Well, since everyone's told what gender they are, yes. Even if parents make sure to treat their kids like no specific gender, the kids will learn in school from the children that are most like them. (mostly gender-wise)Sure, some people do some things that are more oriented towards the opposite gender, but these days, it's normal to be a tiny bit more diversified... A lot of the name calling, at least by a person's friends, or people they know, is more of a joke now, based on steryotypes. I don't think that any group of people could be changed by the addition of an X, either. It's more likely that they'd all gang up on the X, and cross their own gender boundaries that way--by all being part of the bullying.
yes, especially when children are still at a young age. I think parents find it important to teach them what is for boys and what is for girls. I don't think its something that parents do intentionally but it is definitely common. Even if a child's parents did not put a strong emphasis on what is specific to each gender, they will eventually learn it at school or somewhere else. I think now it is more acceptable to be a certain gender and act the opposite but it is still taboo for some people and hard to understand.
Yes, I think so. From the very moment we are born (often even before we are born) our parents define us by our gender. They buy us specific clothes with specific colors, specific toys, etc. I also found it interesting that in “X”, all of the things like “Sleeping Handsome” and “Princess Charming” are also defined by the gender messages inherent in society – they are the exact opposite. The father teaches X all the “female” games and the mother teaches X all the “male” games. If it were truly random, they would both teach a bit of each. It’s also interesting how ingrained in society those gender messages are – the first thing kids who appeared to be affected by X said was “what kind of baby is it?”
I agree, and believe that gender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be, if not even more frequent. The concept of gender is something introduced to us practically at birth, and it becomes a pretty regular part of our life, whether we realize it or not. No matter where you get your information from -- be it your parents, friends, school, TV shows and other media -- it's going to be implemented in nearly every aspect of your life. Your personal mannerisms will be shaped by how you percieve how your gender should act, and these perceptions will obviously come from your environment and what you are surrounded by.
Gender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be. This is evidenced the most when children are young. Kids form groups based on gender and then expand from there. Sometimes ideas are made up, such as cooties, to further separate the line between genders. Parents and other adults have a natural inclination to treat kids differently based on their gender. As seen in X, parents were upset when a child was demonstrating both qualities of a male and female. Also in Ma Vie En Rose the boss is angry when his son associates with a “confused” child. Instead the idea of sports are for boys in enforced.
Gender messages are manifested in many aspects of our lives, especially when we are children. In the X story, it was interesting and important that X's mother taught him how to throw and catch and X's father taught him how to play tea party. Our family's affect us daily in gender messages. Father's are supposed to go out and work while the mother's work at home and many do. Girls are expected to be more petite and refined than boys, who are expected to be rugged and brave. Siblings also play a huge role in gender messages. I grew up just thinking that wiffle ball and lacrosse were boy's games, and that hockey and soccer were respected for all sexes. Others probably don't even view hockey and soccer like that. Gender messages also exist in the media (television, magazines etc...), in school, and generally all around us.
I think gender messages are frequent because that is what we are taught when we are younger. It seems that adults take these gender messages very seriously. In the story "Baby X", the neighbors were angry that the parents of Baby X were mixing up the gender messages, and that the baby enjoyed doing things that girls and boys do. Even the children joined in. I think once people stop judging people being a girl or a boy based on their actions, everything will go more smoothly. In the movie Ma Vie En Rose, the boy Ludovick wants to be a girl and is interested in wearing girls clothes, watching romantic TV shows etc. I think his family is not being accepting of what he wants, and I don't think that is fair. If I were the mother, I would be a little surprised, but I would allow him to be who he wants to be. I would not restrict him to "being a boy" just because he was born one. I think the family needs to step back and give Ludovick a chance to be who he wants to be- even though he is seven years old.
