Gender + Me

Following up on our assignment for the Gender and Me, this will be an in-depth look at the things I've learned about my gender from certain institutions regarding family, friends, media, and school.

Family/ Culture:
Mom:
I grew up with my parents, but learned different things from my mom and dad on what being a girl is. Growing up my mom taught me that as a girl, I have to dress nicely and have good hygiene because it looks wrong on a woman to not look good all the time, but eventually her perspective on this change, yet it stuck with me forever.
Dad:
My dad has directly and indirectly taught me what a girl is supposed to be like. I've learned that I must always be "ladylike" (whatever that is), and my purpose in life is to serve a man. Now don't get me wrong, I've learned a lot of great things from my dad, but he has more of a machist outlook on life, and I am the complete opposite of him. I've learned that I will grow up and marry a successful man, and if I don't then my life won't be complete until I do.
 

Friends: 
Girl Friends: 
I've learned that I have to "be classy and never trashy" and to act "like a girl". As a little girl, I indirectly learned that girls were better than boys because of this rivalry we were put into for no apparent reason, to determine who was superior. Being with more than one guy or liking more than one guy makes me a hoe.
 
Guy Friends:
It has been shown to me that women are not allowed to have a sexual life. After being sexualized and objectified all my life, being comfortable with being beautiful and my body is wrong. How tight my clothes are determines how much self respect I have for myself.

Media:
The media plays a major role on the things we learn about our genders. Women get so much backlash from social media. From "hoe/thot starter packs" to "you a hoe if you like ____." I've learned that liking certain things lowers my worth. I'm ugly if I don't wear makeup but uglier if I do (???) I have to have certain qualities to be someones girlfriend, like it's a build a girlfriend workshop. I have to be "wifey material", because I aspire to get married and be someones property. And yet again, other people get to determine my self worth.


School:
Simple. School encourages so many gender roles that could easily be eliminated. Pink=Girl. Blue=Boy. Girls vs. Boys for everything determines who is better. Boys always get picked on to lift heavy things. Girls are always chosen to write or for creative things. It's simple things like this that are learned about gender in schools.