Assignment

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My Gendered Story

Gender and Gender Roles

Gender refers to socially constructed traits of men and boys or women and girls. They include all the roles or behaviors that are associated with a man or women in the society (Maclaran and Chatzidakis, 2022). On the other hand, gender roles refer how the society expects us to live, speak, act or conduct ourselves based on our sex or gender. Gendered institutions refer to institutions that fight for gender equality and ensure that men and women are given equal opportunities. Social constructions refer to the culture, norms and ideas that people have learned and hence, incorporated in their daily life. Societies have different construction and expectations. As Katz and O'Barr (2019) observe, some societies are striving to promote gender equality between men and women. Others, some indigenous communities are still holding upon their primitive ideas that men are superior to women. This paper will discuss the concept of gender and activities that define our responsibilities as either men or women.

The concept of gender and gender roles has played a key part in shaping my daily routine. I have always seen myself as a person who is responsible and who should take responsibilities seriously. In the morning, I have to ensure that my house is neat and well-organized. When I wake up in the morning, I have to prepare my bed and clean the house as part of my job description. As Katz and O'Barr (2019) state, this helps to have clear peace of mind and focus on other daily goals. Secondly, I also have to ensure that my family is well-taken care of. During school days, I have to prepare the children. I ensure that I bathe them in the morning and also prepare breakfast for them before they leave for school. Despite these daily tasks, I feel proud of my gender because it helps me to fit into society. Maclaran and Chatzidakis (2022) observe that our roles and responsibilities in society help to define who we are. Therefore, I am most comfortable with my gender roles.

On the other hand, I always like to use beauty products since they give a sense of confidence. I always like to enhance my skin by having nice clothes, shoes, and other fashion trends. As Maclaran and Chatzidakis (2022) state, the majority of fashion products also help us to have confidence and also integrate into modern society. It also helps me to have a sense of confidence when I am close to my peers. Every time I visit a beauty shop, I am always keen to identify new design products. I believe that I belong to this modern society that is constantly changing. My gender roles and responsibilities have also shaped how I interact with other members of society. I believe that I am still a youth and therefore, I try to get along with all the members of society. Since I was young, my parents have always taught me to have etiquette, especially with adults. Therefore, I always ensure that I greet or socialize with other society members. As Katz and O'Barr (2019) state, this helps to create cohesion and also helps one to earn the respect of others. Moreover, I have always valued the concept of gender equity. Hence, I always believe that men and women are equal. In our school, I am the class representative and therefore, I represent the interest of both men and women equally. 

In all the institutions that I have worked in, they are gendered towards equality and fairness. In our school, the roles of men and women are equal and everyone is given an equal chance to perform or excel. Women play similar games to men and they are also graded on an equal platform as men. This is what I value about gender conformity in our institutions. On the other hand, I also believe that gender informs the largest and smallest decisions in my everyday life. First, I always believe that we are all equal, both men and women. Therefore, when I interact with the opposite gender, I always treat them as I do people of my gender. I always try to be respectful and always interact positively with my friends from all genders. Secondly, the concept of gender equity also helps me to choose the type of institution or the people I associate with. I don’t associate with institutions or people who don’t value the concept of gender equality. Katz and O'Barr (2019) state that in the modern era, we need to avoid institutions or people with ‘primitive ideas’ and this includes those who don’t value gender equality.

  To conclude, the concept of gender and gender roles has shaped our lives and also altered our culture. The course materials have helped me understand my roles and responsibilities in line with my gender. Moreover, I have learned to love in harmony with my family members and also take care of the needs of all people including my family. However, I also believe that both genders and equal, and if people understood their roles and their positions in society, we can transform our societies for the better.

References

Katz, J., & O'Barr, W. M. (2019).

Masculinities and the Media: An Interview with Activist Jackson Katz. Advertising & Society Quarterly, 20(2).

Maclaran, P., & Chatzidakis, A. (2022).

Introduction: an overview of gendered marketing. Gendered Marketing, 1-20.