“Sex” refers to the physical parts and chromosomes an individual is born with. This is their biological and physical makeup. “Gender” refers to what the individual associates with and how they identify themselves. This is based off of both an emotional and an internal feeling that no one can label or define in any textbook.  As young children we are surrounded by tons of stereotypical gender specific toys, clothes, and games. It is these types of things that constrict and mold the minds of young children’s identities’. It is because of these that children feel the pressure to behave and believe a certain way.

As a little girl I was never surrounded by just dolls and the color pink. Don’t get me wrong, there was pink in my bedroom. But there was also blue, yellow, green, and whatever other color my parents happened to like at the moment. I never experienced the gender molding that we see so prevalent in today’s society. My younger sister preferred GI Joes to Barbies. Instead of denying what she naturally wanted, they welcomed her preferences and allowed her to play with whatever toys she wanted. They were very understanding. Unfortunately this is not something that is considered to be a “norm” in today’s society.

What many people do not realize is that actions like those unintentionally  cause confusion in a plethora of individuals. On the PowerPoint from class there was a satirical book that distinguished the expected roles between boys and girls. The differences included things such as boys being doctors while girls had to be nurses. They even mentioned the stereotypical belief that girls only wear pink and boys only wear blue. We were given a “gender bread man” in class on the first day. On this diagram were some of the various ways a person can identify. This included both emotional attraction and physical.  What caught my attention were the various ways a person can identify and feel. It shocked me!  It got me thinking, It is because our culture has built certain stereotypes that society struggles to accept these different feelings. That is one of the largest negative implications that spurs from our gender expectations.