Essay Sample on Gender Conformity and Norm-Violation

Our minds have been messed with from our childhood in the current world we live; we are taught not to accommodate anyone who does not match our behaviors or norm. What separates us by preference is sexual orientation and defined individually by XX and XY. Most people fear to be associated or labeled as bisexual, heterosexual or homosexual as a result of the gender norms that the society has created (Morgan, Elizabeth and Laurel (2016)).

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It should be taught from our childhood that gender is what separates us not sex. Gender represents the person we are on the inside, what we feel every morning when we wake up and not what is seen by the outside world when they look at us. A person's gender identity is who he/she decides to be after their chromosomes are put in place (Pollitt, Amanda, Brandon, & Debra (2017)). The society tries to make us behave or act according to how we were born. Gender nonconformity may be defined as the gender expression or behavior of an individual that is seen to differ from the feminine and masculine gender norms.

Gender nonconformity may be higher in early childhood stages and parents should nurture their kids well to prevent the behavior from growing since most parents tend to dislike it later when the kid is all grown up. These gender nonconformity behaviors include; Men who behave and are more like girls and this is likely to be confused with homosexuality, and the individual may feel stigmatized which lowers one's self-esteem. Men are tending to dress up more like ladies, and they call it fashion, but the society sees it as gender unconformity. Parents behave differently when they notice gender nonconformity with their kids; some may show concern and support, others with love while others may show anger or emotional abuse. Kids with gender nonconformity should not be treated harshly or stigmatized since it might change with time and they should not be considered to be homosexual.

On the other hand, norms are described as prescriptions for expected behaviors. Therefore norm-violation is whereby people tend to behave differently and not as expected. People react differently when one behaves differently, and against the norms set by the society, a practical example is when I was traveling by bus, and I started singing out loud, everyone in the bus gave me a weird look, and they were nodding their heads. I heard whispers all over, but I kept on singing, this time louder than before and people were throwing words at me. My friend whom I was with was also mad at me he tried to calm me down but I did not, and he ended up altering harsh words at me. I smiled at him and explained it to him that I was doing a sociology assignment. I had to rise and try to explain this to everyone who had boarded the bus, some of the passengers got angry and seemed to judge me. Usually, it is believed that passengers should board a bus and remain silent, well I did care too, but I had to conduct my project. I learned a lesson that the society is judgmental and considers some norms as rules that shouldn't be broken. Social control is the behavior that one portrays his or her disapproval towards someone with a counter-normative attitude. What behaviors and attitudes considered as counter-normative depend on the norms set by the society and may differ from place to place due to culture difference.

It is also important to note that not all counter-normative behaviors are considered deviant since the extent of deviance depends on the characteristics of the norm to be violated. Lack of social control may lead to stigmatization, and one may feel unwanted in the society. Gender conformity and norm-violation are considered as bridging the rules set in an environment, the environment a person is brought up from affects his/her behavior. A behavior that is considered wrong in a given society may be considered right in a different environment, and this extends to gender conformity. Illuminati is a cult that is accepted in some regions, but in some, it is considered anti-religious, this is a good example of norms of a society.

In general gender nonconformity and norm-violation is the act of going against what is believed to be right in society. When a person violates certain norms in a given society it advisable not to judge the person blindly. Correcting a person who has done something considered wrong or behaves abnormally is important other than condemning him/her. Kids should be nurtured carefully to avoid gender nonconformity when the person is all grown up. The society also should learn how to control its reactions towards those who have gone against the norms or gender conformity. It is also important to respect the interest of people regardless of their gender and appreciate them. The society should also consider that the roles of women are changing so are those of men hence some gender norms maybe be affected.

References

Pollitt, Amanda M., Brandon A. Robinson, and Debra Umberson. "Perceptions of Shared Power, Gender Conformity, and Marital Quality in Same-and Different-Sex Marriages." PRC Research Brief Series (2017).

Calzo, Jerel P., et al. "Gender conformity and use of laxatives and muscle-building products in adolescents and young adults." Pediatrics 138.2 (2016): e20154073.

Morgan, Elizabeth M., and Laurel R. Davis-Delano. "How public displays of heterosexual identity reflect and reinforce gender stereotypes, gender differences, and gender inequality." Sex Roles 75.5-6 (2016): 257-271.