Essay On Composing Gender

In Composing Gender by Rachel Groner and John F. O’Hara, there is the discussion of how society shapes gender and imposes gender roles on children, even before they are born, through simple things such as names and gender-themed baby showers. Many people think of anatomy equaling gender, however it is not that simple. Gender is more than just the boy and girl binary. It is the way that different toys are separated into “girl sections” which are typically all pink and “boy sections” which are typically blue. From an early age, society separates boys and girls by gendering things such as names and products. In 1972, there was an article published by Ms. Magazine, written by Lois Gould, about how it is always a battle for a child to not fall into stereotypical gender roles. Her idea for an experiment of raising an androgynous child could change the way society sees gender, if it were to ever be carried out. It made me
It was through my school that I learned to stray away from my favorite toys, such as remote control cars and Legos, and go for the “girly things” like Barbie dolls and princess dress up clothes. I recall one time in kindergarten, when I was only five or six; my teacher was giving out small things (like candy and small toys) to the children that had not gotten into trouble that week. I got called up and he gave me a small package of off-brand Legos. I remember feeling awkward, because I associated that as being a “boy” toy, so I took it back later and asked for a “girl” toy. Of course that was thirteen years ago so I cannot recall each and every detail, but I remember thinking back to that later and wondering why I got so upset over it being a toy meant for the opposite gender, because I would have ultimately liked the Legos more. This is why Lois Gould’s experiment really resonated with me. I immediately thought, “Would I have been happier if I were raised