Gender messages are present in all aspects of our lives. Everywhere we go, we see the differences between the genders. In stores, we see a girl section and a boy section, we see boys and girls separated at schools, in living situations etc. Also, we can observe that boys, generally, have short hair, wear a certain type of clothing and act in certain ways and girls also have their own set of "rules". Some of these gender roles are taken on and perpetuated by society. When we are young, we observe what others of our gender do and copy what we see.
i started reading this at 5:23- just woke up. I think gender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be. from a very young age boys and girls understand the differences between boys and girls and from birth they are treated differently why their parents depending on their sex.
Gender messages are definitely a frequent occurrence in our society. The importance of gender identity is emphasized everywhere, from the newborn baby announcements, to simple things such as bathroom signs, toys, sections in clothing stores, it even comes down to "girly" and "manly" drink stereotypes at bars. Not that I've been to one. You just know these sorts of things. anyway..... gender is considered an important piece of identity in almost all situations and contexts.
Gender messages are definately as frequent as we make them out to be. Like everyone has said, we are classified by gender from birth. By having a biological sex, we ae expected to follow a set of "rules" that go along with that sex. From birth, we are taught how to act, and what to wear based on societal norms for being a certain sex. Baby X did not know its sex, so it was brought up with both sets of rules. X's mother taught X how to play catch and X's father taught X how to make a tea party. I found it very interesting that X's parents kept refering the instruction manual because parents with "normal" children do not have an instruction manual to follow when they need help solving a problem their child is having. In our everyday life, we see gender messages and they are often more prominent in younger children as they learn how act like mature people who do not make rude and inappropriate comments.
Yes. Even if your parents treat you unspecifically, there are influences everywhere that will eventually point you towards one direction. Other people will always focus upon gender, and will always make assumptions based on what sex you appear to be. Places will always divide girls and boys with signs, whether it be restrooms or clothing aisles. Nowadays, gender lines are less important as kids grow up, but they are still there--traversing too far across these lines can still make some people uncomfortable, because differences in gender and gender stereotypes have been ingrained so deeply in society.
Gender messages are definately frequent within our society. We fail to notice these messages because we have already accepted as "fact." Therefore although these messages are all over the place, many people do not notice them.
For example, I am sure if X came to our school, although we are more accepting of different people, there are still many people who would have a natural tendency to avoid them. It is just a natural barrier/humman reaction and someting that has been imposed onto us ever since we were a baby.
I think gender messages are more frequent than we make them out to be. No matter where we go there is always a message, albeit subtle, about what a girl or a boy should be doing. From even before we're brought into this world, or parents have decided how we're going to act based on the sex that the ultrasounds have shown. The problem, X, with the story is that like Alex FJ said, everything is just in opposites. If the baby X really was intended to be named a certain gender, then all the things it was taught should have been random some with one parent and some with the other.
I would have to say yes. We are told which gender we are from a young age. Gender messages can range from the T.V shows we watch to the type of clothing our parents bought us as children, and even to little nicknames parents gave their children while they were little. The "rules" of society that revolve around gender are thrusted upon us at a young age, even if unintentionally. Everyone has grown so used to following these "rules" so they don't notice they are pushing them onto the younger generations.
Gender messages are ubiquitous. From the moment you are born to the moment you die gender rules, obligations, standards, and stereotypes are thrust in your face. Everyone is conscience of their gender and how they should act. There are things that are "acceptable" for boys like: sports, video games, action and violence, fighting, girls, meat, beer,etc. And there are things that society deems "acceptable" for girls to like: make-up, dresses, shopping, boys, dolls, pink, etc. As members of this society, we have learned that crossing these lines causes whispering behind backs, frowns, and concerns. But should gender simply be based on chromosomes, and the rest be determined by the individual?
