Curiosity Project Post #3: Gender
This week I wanted to discuss how gender identity impacts and what it looks like in children, but also how it is perceived by their parents. Firstly, an important question to ask is “When do children develop or recognize gender identity?”
Well, as LoBlue points out, gender is more of a flexible state than most people think. And surprisingly, as children, we start out thinking more flexibly about gender than we end up. Also, another note is that children’s concept of gender develops gradually between ages 3 and 5. It isn’t until a few years later — when they are between 7 and 10 years of age — that children become more relaxed about maintaining behaviors that are strictly male or female. (LoBlue)
This information helps us understand that children can have very flexible and nuanced ideas about gender. A study available on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that transgender children, all of whom in the study were between the ages of 3 to 12, on average had strong preferences associated with their current gender, just as the cisgender which they were compared with. (Washington) This study can easily tell us that children can recognize their own personal gender identity early on in their childhood, and studies like this are crucial to finding knowledge about children and gender identities, which can be valuable to parents helping and supporting their children.
However, even with such studies and information like this, many parents do not support their children or harshly enforce stereotypical gender roles and expectations on their children. This kind of attitude can negatively affect children and their self-esteem or self-worth. One study found that in highly gendered environments which place emphasis on traditional male and female stereotypes, the children in these environments who chose traits that were stereotypical, were shown to have the lowest well-being among the group. Instead of stereotypical traits like “being tough” for boys or “having good clothes” for girls, it was found that gender-neutral traits like “working hard at school” was found to have a more positive score for well-being. (How Gender, 2020) School is one of the most prevalent places in which children are subjected to stereotypical gender roles. Such as how boys are conditioned to be less empathetic and girls falsely grow up believing they can’t be good at math or sciences. Schools very often teach these stereotypes and treat boys and girls as if their different species. When teachers send “all girls, then all boys” to do something, or ask for a “couple of strong boys” to carry something, it only furthers the notion that boys and girls are distinct and should act and be treated differently. (Goldberg) However progress is being made to combat these negative beliefs.
Books like “Pink Is for Boys”, “Dress Like A Girl”, and “Sparkle Boy”. helps to teach and show children that gender doesn’t have to be restricted to certain stereotypical norms and roles. Although there are many harmful stereotypes and ideas about gender that some parents or institutions, like school, try to maintain. Ideas about gender roles are gradually changing every day, and worldwide. Children are living in a more open world than ever now. A world where they can freely express themselves and their gender identity and no longer have to worry about being shamed or ridiculed for it.
Sources:
Goldberg, Susan. “Gender in the Classroom.” Today’s Parent, St. Joseph Communications, 24 Aug. 2016, www.todaysparent.com/kids/school-age/gender-in-the-classroom/.
“How Gender Roles and Stereotypes Affect Young People: The Children’s Society.” Children’s Gender Roles & Stereotypes | The Children’s Society, The Children’s Society, 1 Sept. 2020, www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/blogs/how-gender-roles-affect-young-people.
LoBlue, Vanessa. When Do Children Develop Their Gender Identity? 29 Mar. 2016, theconversation.com/when-do-children-develop-their-gender-identity-56480.
Washington, Kim Eckhart. “Trans Kids and Cis Kids Are Both Sure of Their Gender.” Futurity, University of Washington, 19 Nov. 2019, www.futurity.org/transgender-children-2215932-2/.
