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Nicholas Curey
Jon Beadle
English 115 Approaches to University Writing
17 September 2015
Journey through Gender
The rules of gender have no social boundaries. Every aspect of life in any culture
imaginable is in some way influenced by the psychological idea of gendered roles. Gender has
the fortune to be a discussion that began in early civilization, twisting and forming itself to abide
under the ideology of every society to exist. Due to the sheer magnitude of the topic, gender has
found its way into many forms of literature and film throughout human history. A common idea
found throughout many gender focused pieces of literature is the breakdown of how the rules of
gender conformity inevitably affect innumerable aspects of human development and society as a
whole. Sociology professors Aaron Devor, and Claire Renzetti and Daniel Curren effectively
analyze gender development in their essays Becoming Members of Society: The Social
Meanings of Gender and From Women, Men, and Society, respectively. In the words of
Devor, learning to behave in accordance with ones gender identity is a lifelong process and
reading through literature that presents the rules aids individuals with their journey through
gender.
Since the start of civilization, gender has always found ways to impact society; whether it
be on the occupations of males and females or the clothing worn by each. Every civilization has
been impacted by gender rules, each adding their own distinct variation on the overarching
values of gender. Some, like Amazonian culture have even flipped the classic roles of male and

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female, adding a completely new perspective to the standard views. Because of its inevitability,
gender always becomes a major discussion topic. That is why there are an innumerous amount of
books, essays, speeches, etc. on the role gender plays under different societies. 20 th century
civilization is no different from any other society in history. Many, including Devor, Renzetti,
and Curran, devote their life to understanding how gender has affected them and others around
them. They choose to research and experiment with gender because it is relevant and
inescapable. It is such an integral part of society that most do not even think about it, until there
is a problem.
In order to solve issues of equality and gender discrimination, the pillars of gender must
be knocked down and restructured. Everything from the active and stoic male and the passive
and emotional female archetypes to the division of pink for girls and blue for boys clothing must
be analyzed and rebuilt (Renzetti and Curran). Even the development of self through the
tension between the personal I and the societal me must be challenged if society wants to
alter the effects of gender (Devor). No factors can be overlooked when changing the thought
process, especially on a topic as fundamental as gender, or the progress will be erased when
people refuse to accept the change due to skepticism. Presenting every detail in its simplest state
is the only way to remove doubt and allow the human brain to accept the new ideals and change
accordingly. This is why authors relentlessly experiment with gender. Authors like Devor,
Renzetti, and Curran, are providing readers with the information necessary to understand that
there is a psychological division, and hopefully open their eyes to the problems caused by it.
Scrutinizing every detail of gender is a colossal task that cannot be completed by a single
experimenting individual. Innumerous experiments must be evaluated in order to develop and
accurate understanding of gender. Different authors each provide some of the many pieces of the

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gender puzzle. Specializing in distinct areas, they collectively work to uncover the many aspects
of gender. The topics range from early gender division, like Renzetti and Curran, to the definition
of gender and development itself, like Devor. Those that focus on early development discover
that boys are usually dressed in dark or primary colors playing with military toys and athletic
equipment, while girls and dressed in pastels, especially pink and yellow playing with baby
dolls and miniature appliances (Renzetti and Curran). Encompassing only the basic elements of
gendered development, the early division of clothing and toys leads into the specified roles for
males and females in adult society. The only way to change how males and females are treated
under society is to remove the divisions in early treatment and change the development process.
However, the development process cannot be changed without knowledge on what it is. Devor
proclaims that children develop by testing the reactions of established society members to
discover what is acceptable for their gender (Devor). Therefore the only way to alter child
development, is to change the adult populace; a near impossible task. Adults become so deeply
integrated with their values that even the thought of changing any major aspect sets the brain into
a panic mode, resisting the change out of fear in what it will bring. This resistance to change is
why every detail about gender needs to be explained; remove the doubt of the mind and allow
the change to come naturally and logically by each and every individual, including myself.
Although I grew to see the world from an objective standpoint, I developed in a gendered
society, making it impossible to completely remove gender discrimination from my personality.
My parents tried their best to separate me from the gendered mindset, sending me to a nondivided primary school and attempting to remove the stereotypical boundaries of a gendered
development. I was allowed to play with whatever toy I desired, whether it be a doll or an action
figure, miniature oven or an army jeep, no toys were off limits. Even under this freedom I still

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tended to play with the toys designed for males and, if I ever did, sheepishly played with toys
designed for females. I believe this mindset came from my heavily gendered older brother, who
was sent to gendered primary school. Growing up, my brother was my main play partner and
even though, as I said, we were allowed to play with whatever toys we wished to, he would
choose the action figures over the dolls every time, leaving me in a conundrum, do I follow his
lead and play with the action figures or do I break the gender stereotypes and play with the dolls.
To my underdeveloped brain the choice was obvious, follow the leader. I am living proof of
Devors research, developing children simply follow the leader, unable to contemplate what their
actions mean children just go with what is acceptable in their current environment. Now that I
have grown up and have spent some time studying the extent of gender stereotyping, I realize
that although I have been affected by gendered development, I am generally neutral when it
comes to the topic of gender. My mostly non-sexist upbringing has developed into the mindset of
gender equality. Some aspects question these values, but, for the most part, I am a male who
identifies as such, but looks at the world through a gender neutral lens, as I feel the entire world
should.
Overall, the heavily gendered members of society do not understand what they are. Most
go through their gender journey, promoting the exact roles they grew up believing as the only
way to live life. It is the job of authors and researchers to inform these individuals of their life
options. The world is constantly changing and even the most resilient of minds can be changed if
it is presented with a logical argument with sufficient support. New information on the bounds of
gender is being discovered every day, changing society little by little, influencing new
generations and eventually future societies. What impact should modern society make, heavily
gendered or gender neutral?

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Works Cited
Curran, Daniel, and Clare Renzetti. From, Women, Men, and Society. Boston, MA: Pearson,
2012. Book.
Devor, Aaron. Becoming Members of Society: The Social Meanings of Gender. Bloomington, IN:
Indiana University Press, 1989. Book.