Gender socialization

From the moment a baby is born, he or she is forced into a world of gender socialization that is often rigid and limiting. Growing up in such a world has consequences for everyone, including how much money will be earned, how power will be divided in relationships, even how long and how well people will live. This essay will explain why gender remains such a crucial form of social stratification, the groups that are oppressed through dominant gender ideologies, and the consequences of dominant gender ideologies. From this it will be clear that gender socialization affects all facets of our lives as it attaches personal traits and social positions to people based on their sex, and these can be very hard to escape, and therefore shape our lives and society.

Gender remains such a crucial form of social stratification because the personal traits and social positions that members of society attach to being male or female result in unequal distribution of wealth, power and privilege between men and women.

[...] This can be illustrated when two people of different races have a child, the child might appear to be more a product of one race than another, but the child is still a blend of different races, and suddenly the child is not longer able to be classified as one or another. The reason for this is that race is not a trait; it is just a means that we have used to groups humans together, but it is just a social construction. [...]

[...] Gender also dictates how people are to approach unpaid work. Unpaid work is essential for family and community life, but carries little prestige or reward as such it is assumed that women will bear the brunt of this work load. Men support women going to work, but they do not expect their work load at home to change. It is a double-standard as men expect women to work and contribute financially while also doing the majority of work at home and with the children. [...]