i think that gender messages are pretty frequent and also very unconsiously happening. i dont think my parents wanted me or any of my siblings to get any gender messages as a kid, but still, even the cloths i wore, the toys i had, like everything made me somehow always feel that i am male. gender messages are, therefore, giving us a place and is putting us into a classification as soon as we can think about it. this gender-thinkng is so deeply in our consiousness that i dont think that you could easily just get rid of gender messages. it is probably even impossible to reduce all the messages to zero because you have a gender too and you will act somehow that is either male or female and will therefore give some sort of an direction to the kid. it would be interesting to see how kids would react of the opposite gender-stereotyped things are brought to them, if they would still be girlish or boyish, as for example if a boy just had pretty dolls, would he play more like a girl, or still try to live his male, unconcious feelings? i dont know the answer to this question, but i think that until a certain age you could "give" your kid a gender if you portrait that gender too. a still is not only reacting to messages but also on how the parents act since they are the first idol and therefore a pathgiving part of the kids' lives. but eventually the kid would feel hormones coming up and making them feel in a certain way, actually not totally relying on physical appearances, since there are cases where for example males have an unusual high female hormone percentage in their hormones. it is a hard question and i think that eventually it is somehow determined on how u are going to feel in and after puberty, after the hormones played a role in your life, and not before.
I think that gender messages are frequent and happen at a very young age in our society. They are taught to children by parents, peers, and authority figures through out our lives. Even if it is not intentionally taught, it can be inferred or implied by one's actions or behaviors. As displayed in the story and movie, a child's world can greatly affect how they think about gender, but ultimately, it is up to the person to decide for themselves their behaviors and actions that may or may not associate with their gender.
Gender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be and as frequent as in X. Though the story is certainly not written in a serious tone, much of the actions of the character mirrors that of our society. When we imagine childbirth one of the first questions asked about the baby is it's gender. The gender roles in the story seem to be nonsensical because the gender roles in our society don't make much sense either.
Gender messages are extremely frequent. They are constantly there. From the time a baby is born the first thing people ask is "what is it?" and they treat the baby differently depending on the answer. Messages are everywhere you look from tv shows to kids toys. Girls are expected to play with dolls, boys with trucks and behaviors are expected to be different also depending on gender.
I think gender messages are exhibited at all times in a person's life. In Ma Vie en Rose, Ludo is discovering his identity very early in life. I found some similarities between Ludo and X. Although Ludo wants to be a girl and is interested in boys, at one point in the movie he seems confused and mixed up with his identity, just like X is, sort of. X, at one point, is trying to fit in with the Other Children, who are strictly distinguished by sex. They both cope with their differences when others start changing. For instance, the Other Children start doing things that the opposite sex usually does and Ludo and Jerome decide they like each other.
Gender messages are probably even more frequent than we think. It's not only the things that we are told, the ways we are taught, but also the things that we see in daily life, things that are based in preconceived notions of gender and what roles are acceptable for males or females. As everyone said previously, Baby X's parents try to turn gender roles on their heads, by having the mother teach traditionally male games, and the father the female. But the fact that the parents take on these opposite roles has a gender message in itself: the "opposite" idea is only possible because of previously established gender roles. Without them, the whole experiment becomes meaningless.
I think gender messages are frequent in our society even though we might not notice it. Most of the time since we are so adapted to the specific stereotypes of genders we don't make a big deal. Even though someone might try to have a baby x it probably will be influenced in society. The difficult will be that even though the parents don't care what gender child decides fits them best the outside world will influence the child to choose since gender messages are so frequent in our society.
Unconcious gender messages are very common. Clothing is (hopefully) on every person we see and that reinforces the lines of gender. Also, message s about sports, discussions of which are everywhere -in professional and local circles- emphasize the stereotypes of what is typically "male" or "female." People also use gender as an adjective relating to ability. "Throwing like a girl" is used as an insult to a male, or "speaking like a man" insulting a female. The use of these ideas in everyday life serves to mark supposed gender difference. Also, the media targets males and females in clearly separate markets. Ads for men show attractive women advertising "manly" products- shaving cream, or other trivialities like that. Woman's advertising usually has soft music to a easy, comfortable setting; with products like shampoos, and beauty care tools.
I interpret "gender messages" as traits, activities, roles, and behaviors that are socially linked to either masculinity or femininity. I agree that we frequently encounter gender messages in our day to day lives, but I also think that we are actually bombarded by more gender messages than we realize.
