RUNNING HEAD: MY GENDERED STORY 1

My Gendered Story

Jerod Bridwell

GNDR 111.NO2

University of Southern Indiana

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​ his is not an
I am a stereotypical, gender-norms abiding white male​. T

​ owever​, t​ his fact about myself

accomplishment nor a disservice to my own potential​. H

​ edia
has been shaped by an uncountable number of interactions with humans​, m

​ nd the observations of the world around me​. S

outlets​, a ​ tarting my life in a town where

Christianity holds a monopoly of believe systems just as strong as J.D. Rockefeller’s

company ‘Standard Oil’ in the early 1900’s​. I​ n the length of this paper, we will dive into

how I routinely do gender and how my past has led me in this direction​.

My everyday routine of life can be described as ordinary​. I​ begin by waking up

​ uring the shower​, I​

around 6:30 a.m., immediately rushing to the bathroom to shower​. D

​ hen I exit the shower​, I​ dry my body with

use two products: shampoo and body wash​. W

a towel and throw any suitable clothes on​. I​ do not worry about the perception of my

​ he idea not caring if you look the best you could is a common​ i​ dentity for a
beauty​. T

gendered male​.​ After I dress​,​ I leave for my workplace within an office setting​.​ When

my shift is over, I drive to my apartment to watch sports for the rest of the night.

I have just described how I exist on a normal day, now let explain​.​ I only use two

products in the shower​.​ Myself, being male, am not targeted by marketing departments

for personal care products as much as a female ( Menin & Blasio, 2015)​.​ Other than
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marketing, Myself not being worried about personal looks conforms to the beauty

double standard stigma placed by society​.​ My usual nightcap of watching a varying

sports program has been apart of myself for many years​.​ I was forced into sports as a

​ eiterating my introductory
child, and have not stopped loving each one ever since​. R

statement, I unconsciously abide by what I am told to be socially​.

Early into my childhood I was introduced to activities that promote identifying to

​ study authored by Carol Martin and Diane Ruble stated

stereotypical gender roles​. A

“Children first show an understanding of sex differences associated with adult

possessions (e.g., shirt and tie), physical appearance, roles, toys, and activities… at

age three”​ (​ Martin & Ruble, 2013). Meaning that a child has labeled items to a gender

​ s​ m
at around age three​. A ​ y mother and father bought me toys and clothes that fit my

gender​, I​ began to form my beliefs on what I should prefer or be interested in​. A

​ t the

time I was born the knowledge of the effects of forcing gender roles was not as

widespread​, i​ nturn I don’t blame my loving parents for ignorance of the topic​. A
​ fter

​ iant dump trucks​, a​ nd royal blue blankets/clothing I had identified

obtaining toy cars​, g

myself with those objects​.​ My gender identity really formalized when I was submitted

into the public school system​.

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​ r elementary school​,​ there was an unspoken
Even in grades one through five​, o

contest to see who could be more masculine in the presence of our female classmates​.

​ person's measure of masculinity

This timeframe was when I first witnessed bullying​. A

became the main reason that myself and others were bullied​. I​ had to make a decision

​ he decision
at a young age to become more aggressive and to not behave feminine​. T

helped me more and more as I progressed through the school system as a tool to avoid

​ eyond the influence of my peers in the public schools, teachers often model
abuse​. B

stereotypical gender behavior​.​ Teachers will separate younger students by gender and

have them complete different tasks, such as dress-up or construction (Martin, C 2014).

These teachers are promoting gender socialization and will have an effect on young

children trying to find their identity​.​ This practice affected myself during school​.​ In my

fourth grade classroom, my teacher gave toy cars to male students that answered a

question correctly and toy dolls to the females​.​ I gained an attraction to cars because of

this that still persists to this day​.

The small town that I was born and raised in has also shaped me into who I am

today​.​ The town is so small that you won’t find it on a map, and has a population of

approximately 500 people​.​ In a study Claudia-Neptina Manea said “Home town size

influence the way children perceive gender roles and particularities, mostly
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because of the gender stereotypes already present in the environment​”

(Neptina-Manea, C. 2013). With myself not being able to speak with anyone that didn’t

have a conservative mindset, I only thought there were two genders​.​ Environment plays

a critical factor on an individual​.​ After moving away from the tiny town, I discovered

many people who didn’t prescribe themselves to have the same gender as their sex​.

In conclusion, there have been many different influences that I have encountered

on the road to constructing my gender​.​ The public school system, my small town home,

and my very own parents have played the most critical roles in shaping me​.​ My

observations of the world also helped myself construct me into a gendered being​.​ I now

know the mistakes my caretakers and teachers have made while raising me, this will

greatly help me to spread awareness​.

References

Martin, C., & Ruble, D. (2013). Patterns of Gender Development. ​PubMed Central
(PMC), 16-21

Menin, J., & Blasio, B. (2015). Gender Pricing in New York State. ​New York City

Consumer Affairs, 9-20

Martin, C. L. (2014). Gender: Early Socialization. ​Encyclopedia on Early Childhood

Development, 10-12
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Neptina-Manea, C. (2013). The Influence of Hometown Size on the Development of

Gender Stereotypes in Children. ​Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,

501-505
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