by: Kristi Reid
If your son wanted to dress like a princess, would you let him? If your daughter wanted to cut her hair into a Mohawk, would you let her?
Gender identities have long been constructed to fit into a controlled box, and if anyone stepped outside the parameters would be ostracized. Under such conditions people may answer either questions with a no, or no to the initial and yes to the latter. Either way it is because some things are more or less accepted than others. Judith Butler calls attention to “sex, as a biological facticity, and gender as the cultural interpretation or signification of that facticity.” (394) By falling into this belief one sees how gender is constructed and made to fit in this box. Those who choose to allow their son or daughter to step outside the box are challenging conformity.
One parent who challenges conformity and allows his son to dress up as a princess declares “We are following his lead and supporting him for who he wants to be.” (Hoffman 1) Although they may be discriminated against because they allow their son to be his own person without any person telling him that’s wrong, they are changing the way gender roles are constituted. They are creating a world where everyone is accepted and no one gender is accepted. They are reconstructing what it means to have a gendered identity and breaking the historical idea.
How do you challenge conformity?
I would let my son dress as a princess and I would let my daughter sport a Mohawk.
I would let my son dress as a princess and let my daughter sport a Mohawk as well. But honestly, the only reason I wouldn't want to enforce that is because i wouldn't want all the teasing to affect my children. Because regardless if WE are trying to make a change, not everybody is. So the teasing is going to happen either way. I wouldn't dress my son as a princess on purpose, but if that's what he wanted to wear, i wouldn't mind. I also think its more acceptable in society for girls to wear boys clothes than the other way around.
ReplyDelete-Veronica Silveyra
Hey Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI have observed children many times at child care centers. When children play house, it’s all about exploring. I have seen little boys playing dolls, dressing up, but I have too seen girls playing with trucks. Does this question their gender?? I don’t think so. I believe children should be able to play and wear what they feel is right and what makes them comfortable.
Have you ever watched What Would You Do?
http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/son-wanted-doll-challenging-gender-stereotypes/story?id=12637591
This episode is based on gender stereotypes. It looks at how people react when a young boy wants his dad to buy him a doll (the dad and the son are actors).