Growing up masculine appealed to me the most out of chapter 7. Society sets rules on how boys are supposed to be raised or how boys are supposed to act while growing up. Instead of allowing children to be genderless, they basically have to fit into this pre-oriented manner of how guys have to grow up and be like daddy. The first point that I would like to address comes straight from the book in chapter 7. Woods says, “Early in life, most boys learn they must not think, act, or feel like girls and women. Any male who shows sensitivity or vulnerability is likely to be called a sissy or mama’s boy.” This quote is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. Boys should be allowed to grow up any way they want too. If a young boy wants to cry because he received an injury, then I think he should be allowed to do this and consoled by the father or mother. The fact that a boy is limited to how he can act is unfair. Every boy is different so each boy should be given an option on how to grow up. Teaching a boy what is right and wrong is ok for a parent to do, but teaching them to grow up in a particular socialistic manner is wrong. I found a small article from PBS that discussed a few things about how boys are supposed to be raised. An interesting quote from this article, “Boys pay attention to what society expects of them and act accordingly.” To read more on this article follow the following link,
This quote says it all. Even though some boys are born to be masculine, a majority of boys pay attention to the way society wants them to act. That is one of the main reasons why I think some homosexual boys are ridiculed so severe. Other boys don’t’ accept them because that is not what society expects from them. Society needs to take a closer look and understand that the world is changing. Every child should be allowed to grow up how they want to.
Any opinions on this would be much appreciated.
Reference List
N.A. (2012). Understanding and Raising Boys. Retrieved from
Woods, J. (2011). Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender and Culture. Boston, MA: Wadsworth,
Cengage Learning.
"Grow up how they want to," in reference to gender specifically? I don't have boys, but I wanted two strong ones, instead I have two strong willed bossy little girls. I am thankful that God blessed me with them. As a female I embrace being a "girl" and I enjoy sharing that space with my girls. I shared with some peers that my mom didn't even want me to cry when I stepped on a rusty nail. She said "you better not cry," is that feminine or masculine influence? As a parent I understand that it is healthier to release emotions than bottle them up. So I allow my girls to express themselves but also encourage them to get over it and keep it moving. I guess my point is that there is a balance to allowing a child to do what comes naturally. As a parent you are accountable and responsible for your children. You contribute to their success or failure in life, you are their main support system. We are older and hopefully wiser and hopefully contribute wisely to our children in ways that will prepare them for this current world we live in. In the Army we were trained to be mentally and physically tough ready and prepared. Considering the world we live in, I try to prepare my girls to survive, if that means being tough, independent and ambitious; I imagine parents with young men attempt to do the same thing. It's easy to say let them do what they want, in that case I feel that they dont need parents, they should be born smart and ready to provide and take care of themselves; but as a mother I know this is not possible. I enjoyed reading your post:)
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