Gender messages can be upfront like a person's appearance, or their hobbies, or a multitude of other very clear traits that are well defined as either masculine or feminine. But many of the other gender messages that we encounter can be very subtle, like the very minute peculiarities to how an individual moves, speaks, or thinks (aloud). It's generally up to our subconscious minds to filter out which of these messages really matter to us (to avoid sensory overload), and for some more ambiguous messages we, as individuals, can decide for ourselves what gender they belong to (if either). Ultimately in day to day life, we pull together all of the gender messages that we come upon, and use them to judge the appropriate gender for our peers, for other traits and behaviors, or even for products, TV programming, pop icons, and music that we are met with from the mass media.
Gender messages can be found in a variety of places, from your parents, to school, from television to friends - and it's very common. People are generally brought up to think a certain way about a particular sex. For example, blue is for boys and pink is for girls. Gender is introduced at birth only to the surrounding people, not to the particular person. It takes time for that person to be informed/realize/learn that they are a specific gender,and they will most likely learn that from their parents. Also, their parents will surround them with things that, as society titles, go along with that certain gender.
Gender messages are very frequent because they are all around us. They are in our lives since day one. Young kids and teenagers see the behaviors of the elders and automatically take that on. That's why the messages are implied even when not intended. They've become such a common but subtle thing in our society that no one picks up on it. There's probably a lot of gender messages in all movies that are released now a days but in Mia en ve Rose they are more noticeable because its the focal point of the movie.
I think that gender messages are important, and they are prominent in our daily lives. I think that these messages come from friends and family, and the people that care about you the most. They may not be trying to offend or hurt you, but the common rules and attributes of each gender are carried out by parents. It is common for a child to observe their parents actions and learn from that, which is why the gender stereotypes and messages live on. It is the same idea in Mae vie en Rose because Ludovic follows the normal parent structure that he observes, he just believes himself to be a different gender than he truly is.
I really don't think people have any idea how often they abide by gender rules. When I think about gender messages, I think about some of the more obvious things, like which activities people do, household jobs, clothing, or which bathroom people go into. In Ma Vie en Rose, Ludovic is constantly breaking gender standards that I didn't even realize existed until I saw someone else breaking them. In the story about baby x, I was sort of surprised to hear how upset people got about the kid not following societal rules for a specific gender. People seemed really paranoid about breaking out of tradition.
Gender messages are very prevalent in people's lives. When we are young, they usually (but not always) come from our parents, who set the most enduring example in a child's mind of what men and women are supposed to do, either through their advice or through their actions. As we grow, and interact more and more with other people, we tend to copy what others of our own gender do. However, these "gender roles" are not totally arbitrary, and neither is our tendency to follow them. Girls and boys naturally tend to do different things, to play different games, and to act in different ways.
As many people have already said, gender messages are present even before birth. So much in our society is defined by gender--what sports teams you can play on, what clothes you can wear, what roles you should play in society, etc. As we get older, those definitions of gender get reinforced by our peers. To someone who feels as though they don't fit with the gender that they've been assigned, these messages are confusing. Society places rigid lines on the definition of gender, and so for those whom the definition does not apply, there is no middle ground.
Gender messages are a very large part of our society in the way that they tell a boy and girl what they should do and look like and wear. Like woman arent supposed to play football or be a constructions worker. But what if a girl likes football or likes to do construction she is considered "butch" and masquiline for what she does. Or if a guy wants to dance or be a chearleader for example. Male cheerleaders are argueably more manly than your normal man because it requires a great amount of strength and dexterity. There are some males and females that are born with a chemical imbalance in their brain that makes them think from the angle of the oppisite sex and there is nothing wrong with that they are perfectly normal functioning poeple but the gender messages that are given in our society tell them they are different then they should be.
Of course gender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be, if not more. Society is full of hidden or blunt stereotypes, that are often very realistic. Even just from birth, girls wear pink and like flowers and dolls, and boys wear blue and like trucks and trains. The messages and differences between males and females is driven into our core from before we are born.
