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Most people understand that there are strict behavioral rolls that
guide individuals how to act appropriately as males and females. These
gender rolls dictating appropriate gender behavior seem to be
predicting in how society sees the relation between sex and gender.
Males and females have very different statuses. Often times ones gender
is inconsistent with what society deems appropriate. In the book, The
Last Time I Wore a Dress, by Steve Ottero and in the movie, Boys Don't
Cry, by Janis Thomas imposed social control, "an attempt by society to
regulate people's thought and behavior" (Ross,485), to discourage
inappropriate behavior and to encourage appropriate behavior.
When we think about sex and gender we often think of sex or gender
rolls, which is "an attitude or activity that links society to each
sex" (Ross,495). When boys play rough and get into fights, light their
farts on fire, and roll around in the mud we often think of such
behavior to be natural. When girls play house, see the need for a
Barbie doll, and wear dresses, society thinks it makes sense. This is a
prime example of gender roll in our society.
Regardless of the differences in sex and gender most people see a
relation between the two that enables them to develop strict behavioral
rolls that dictate appropriate behavior for males and females. For
example, it seemed natural for people 200 years ago that women should
stay home and nourish the children while the men exposed themselves to
harsh manual labor, labor which was then requiring endurance and
strength, something females were not considered to have. Now these
barriers are being broken. The idea of more men staying at home with
the children and women working to support the family is more acceptable
than ever before.
Because men and women are perceived to have different functions, we
set up markers to distinguish the functions and solidify them through
gender role socialization. Research suggests that gender role
socialization begins at an early age. Parents often sex type babies at
birth and describe males and females in different ways. Fathers for
example are more likely to engage in rough types of play with their
young sons than their daughters. Females are often stereotyped as
needing more help than boys. Young males get toy guns and females get
dolls. Further research suggest that males and females already have a
sense of gender appropriate behavior at the early age of two years old.
As society seems to force gender appropriate behavior though
socialization at an early age and in school, those who's gender
behavior is inconsistent with their ascribed sex is discouraged which
ultimately reinforces and encourages appropriate gender behavior.
Transsexuals, people who undergo sex changes, do so in order to fit
their gender identity. Transvestites live as the opposite sex in order
to pass as a member of the sex consistent with his or her gender. Thus,
the very existence of transvestites and transsexuals is the ultimate
symbol of transforming traditional gender rolls. When such behavior is
expressed, acting as a member of the opposite sex, it is a result of
when an individual perceives their natural sex as inconsistent with
their unnatural gender.
Such people challenge gender rolls in a number of ways. Some undergo
sex changes or attempt to pass as the opposite sex. Others simply do or
wear things to express themselves in ways that is nonconforming.
In the movie Boys Don't Cry Teena Brandon or Brandon Teena, Teena is
the transvestite Brandon, challenges gender rolls by expressing herself
as a male. She dressed as a boy and attempted to hide the fact that she
is a girl. In the movie she attempted "bumper skiing", where she stood
on a tailgate and held onto a rope while the truck driver was trying to
bump her off the tailgate. She said she did it because that's what she
thought boys did in that part of the country. She talked about being a
"smoke jumper" and putting out fires, career choices not often
considered by young girls. She engaged in crimes such as forgery, grand
theft auto and shoplifting; not to say that such behavior is boy like,
but simply more likely to be committed by males.
In the book The Last Time I Wore a Dress Daphne Scholinski tells
about her expiriences as an "inappropriate female". While Tenna Brandon
in Boys Don't Cry tried to pass as male, Daphne Scholinisky simply
acted as a girl, but had characteristics that were not appropriate for
a female; at least according to doctors, nurses and teachers. While
Teena Brandon challenged gender rolls by changing her appearance and
trying to pass as a boy, Daphne Scholinski simply challenged such rolls
by wearing jeans, and ratty tee shirts that read "Led Zeppelin" and
"Pink Floyd". In her younger years she played baseball with the boys.
Most of her peers in school made fun of her and called her a "tom boy."
She was known for fighting and getting into trouble, rolls often
fulfilled by boys at the adolescence age.
Both Teena Brandon in Boys Don't Cry and Daphne Scholinski in The
Last Time I Wore a Dress experienced formal and informal social control
to discourage inappropriate gender behavior. Daphne was confined in a
mental hospital and punished regularly for not acting lady like. She
was frowned upon and one time she was isolated for not being able to
draw a ceramic dog in the mental hospital. Teena Brandon experienced
anger from her peers, then was eventually raped and murdered.
Given the fact that gender rolls and the enforcement of such rolls
failed to encourage appropriate gender behavior in both the cases.
Teena Brandon and Daphne Scholinski experienced gender rolls that were
too rigid. With regard to Teena Brandon, she lied about who she was and
lied to cover up her lies. She deceived her peers emotions with her
sexuality. She didn't deserve to die because of her sexuality. In the
case of Daphne Scholiniski perhaps 20 years ago it might have been
inappropriate for women to wear men's attire, but today I see many
girls wearing old tee shirts and torn up jeans. But on the same token,
I can understand why some people might think our gender rolls are too
rigid. It isn't necessary to lock up a person because they don't dress
and act in a formal way. It is especially rigid for boys who don't seem
as active in sports or as physical as their peers in general. Girls on
the other hand have much more slack when wearing guy clothing but the
same could not be made about guys and girl clothes.
Works Cited
Ottero, Steve. The Last Time I Wore a Dress. 1997. New York: New York Publishing,1999.
Ross, John. "Gender Roll Socialization, A Micro-Level Study of
Gender in the US in 1994." Social Problems. Vol. 44, No. 4 (November
1997):483-502
Thomas, Janis. perf. Boys Don't Cry. Dir. Steve Johnson. 20th Century Fox, 1992
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