I was raised in a very traditional family with a younger brother and sister, but my mom always let me choose what to wear and do what interested me. She never forced me to wear pink or play with Barbie dolls or tea cups. I’m a feminine girl, but at the same time, I’ve always enjoyed participating in activities that might be considered for boys. When I was little, I lived on a street with only boys my age, so naturally, I did everything they wanted to do, such as biking on ramps, skateboarding, and playing hide and seek. My dad also used to take me on frequent camping trips, which probably contributed to my love of the outdoors, hiking, and camping. Although I have become more feminine over the years, I still have many guy friends that I frequently go surfing with, hiking with, surfing at the beach, and playing sports.
My mom, when I was little, introduced me to many different types of activities for me to choose from. I participated in ballet, gymnastics, softball, tennis, and soccer. I eventually ended up choosing tennis and soccer, which I still play today. My grandma, who grew up in a time when sports were considered to be only for males, so she used to ask me why I wasn’t participating in more “girly” activities appropriate for me. I started taking her to my soccer games and tennis matches to show her that the times are definitely changing and that more and more girls are participating in sports.
Some people used to label me as a “tomboy” because of my love for sports and the outdoors, but I am still the feminine girl I’ve always been, just with some hobbies that in society aren’t always considered “girly.”
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Your gender biography can be analyzed according to Professor Messner's three step methodology. First of all, the interaction level or "doing gender" is your close interactions with your early peer group consisted mostly of boys. As you spent more time with guys as a young girl, you became more accustomed to "boy-ish" activities, such as biking and skateboarding. In the second level, institutional structures on gender, you were able to join sports teams because nowadays schools, which are a major institution, allow girls to be part of a sports team unlike decades ago. Your grandmother's reaction demonstrates the cultural symbol of gender; culturally, women were confined to doing feminine activities only, such as playing with dolls and as adults, taking care of the housework. The cultural aspect of gender is always changing and shifting meanings as the society's view keeps transforming. (shown through the difference between your grandmother's view and yours)
ReplyDeleteYour Bio is very similar to mine.
ReplyDeleteAs Yuri mentioned already that "doing gender" was your activities with guy friends which took your boyish side. Guys are appreciating when girls are doing boy stuff because they can see that she is one of them not the Barbie Girl.
But our grandmother cannot take it that we girls do the physical activities that should be doing boys because all people from that generation have stereotypical thinking about feminine and masculine lifestyle. Nowadays both guys and girls are doing what they feel to like and enjoy. And you are already showing that to your grandma by taking her to tennis matches.