Individuals Influence On Gender Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Individuals Influence On Gender Identity - Essay Example To understand gender identity at a deeper length, it is imperative to consider social constructs of gender difference. This implies that issues like socialization or environmental factors and response to changing societal norms must be considered and understood. Children start understanding gender identity at a very tender age. A child will know whether he is a boy or she is a girl. Thus children at an early age can already categorize their gender. They further learn how to perform gender roles that are associated with their identity as masculine and feminine. Boys learn to control and manipulate their physical environment through their strength and sometimes skills. On the other hand, girls at an early age, already start presenting themselves as an object that should be viewed. These children keenly monitor their friends’ gendered behaviors as well as their own. Thus, gender segregated children activities, partly found in their play and normal life practices bring in the appe arance that there are male and female behaviors. Therefore, these children grow up knowing that there are varied behaviors, roles, and practices that they should do as a male or a female. There are a number of factors that influence a child’s gender development. The most outstanding of these factors is the environment where a child develops. Indeed, Barret found out that one's identification as a male or a female is not natural, but it results after a series of repeated performance of gender norms conforming to the above-identified sexes. identified sexes (2001, pp. 313). Thus, it is this performance that will reproduce and results into the traditional gender categories of males and females. Studies have found out that children develop gender identities as they search for their social cues (Lucal, 1999, pp. 513). In addition, Brown established similar findings in his studies. He established that, children will develop their