For social constructionists, gender is a fluid concept which, according to Kate Millett, has an “essentially cultural, rather than biological" basis.
The construction of gender is affected through the process of socialisation and often starts very early in a person's life. In the first few weeks, for example, we often hear people refer to baby boys as "strong" and "alert" and to girls as "dainty" or "delicate." Later, in childhood, toys help to reinforce gender identity...
For social constructionists, gender is a fluid concept which, according to Kate Millett, has an “essentially cultural, rather than biological" basis.
The construction of gender is affected through the process of socialisation and often starts very early in a person's life. In the first few weeks, for example, we often hear people refer to baby boys as "strong" and "alert" and to girls as "dainty" or "delicate." Later, in childhood, toys help to reinforce gender identity and differences. According to Michael Kimmel, dolls and prams, for example, are perceived as the preserve of young girls while boys are encouraged to play with cars and construction kits. Even the clothes that children wear have gender connotations: pink and yellow are more dominant in girls and boys tend to be seen in blue or green. For social constructionists, this process continues throughout an individual's life. Gender norms and socially-acceptable behaviours are reinforced in a wide range of cultural arenas, like school, home and the workplace.
Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules. Boys will play with prams, for example, and girls might grow up to work in male-dominated industries, like engineering or construction. The very notions of masculine and feminine can also be problematic, when we consider that many people identify as neither one nor the other, or as transgender. The point is that gender has a cultural basis and that we are bombarded by culturally-acceptable notions of being a man or a woman on an almost-constant basis.
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