Okay, so today I decided to dive into this whole “gender normative” thing. It’s been popping up everywhere, and I figured I should probably understand what all the fuss is about.
Starting Simple
First, I googled it. Seriously, that’s where I start with everything. I just typed in “gender normative” and started reading. I skimmed a bunch of articles, trying to get the basic idea.
Digging Deeper
After I felt like I had a very basic grasp (and I mean very basic), I wanted to see how this played out in real life. So, I looked around at, like, ads, TV shows, and even just stuff around my house.
- I noticed how many toys are marketed specifically to “boys” or “girls.” You know, the pink and blue divide.
- I started paying attention to the roles men and women play in commercials. Who’s doing the cooking? Who’s fixing the car?
- I even thought about the chores I do versus what my partner does. Are we falling into traditional roles without even realizing it?
Trying to Apply It
Then the interesting thing is I try to have a conversion with my friend.
I tried to have a conversation about all of this with a friend. We talked about our own experiences growing up, and how we felt pressured to act a certain way because of our gender. It was actually a pretty eye-opening conversation. We both realized we’d internalized a lot of these norms without even thinking about it.
Making Some Changes
I also changed the way how I deal with my kids.
Finally, I decided I wanted to make a conscious effort to challenge these gender norms in my own life. That might mean buying my kids toys that aren’t traditionally “for” their gender, or just being more aware of the language I use. It’s a work in progress, for sure, but I think it’s important to at least try.
It’s not like I became an expert overnight,I keep researching. But I definitely feel like I have a better understanding of what “gender normative” means, and how it impacts our lives. It’s kind of a big deal, actually.
