Gender Stereotypes

Everyone has heard, and more than likely made, offhand remarks referring to things that are stereotypically male or stereotypically female. Comments to the effect of "Women talk too much," "All men think about is sex," or "Suck it up and be a man" are heard frequently enough that it has just become a norm in our society.

From the moment a baby is born, he or she is socialized to the gender roles of our culture. If the baby is a boy, he typically receives attire in blues and greens -- God forbid he receive a pink blanket when he'll have no recollection of it. The same goes for girls who receive things of a pink or purple nature. Then, of course, we even have dubbed "gender neutral" colors, like yellow.

As babies age, girls are given dolls and dresses, and boys are given cars or action figures. For many people, at least stereotypically, it's an awful thing and something must be wrong for one to play with the other's "assigned" things -- more so if a boy likes dolls and dresses.

Today, however, it is becoming more acceptable to blur the lines between genders. What this says about society remains to be seen, because there are still some people who have a very defined notion of what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman, and there are also people who will do whatever they can to be individual and unique.

Case-in-point ending.