Chapter 3

In chapter 3, it talks about gender and how it is the most important feature of a person's identity. Through gender socialization we learn how girls and boys are supposed to act and how the world is socially constructed. I found it interesting when they talk about going to a toy store and browsing the aisles, just to see exactly how everything is socially constructed and boys and girls are expected to be this way because it's what is "right". I remember when my nephew wanted to play with his sister's toys, and my brother in law refused to let him play with toys that were meant for a girl. My nephew wanted to push around the baby doll stroller and right when my brother in law saw it he snatched it away because he was afraid his son would be considered a "sissy" or "girl". I think that if children want to play with certain toys they should be able to explore different things in the world and not just be limited and restricted to what is socially constructed to be what's "right". Some kids growing up will be tomboys, while others are extremely feminine. It's interesting how gender is constructed even before the child is born, if they are a going to have a girl they make the nursery pink, and everything bought is girly. It begins before the child is even born so they don't have a choice, they are constructed to be what society expects them to be.