characteristics at home and school. These expectations are expressed in language and behavior, further strengthening their impact on upbringing. As a result, women and men raised in a gendered environment continue to enforce the stereotypes onto the next generations, further affecting one’s social development. To eliminate gender inequality brought on by the perpetual reinforcement of the divide, society has to reconsider the information passed onto children and change the differing expectations in behavior and performance.
References
Kendall, D. E. (2017). Sociology in our times. Cengage Learning.
Laugier, S. (2022). Carol Gilligan: What gender does to moral philosophy. In E. Le Jallé & A. Benoit (Eds.), Thinking with women philosophers (pp. 1-22). Springer.
Määttä, K., & Uusiautti, S. (2020). Nine contradictory observations about girls’ and boys’ upbringing and education – The strength-based approach as the way to eliminate the gender gap. Frontiers in Education, 5, 134.