West And Zimmerman's Doing Gender: Sociology Of Gender

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Recommended: Social Construction as it relates to Gender

Taylor Ray
Sociology of Gender
Professor Franklin
11 December 2017

Final Memo

Gender can be identified as a social construction through social interactions by observing other people and through the things we do. Individual’s identities and behaviors are constructed by encounters with the social world. Gender can be influenced by one’s culture, family values religion or their ethnicity. An example of gender being socially constructed is a baby being a boy or girl based off a gender reveal. The day a child is born into the world they face the colors pink or blue. In other words, without having any control they are placed in the colors that most closely identifies with their gender they were given to at birth. Another way the world is …show more content…

Although, I did not know much about “performing” gender I always acted myself and did not care what anyone thought about me. It was difficult for me being biracial growing up because I never knew where I fit in. My identity is something that I perform and have always performed in ways that is most comfortable for me. Gender is involved in our everyday lives. It is a way people express who they are and how they want to be represented in society. In the article Doing Gender by West and Zimmerman, they explain how gender is everyday interactions among individuals. Ultimately, gender is socially complex and guided amongst individuals. Gender is decided individually, so to speak, but gender is developed into something that is socially identified. It is a way an individual can express their attitude based on their designated sex category. Gender has been developed into something that is socially defined because of how nature gives abilities to notice differences between masculinity and femininity As stated in the article, by West and Zimmerman, they noted in the article, how it is “necessary to move beyond the notion of gender display to consider what is involved in doing gender as an ongoing activity embedded in everyday interaction.”(West, Zimmerman 1987) There are social interactions involved in everyday situations that correspond with gender that most people don’t recognize. Believe it or not, you wake up every day and probably don’t even realize you are performing your gender identity. Your gender is your role in society and what you make of

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