Gender Socialization | Homework Helpers

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Gender Socialization
The society expects both males and females to behave in different ways, and even ascribe different roles and expectations to them. However, this trend is changing as people continue to pursue different courses and roles formerly perceived to be of the different gender. I was privileged to interview Mary, a 60-year-old surgeon who contradicted society’s perception that surgery was a field reserved for men.
In this interview, most of the questions were focused on her struggles from childhood to becoming a surgeon. I also sought to find out her motivations, experiences, and the challenges of pursuing the career as well as working in the field. I was also keen to find out whether she received family support or not, and whether during her young age girls were encouraged to pursue careers of their choice. Other queries were about education level, the ages of her brothers and sisters she was raised with, and whether they influenced her in any way to pursue her career. The interview was therefore aimed at finding out the way society impacted on her career as a woman.
Through this interview, it was apparent that gender socialization plays a key role in the choices and the decisions that people make. As Mary grew up, she knew that the medicine field was for men and therefore women could not pursue the same. The people she came across and read about, and who practiced surgery were mainly men. Therefore, she was also expected to study a course perceived to be for women. Thus, because of the society perception, she narrowly escaped from being denied an opportunity to pursue a course dominated by men.
Even though the field has few women, Mary has gone against the oIDs of the society and feels that she achieved her goals and dreams. Despite being a woman, she understands her roles. Her determination and quest to change the lives of people has kept her moving. She has invested a lot in her responsibilities and most of her operations have always succeeded in earning her respect.
Excelling in her profession was not an easy task. She had a desire and a dream she wanted to achieve. She wanted to be a different person in the society and at the same time change the way society perceives women. At a tender age, she had already known what she wanted in life. She worked hard and emerged the best in academic performance, which facilitated her in pursuing the career of her choice. Mary received support and encouragement from one of her brothers who was an engineer. She was encouraged not to give up but work hard and go for what she wanted. Enlightenment theory best explains the root of Mary’s beliefs about how society operates. She believed that she could not have pursued her career if her brother had not intervened. Therefore, she believes that society can be transformed and changed when enlightened. Furthermore, she believes that people should be left to pursue the careers they wish without being forced or compelled to do so. Freedom of individuals should be embraced and respected.
I made this determination as stated earlier on the experiences and explanation of Mary. Males were given the liberty and freedom to pursue certain courses which were not a preserve of women. However, this has been hindered because of enlightenment. If the society is enlightened and shown that doing certain roles is beneficial to the society, people are able to change their perceptions and embrace the same. Mary was able to pursue her career because of the backup and support of her brother who was enlightened.