Well, since everyone's told what gender they are, yes. Even if parents make sure to treat their kids like no specific gender, the kids will learn in school from the children that are most like them. (mostly gender-wise)Sure, some people do some things that are more oriented towards the opposite gender, but these days, it's normal to be a tiny bit more diversified... A lot of the name calling, at least by a person's friends, or people they know, is more of a joke now, based on steryotypes.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that any group of people could be changed by the addition of an X, either. It's more likely that they'd all gang up on the X, and cross their own gender boundaries that way--by all being part of the bullying.
yes, especially when children are still at a young age. I think parents find it important to teach them what is for boys and what is for girls. I don't think its something that parents do intentionally but it is definitely common. Even if a child's parents did not put a strong emphasis on what is specific to each gender, they will eventually learn it at school or somewhere else. I think now it is more acceptable to be a certain gender and act the opposite but it is still taboo for some people and hard to understand.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think so. From the very moment we are born (often even before we are born) our parents define us by our gender. They buy us specific clothes with specific colors, specific toys, etc. I also found it interesting that in “X”, all of the things like “Sleeping Handsome” and “Princess Charming” are also defined by the gender messages inherent in society – they are the exact opposite. The father teaches X all the “female” games and the mother teaches X all the “male” games. If it were truly random, they would both teach a bit of each. It’s also interesting how ingrained in society those gender messages are – the first thing kids who appeared to be affected by X said was “what kind of baby is it?”
ReplyDeleteI agree, and believe that gender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be, if not even more frequent. The concept of gender is something introduced to us practically at birth, and it becomes a pretty regular part of our life, whether we realize it or not. No matter where you get your information from -- be it your parents, friends, school, TV shows and other media -- it's going to be implemented in nearly every aspect of your life. Your personal mannerisms will be shaped by how you percieve how your gender should act, and these perceptions will obviously come from your environment and what you are surrounded by.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be. This is evidenced the most when children are young. Kids form groups based on gender and then expand from there. Sometimes ideas are made up, such as cooties, to further separate the line between genders. Parents and other adults have a natural inclination to treat kids differently based on their gender. As seen in X, parents were upset when a child was demonstrating both qualities of a male and female. Also in Ma Vie En Rose the boss is angry when his son associates with a “confused” child. Instead the idea of sports are for boys in enforced.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are manifested in many aspects of our lives, especially when we are children. In the X story, it was interesting and important that X's mother taught him how to throw and catch and X's father taught him how to play tea party. Our family's affect us daily in gender messages. Father's are supposed to go out and work while the mother's work at home and many do. Girls are expected to be more petite and refined than boys, who are expected to be rugged and brave. Siblings also play a huge role in gender messages. I grew up just thinking that wiffle ball and lacrosse were boy's games, and that hockey and soccer were respected for all sexes. Others probably don't even view hockey and soccer like that. Gender messages also exist in the media (television, magazines etc...), in school, and generally all around us.
ReplyDeleteI think gender messages are frequent because that is what we are taught when we are younger. It seems that adults take these gender messages very seriously. In the story "Baby X", the neighbors were angry that the parents of Baby X were mixing up the gender messages, and that the baby enjoyed doing things that girls and boys do. Even the children joined in. I think once people stop judging people being a girl or a boy based on their actions, everything will go more smoothly.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Ma Vie En Rose, the boy Ludovick wants to be a girl and is interested in wearing girls clothes, watching romantic TV shows etc. I think his family is not being accepting of what he wants, and I don't think that is fair. If I were the mother, I would be a little surprised, but I would allow him to be who he wants to be. I would not restrict him to "being a boy" just because he was born one. I think the family needs to step back and give Ludovick a chance to be who he wants to be- even though he is seven years old.
Gender messages are present in all aspects of our lives. Everywhere we go, we see the differences between the genders. In stores, we see a girl section and a boy section, we see boys and girls separated at schools, in living situations etc. Also, we can observe that boys, generally, have short hair, wear a certain type of clothing and act in certain ways and girls also have their own set of "rules". Some of these gender roles are taken on and perpetuated by society. When we are young, we observe what others of our gender do and copy what we see.
ReplyDeletei started reading this at 5:23- just woke up. I think gender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be. from a very young age boys and girls understand the differences between boys and girls and from birth they are treated differently why their parents depending on their sex.
ReplyDelete^^ you sleep a shitload.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are definitely a frequent occurrence in our society. The importance of gender identity is emphasized everywhere, from the newborn baby announcements, to simple things such as bathroom signs, toys, sections in clothing stores, it even comes down to "girly" and "manly" drink stereotypes at bars. Not that I've been to one. You just know these sorts of things. anyway..... gender is considered an important piece of identity in almost all situations and contexts.
Gender messages are definately as frequent as we make them out to be. Like everyone has said, we are classified by gender from birth. By having a biological sex, we ae expected to follow a set of "rules" that go along with that sex. From birth, we are taught how to act, and what to wear based on societal norms for being a certain sex. Baby X did not know its sex, so it was brought up with both sets of rules. X's mother taught X how to play catch and X's father taught X how to make a tea party. I found it very interesting that X's parents kept refering the instruction manual because parents with "normal" children do not have an instruction manual to follow when they need help solving a problem their child is having. In our everyday life, we see gender messages and they are often more prominent in younger children as they learn how act like mature people who do not make rude and inappropriate comments.
ReplyDeleteYes. Even if your parents treat you unspecifically, there are influences everywhere that will eventually point you towards one direction. Other people will always focus upon gender, and will always make assumptions based on what sex you appear to be. Places will always divide girls and boys with signs, whether it be restrooms or clothing aisles. Nowadays, gender lines are less important as kids grow up, but they are still there--traversing too far across these lines can still make some people uncomfortable, because differences in gender and gender stereotypes have been ingrained so deeply in society.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are definately frequent within our society. We fail to notice these messages because we have already accepted as "fact." Therefore although these messages are all over the place, many people do not notice them.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I am sure if X came to our school, although we are more accepting of different people, there are still many people who would have a natural tendency to avoid them. It is just a natural barrier/humman reaction and someting that has been imposed onto us ever since we were a baby.
I think gender messages are more frequent than we make them out to be. No matter where we go there is always a message, albeit subtle, about what a girl or a boy should be doing. From even before we're brought into this world, or parents have decided how we're going to act based on the sex that the ultrasounds have shown. The problem, X, with the story is that like Alex FJ said, everything is just in opposites. If the baby X really was intended to be named a certain gender, then all the things it was taught should have been random some with one parent and some with the other.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say yes. We are told which gender we are from a young age. Gender messages can range from the T.V shows we watch to the type of clothing our parents bought us as children, and even to little nicknames parents gave their children while they were little. The "rules" of society that revolve around gender are thrusted upon us at a young age, even if unintentionally. Everyone has grown so used to following these "rules" so they don't notice they are pushing them onto the younger generations.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are ubiquitous. From the moment you are born to the moment you die gender rules, obligations, standards, and stereotypes are thrust in your face. Everyone is conscience of their gender and how they should act. There are things that are "acceptable" for boys like: sports, video games, action and violence, fighting, girls, meat, beer,etc. And there are things that society deems "acceptable" for girls to like: make-up, dresses, shopping, boys, dolls, pink, etc. As members of this society, we have learned that crossing these lines causes whispering behind backs, frowns, and concerns. But should gender simply be based on chromosomes, and the rest be determined by the individual?
ReplyDeletei think that gender messages are pretty frequent and also very unconsiously happening. i dont think my parents wanted me or any of my siblings to get any gender messages as a kid, but still, even the cloths i wore, the toys i had, like everything made me somehow always feel that i am male.
ReplyDeletegender messages are, therefore, giving us a place and is putting us into a classification as soon as we can think about it. this gender-thinkng is so deeply in our consiousness that i dont think that you could easily just get rid of gender messages. it is probably even impossible to reduce all the messages to zero because you have a gender too and you will act somehow that is either male or female and will therefore give some sort of an direction to the kid. it would be interesting to see how kids would react of the opposite gender-stereotyped things are brought to them, if they would still be girlish or boyish, as for example if a boy just had pretty dolls, would he play more like a girl, or still try to live his male, unconcious feelings? i dont know the answer to this question, but i think that until a certain age you could "give" your kid a gender if you portrait that gender too. a still is not only reacting to messages but also on how the parents act since they are the first idol and therefore a pathgiving part of the kids' lives. but eventually the kid would feel hormones coming up and making them feel in a certain way, actually not totally relying on physical appearances, since there are cases where for example males have an unusual high female hormone percentage in their hormones. it is a hard question and i think that eventually it is somehow determined on how u are going to feel in and after puberty, after the hormones played a role in your life, and not before.
I think that gender messages are frequent and happen at a very young age in our society. They are taught to children by parents, peers, and authority figures through out our lives. Even if it is not intentionally taught, it can be inferred or implied by one's actions or behaviors. As displayed in the story and movie, a child's world can greatly affect how they think about gender, but ultimately, it is up to the person to decide for themselves their behaviors and actions that may or may not associate with their gender.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be and as frequent as in X. Though the story is certainly not written in a serious tone, much of the actions of the character mirrors that of our society. When we imagine childbirth one of the first questions asked about the baby is it's gender. The gender roles in the story seem to be nonsensical because the gender roles in our society don't make much sense either.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are extremely frequent. They are constantly there. From the time a baby is born the first thing people ask is "what is it?" and they treat the baby differently depending on the answer. Messages are everywhere you look from tv shows to kids toys. Girls are expected to play with dolls, boys with trucks and behaviors are expected to be different also depending on gender.
ReplyDeleteI think gender messages are exhibited at all times in a person's life. In Ma Vie en Rose, Ludo is discovering his identity very early in life. I found some similarities between Ludo and X. Although Ludo wants to be a girl and is interested in boys, at one point in the movie he seems confused and mixed up with his identity, just like X is, sort of. X, at one point, is trying to fit in with the Other Children, who are strictly distinguished by sex. They both cope with their differences when others start changing. For instance, the Other Children start doing things that the opposite sex usually does and Ludo and Jerome decide they like each other.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are probably even more frequent than we think. It's not only the things that we are told, the ways we are taught, but also the things that we see in daily life, things that are based in preconceived notions of gender and what roles are acceptable for males or females. As everyone said previously, Baby X's parents try to turn gender roles on their heads, by having the mother teach traditionally male games, and the father the female. But the fact that the parents take on these opposite roles has a gender message in itself: the "opposite" idea is only possible because of previously established gender roles. Without them, the whole experiment becomes meaningless.
ReplyDeleteI think gender messages are frequent in our society even though we might not notice it. Most of the time since we are so adapted to the specific stereotypes of genders we don't make a big deal. Even though someone might try to have a baby x it probably will be influenced in society. The difficult will be that even though the parents don't care what gender child decides fits them best the outside world will influence the child to choose since gender messages are so frequent in our society.
ReplyDeleteUnconcious gender messages are very common. Clothing is (hopefully) on every person we see and that reinforces the lines of gender. Also, message s about sports, discussions of which are everywhere -in professional and local circles- emphasize the stereotypes of what is typically "male" or "female." People also use gender as an adjective relating to ability. "Throwing like a girl" is used as an insult to a male, or "speaking like a man" insulting a female. The use of these ideas in everyday life serves to mark supposed gender difference. Also, the media targets males and females in clearly separate markets. Ads for men show attractive women advertising "manly" products- shaving cream, or other trivialities like that. Woman's advertising usually has soft music to a easy, comfortable setting; with products like shampoos, and beauty care tools.
ReplyDeleteI interpret "gender messages" as traits, activities, roles, and behaviors that are socially linked to either masculinity or femininity. I agree that we frequently encounter gender messages in our day to day lives, but I also think that we are actually bombarded by more gender messages than we realize.
ReplyDeleteGender messages can be upfront like a person's appearance, or their hobbies, or a multitude of other very clear traits that are well defined as either masculine or feminine. But many of the other gender messages that we encounter can be very subtle, like the very minute peculiarities to how an individual moves, speaks, or thinks (aloud). It's generally up to our subconscious minds to filter out which of these messages really matter to us (to avoid sensory overload), and for some more ambiguous messages we, as individuals, can decide for ourselves what gender they belong to (if either). Ultimately in day to day life, we pull together all of the gender messages that we come upon, and use them to judge the appropriate gender for our peers, for other traits and behaviors, or even for products, TV programming, pop icons, and music that we are met with from the mass media.
Gender messages can be found in a variety of places, from your parents, to school, from television to friends - and it's very common. People are generally brought up to think a certain way about a particular sex. For example, blue is for boys and pink is for girls. Gender is introduced at birth only to the surrounding people, not to the particular person. It takes time for that person to be informed/realize/learn that they are a specific gender,and they will most likely learn that from their parents. Also, their parents will surround them with things that, as society titles, go along with that certain gender.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are very frequent because they are all around us. They are in our lives since day one. Young kids and teenagers see the behaviors of the elders and automatically take that on. That's why the messages are implied even when not intended. They've become such a common but subtle thing in our society that no one picks up on it. There's probably a lot of gender messages in all movies that are released now a days but in Mia en ve Rose they are more noticeable because its the focal point of the movie.
ReplyDeleteI think that gender messages are important, and they are prominent in our daily lives. I think that these messages come from friends and family, and the people that care about you the most. They may not be trying to offend or hurt you, but the common rules and attributes of each gender are carried out by parents. It is common for a child to observe their parents actions and learn from that, which is why the gender stereotypes and messages live on. It is the same idea in Mae vie en Rose because Ludovic follows the normal parent structure that he observes, he just believes himself to be a different gender than he truly is.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think people have any idea how often they abide by gender rules. When I think about gender messages, I think about some of the more obvious things, like which activities people do, household jobs, clothing, or which bathroom people go into. In Ma Vie en Rose, Ludovic is constantly breaking gender standards that I didn't even realize existed until I saw someone else breaking them. In the story about baby x, I was sort of surprised to hear how upset people got about the kid not following societal rules for a specific gender. People seemed really paranoid about breaking out of tradition.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are very prevalent in people's lives. When we are young, they usually (but not always) come from our parents, who set the most enduring example in a child's mind of what men and women are supposed to do, either through their advice or through their actions. As we grow, and interact more and more with other people, we tend to copy what others of our own gender do.
ReplyDeleteHowever, these "gender roles" are not totally arbitrary, and neither is our tendency to follow them. Girls and boys naturally tend to do different things, to play different games, and to act in different ways.
As many people have already said, gender messages are present even before birth. So much in our society is defined by gender--what sports teams you can play on, what clothes you can wear, what roles you should play in society, etc. As we get older, those definitions of gender get reinforced by our peers. To someone who feels as though they don't fit with the gender that they've been assigned, these messages are confusing. Society places rigid lines on the definition of gender, and so for those whom the definition does not apply, there is no middle ground.
ReplyDeleteGender messages are a very large part of our society in the way that they tell a boy and girl what they should do and look like and wear. Like woman arent supposed to play football or be a constructions worker. But what if a girl likes football or likes to do construction she is considered "butch" and masquiline for what she does. Or if a guy wants to dance or be a chearleader for example. Male cheerleaders are argueably more manly than your normal man because it requires a great amount of strength and dexterity. There are some males and females that are born with a chemical imbalance in their brain that makes them think from the angle of the oppisite sex and there is nothing wrong with that they are perfectly normal functioning poeple but the gender messages that are given in our society tell them they are different then they should be.
ReplyDeleteOf course gender messages are as frequent as we make them out to be, if not more. Society is full of hidden or blunt stereotypes, that are often very realistic. Even just from birth, girls wear pink and like flowers and dolls, and boys wear blue and like trucks and trains. The messages and differences between males and females is driven into our core from before we are born.
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