Peneople Eckert's Essay 'Leaning To Be Gendered'

Learning to Be Gendered
Peneople Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet’s essay “Leaning to Be Gendered” emphasizes your gender type before even being born. Your gender is specified by the color of clothing given at birth, the tone of voice used when speaking, toys or even the shape of your belly during pregnancy. Basically our gender is being chosen for us before we even realize who we are. Is gender your appearance or is it how you feel and how you are on the inside? Ultimately, what is at stake here is that children being born in this society no longer have a choice when it comes to gender. Our gender is embedded so thoroughly in our institutions, beliefs, actions and our desires. I do agree with Eckert and McConnell-Ginet that in today society,
If you are a baby boy you receive the blue onesie and if you are a baby girl you receive the pink onesie. Color is something that society tells us that defines us and represent who we are, those particular colors is something that is a default by birth. According to Eckert and McConnell-Ginet, “Colors are so integral to our way of thinking about gender that gender attributions have bled into our views…so that some people tend to believe that pink is a more “delicate” color than blue.”(Eckert & McConnell 738) When it comes to the gender topic relating to colors, most of us would agree that the color you wear is does specify your gender. That color defines you the moment you are born. Since you are a baby and have no choice, your gender is already chosen for you by the color of clothing you are wearing. My own view is that the piece of clothing shouldn't be able to define who you are as a person. Its unfair to already categorize gender at such a young age. I understand as an infant you don't have much choice, but as the child is growing up our society still emphasizes those gender roles by color. They prefer girls to wear pink or flowery clothing and boys to wear blue or something more dark. It shouldn't be like that. A child should have its own choice and should not be judged at such a young
Also the toys you play with as a child should not either. Eckert and McConnell-Ginet states “Until the age of two, boys and girls exhibit the same play behaviors.”(743) Eckert and McConnell-Ginet point is that children play together until a certain time in their life. The children play together until their playing habits and behavior differ. Once their tastes change such as the type of toys that are being advertise and what influence them. In Eckert and McConnell-Ginet view “ As children get older, their play habits are monitored and differentiated, first by adults, and eventually their peers.”(743) If a girl plays rough or in the dirt an adult tells them that they should not do it, it is not lady like. Vice versa for boys, they shouldn't play with dolls because it's not manly enough. The toys are generalize as trucks are for boys and dolls are for girls. I believe you should not stop a child from playing with what they want. It stops their learning ability, you are just enforcing the stereotype onto