In the society we live in today, there is a strong difference between what is considered a “boy” and what is considered a “girl”. This is because from the moment we are born; At the time of our death, we are expected to conform to a gender role. A gender role is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and personality characteristics expected of a person based on their sex. This process of making people conform to their gender roles is called socialization and it affects children very drastically. Gender socialization comes from many different places. This mainly comes from family, peers and the media. Girls are made to believe that they are supposed to be gentle and caring, while boys are taught to be harsh and even aggressive. Personally, as a child, I learned and stuck to the idea that I am a girl, and I find that I identify with what would make someone a “girl.” These last few chapters have really made me think about how much of the "girly" things I actually like and how much of it is socialized behavior - where I say I like something because that's what I like. grew up knowing I was supposed to do this. as. Today, it is almost impossible to go a day without seeing these gender stereotypes. We socialize our children into a constant cycle of what is “boy” and what is “girl.” Gender socialization is most often found in the media, and not only is the media a great socializer, but it also influences other areas of a child's life. do the same. It is not only about getting the child to think in terms of gender separation, but also encouraging the child's parents, teachers and friends to do the same. For this assignment, we were told to go to a department store and look at children's clothing, which I did. ...... middle of paper ...... about a boy or a girl, it should be about who the child or person really is. This is important because everyone, especially children, should feel like they can do, be and achieve anything they want; they shouldn't feel like their gender is an obstacle. Works Cited “Early Childhood”. UNICEF. Np, and Web. November 17, 2013. Ironside, Andrew. "Marc Rudov on 'the downsides' of being a female president: "You mean besides PMS and mood swings, right? » Blog post. Media matters. Np, March 11, 2008. Web. November 13, 2013. “Glass Ceiling.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, November 17, 2013. Sweet, Elizabeth. “More guys and dolls?” New York Times. Np, December 21, 2012. Web. “Common Stereotypes of Men in the Media.” MediaSmarts. Np, and Web. November 11, 2013.Marinova, Jivka. “Gender stereotypes and socialization processes.” Un.org. Np, October 13, 2003. Web. November 10. 2013.