Starting at a very young age
children are taught gender norms and gender scripts that shape their identity
when they become older and understand things more effectively. A child given a toy based on their gender can
cause many problems because it is suggesting that the child needs to do things
based on those toys as well as look and feel the same way that those toys
suggest. Children tend to become confused
in their teenage years, which normally results in the struggle with their
identity and who they want to be. As
some children grow up being fed these gender norms and gender scripts, they do
not feel whole or agree with their assigned gender resulting in the confusion
towards their gender identity. Thus,
being out of the norm or assigned gender causes children to be insecure about
themselves and feel different from others.
Feeling different from others makes children and people want to hide
their true selves and hide their identity.
These children do not feel accepted in society because they were taught
growing up that heterosexuality was the norm and that being a girl in society
means you have to be soft and being a boy in society means you have to be tough
and not seen as feminine. Boys struggle
a lot with their identity because if they are seen as even the slightest bit
feminine, they are bullied and sometimes beat up because they are immediately
seen as gay. Boys tend to hide their
true identity more because they fear what society will do to them because they
are outside the norm ever since they were children being taught to play rough
and be a man. As discussed in the, “The
Two Cultures of Childhood”, Laurie Rudman states, “Gender schemas become part
of self-identity, influencing children’s preferences, attitudes, and behavior
as they strive to act in socially appropriate “masculine” or “feminine” ways”
(Rudman 59-60). Laurie Rudman talks
about how children are taught gender schemas and how they shape children’s
identity when they are taught at such a young age. In the photograph the foreground is split in
half and one half of the face is black and white while the other half is in
color, which is representing that the color side is the gender norm that is
expected of a person and the black and white half is the hidden identity that a
child is confused with and unsure about.
Splitting the photo in half is creating a deeper statement and
understanding that people hide their identity or who they identify as because
it is not within the norms and scripts they were taught as children. Also, the rainbow was added to the black and
white side of the picture because it is representing a person’s true identity
that is hidden behind the expected identity that society pushes on children and
people. Another meaningful technique
that was used is that I placed the hand over the mouth showing silence and
insecurities that a person can have and how a person is silenced by society and
told to conceal their identity that is not heterosexual but anything other than
that. Children being forced to follow
certain gender roles and scripts only causes them to wonder if that is really
who they are and makes them question their identity or sexuality. The blur on the photo was to make sure the
focus was on the face and not the background which is why the background is a
neutral color. I centered the photo
because I wanted it to be split in half and be symmetrical for the most part to
give more meaning to the picture. Not
only did I center the picture in the middle but I also had the eyes looking
right into the camera almost like I was staring right into the audience or
whoever looks at the picture because it’s supposed to be like someone is asking
for acceptance and the opportunity to reveal one’s true identity. Gender socialization should not be taught to
children, but children should be taught that it is okay to be whoever they want
to be and do or play with whatever they please and also be comfortable in their
own skin and identity.
Works Cited:
Rudman, Laurie A., et al. “The Two Cultures of Childhood.” The
Social Psychology of Gender:
How Power and Intimacy Shape
Gender Relations. The Guilford Press, 2015, 59-63.
1 comment:
From: McKenna
The photo really stood out to me while scrolling through the blog. The way the subject is posed with your finger on their lip in order to convey secrecy when it comes to identity. The black and white half of the photo seems to represent feelings of shame, while the rainbow in the corner symbolizes hope and happiness as well as the LGTBQ+ community. The focus on the eyes convey feelings of fear on the black and white side.The red side of the photo seems to represent courage/ bravery for sharing the secret with the audience. You did an excellent job executing photo techniques! I agree gender socialization should not be taught to kids the way they have been, I believe that there should be acceptance of a gender spectrum so that a person can be whoever they want, without judgement. There shouldn't be a this is for “girls” or “boys” ideology, it should be taught without labels for self expression purposes. No one should be ashamed to be who they are and should not have to be afraid that they are not accepted because of their identity.Your point about the boys playing rough to be a man is the “tough guise” act and it has to go. This basically, teaches boys to be violent to show their dominance which earns respect from other males and if they don't then they are seen as “feminine’ or gay. The “tough guise” ideology restricts boys from expressing themselves and causes them to hide their feelings because they are taught otherwise.
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