This document discusses how culture and gender norms influence how children develop and see themselves. It notes that children are often pressured to conform to stereotypical behaviors and roles associated with their biological sex. However, this can limit children's individual development and ability to freely express themselves. The document questions why these gender norms and differences are seen as natural and argues that they are socially constructed. It suggests letting children decide who they are rather than forcing them into predefined gender roles.

1. Tierney Cargo-Collard

2. This notion has been
perpetuated &
naturalized when
people see young
children acting
according to their
‘correct’ gender
norms.
Thorne (1993)/West & Zimmerman (1987)

3. Though
in
our
culture,
you’d
never
know
it..
Lorber (1993)

6. Kids learn everyday what is ‘acceptable’. How they act,
how they look, what they say, what they like, what they
do and who they love is all told to them by the culture
they live in, the family that’s supposed to support
them, and the peers they learn from…
That women are strong, smart, aggressive leaders?
That men are caring, supportive, understanding partners?
Thorne (1993)
Or…

8. Mothers
Men’s
Pink Delicate Irrational
Soft
Inferior
In need of saving Wives Sweet
Weak
Emotional
Small
Submissive
Self worth based off appearance

9. Tringali (2004)/Wade (2011)/Baker-Sperry (2003)/West & Simmerman (1987)

10. Though this is generally accepted in our
culture, it stops children’s individual
development. It influences them and leads
them to act in ways that bring them
‘personhood’…essentially, children have to be
gendered to be seen as an adult, or a ‘big girl’
or ‘big boy’. Thorne (1993)/West & Zimmerman (1987)

11. Aggressive
Persevering
Violent
Big
Ambitious
Strong
Active
Rulers
Saviors
Leaders
Brave
Smart And fathers..

12. Hey…wait a minute…

13. Something’s
not
right
here…

15. I guess that’s just how things are, I guess it
really is genetic and natural. The stores
wouldn’t lie to us, right? That can’t be legal.
We must be fundamentally different.
There must be two kinds of human.

17. What will they think? How will they act? How
will they discover who they truly are unless we
tell them? How can they freely and happily live
their lives without culture telling them how
they are supposed to look/act/speak/think?!
What will become of our culture without
gender forcefully guiding our children to the
paths their genitalia have predestined for
them?!

18. Charles (2011)

19. Why is that so scary?
What’s wrong with that?
We are human.
We are not two different creatures.
Our culture has been lying to us.

20. Overthrow gender?
Destroy the system?
Start a revolution?
Create a new society?

21. Or…

22. Thorne (1993)/West & Zimmerman (1987)

23. Let your kids decide. Let them create the culture
they will be living in. Let them be them.

24. Ren – Nu’est Zee Zee

25. Looking pretty isn’t seen as something
shameful or demasculating or ‘less than’
being handsome. Some cultures use words
like ‘handsome’ or ‘pretty’ without even
taking the gender of the individual into
consideration.
Pascoe (2005) *Disclaimer, these cultures aren’t perfect either..

26. Willow Smith Jeffree Star Ashley Purdy

27. Don’t
Criticize!

28. Toy companies that exploit our children, and mean people
that have thrived under the strict gender norms we
enforce on our peers.. (Oh well)

29. All media clips and images are used
under U.S. Copyright Law "Section
107: Limitations on exclusive rights:
Fair use" for "purposes such as
criticism, comment, [and]
scholarship" and is not an
infringement upon copyrights.

31. *Sleeping with Sirens –
With Ears to See & Eyes to Hear
*Nu’Est –Face
*Sleeping with Sirens –
James Dean & Audrey Hepburn