The Gender Identity Debate

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the essays "I Won. I'm Sorry," by Maria Burton Nelson, "Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes" by Aaron Devor and "The Gender Blur" by Deborah Blum that explore whether gender identity is primarily biological or largely socially constructed. The paper discusses how women and men continually receive messages, from advertising to their nurseries, that indicate the roles they should assume in society. The paper then discusses those who struggle with their identities from a young age, whose gender identity is all about their own unique biology. The paper therefore comes to the conclusion that gender identity is a blend of social constructs and each person's own unique biological makeup.

From the Paper:

"Gender identity is most certainly socially constructed in our country, and it begins at the time of birth. Little baby boys come home from the hospital to blue, yellow, red, or green rooms (never pink), decorated with sailboats, jungle animals, or trains, while little girls come home to frilly pink rooms decorated with ruffles, fairies, princesses, and stuffed animals. From then on, the gender roles for little boys and girls become even clearer, and they point children down the "right" paths that little boys and little girls should always follow at a very young age. Little boys grow up learning they do not play with dolls, cook, or care about what they wear, while little girls grow up learning they do not get dirty, do not play competitive sports, and never outshine the boys on the playground or in the classroom."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blum, Deborah. "The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over?" Signs of Life in the USA, 5th ed. Maasik & Solomon, eds. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006. 475-482.
• Burton Nelson, Mariah. "I Won. I'm Sorry." Signs of Life in the USA, 5th ed. Maasik & Solomon, eds. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006. 439-445.
• Craig, Steve. "Men's Men and Women's Women." Signs of Life in the USA, 5th ed. Maasik & Solomon, eds. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006. 161-173.
• Devor, Aaron. "Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes" Signs of Life in the USA, 5th ed. Maasik & Solomon, eds. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006. 458-464.
• Mayer, Andre. "The New Sexual Stone Age." Signs of Life in the USA, 5th ed. Maasik & Solomon, eds. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006. 284-287.

More papers on The Gender Identity Debate:

• Analytical Essay # 128814 : "Interactions Between Hormones and Gender Identity"
• Analytical Essay # 147994 : "Lesbianism and Sexual Identity"
• Book Review # 119829 : "What's Lacking in "The Idea of Culture"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: