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| Hancock Rec Center |
I work with children that are first through sixth grade on a
daily basis in a program called Rec Check at Hancock Recreation Center. I break social norms of what a girl should be without even trying and the kids call me out on it every day. I am a female but
I usually present more masculine. Ever since I cut my hair short and wear masculine
clothes it has been hot topic. I get the constant
questions such as, “Are you a boy?”, “Do you want to be a boy?” and “Why do you
dress like that?” I have come to expect that if there is a new kid that comes
to our program I will have to fight their thoughts on what gender is defined
as. Since the kids are young they are stuck in the belief that a sexual
dichotomy exists. They are used to a solid definition of what male and female are and gender expression is mutually exclusive (129). I tend to bend their definition of what gender is defined as.
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| Me, Corina and one of the kids |
The staff and I have addressed the constant debate by having
a direct discussion with them. My coworker Corina made an announcement to the group
that she knew there was a rumor going around the program that I was a boy. We
told them that even though I have short hair and wear “boy clothes,” that I am
still a girl. Though we had the very thorough discussion with them, they still
get stuck on pronouns on a daily basis. I still have funny debates with the kids
on what my gender is and have become really creative on how to answer their
questions. Pronouns are also difficult but they are young and it is a difficult concept to get down even when you are an adult. On the other side there are numerous kids that have broadened their
definitions and yell at kids who get it wrong. Once in a while you will hear, “He
gave me…” and another kid will yell, “She’s a GIRL!”
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| Me, Allen and some of the kids |
Honestly it becomes a little frustrating after a while but I
keep it in mind that this is probably the first time that they have been
strongly exposed to the gender spectrum. It is interesting to hear their explanations
on what gender is and how each gender should present themselves. According to their
views I break every norm of what a girl should look, talk, dress, and play
like. I continue to break what they view to be the norm in our culture of what a female looks like. Since
I have been working with these kids since the school year started the subject does
not come up quite as much. They just accept me as Taty and they do not focus on
my gender all the time. As young children they are brought up in a culture that
has strict rules on what gender is and breaking them makes them uncomfortable.
After a while their definition expands and they become accustomed to a new
norm of me just being me, where the lines are a little more blurry.
Work Cited:
Newman, D.M. (2012). Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday life. 9th Ed. Pine Forge Press: Thousand Oaks, California.
Taty,
ReplyDeleteThis post was excellent in terms of how it really relates to your experience while emphasizing how rooted the sexual dichotomy is in American culture.
I also liked how your post illustrates how certain norms can be negative at first but that they can change; the kids you work with managed to change what they considered to fit their "norms." It's another great example of how social norms evolve over time and change in a given culture. Also, I can definitely imagine one of the kids correcting the other in a loud, funny voice.
Good work!
This is a strong post. Relative to the assignment, however, it would have been great if you had articulated something about the difference between intentional norm violations (e.g., to call someone one, observe behavior, etc.) and norm violations that are more routine, such as you describe. Still a strong post, but be sure to include something that speak (more) directly to what the assignment stated. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post! I worked with kids back home, so I know exactly what you are talking about. They are growing up in a changing world, and I am so glad we have people like you to help guide and teach them about everyday life and that things aren't always black and white. You are a role model.
ReplyDeleteI thought you connected the discussion of social norms in the textbook to your personal life very well. The pictures you added a special touch that put this post over the top! Good job!
Interesting - it's always interesting to me how kids perceive the world - sometimes they're incredibly flexible, and sometimes they have very fixed ideas about the world. I guess I shouldn't be surprised they have narrow ideas of gender roles already.
ReplyDelete