Eckert Gender Roles

Words: 899
Pages: 4

Since the beginning of time, gender roles have been cast upon both sexes. In Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet’s reading “Learning to Be Gendered”, they challenge the concept of being born to an automatic gender. The authors convey their theory that others, and the surroundings of a baby can influence its gender from birth, and as it ages. Eckert and McConnell-Ginet deliver an effective argument with the use of telos, logos, and ethos.
Initially, the authors exhibit telos and introduce the three main points their argument is about. The authors want the reader to know that they believe gender is influenced on aspects other than themselves. More in depth, the first thing they want us to be aware of is that “At birth, many hospital nurseries
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Eckert and McConnell-Ginet are telling the reader that they believe by doing this simple, yet significant gesture, nurseries are influencing babies and their parents towards their assigned gender. This is effective for their argument because even though there is no difference in treatment between the sexes of the children, this action proves that nurseries are already setting children up for later in life when they will be gender stereotyped, and interacted with in a way that is suitable for their gender. They also want us to know that “Being a girl or being a boy is not a stable state but an ongoing accomplishment, something that is actively done both by the individual so categorized and by those who interact with it in the various communities to which it belongs.” (Eckert and McConnell-Ginet Pages 738- 739). This means that society holds men and women to different standards, and because of their expected gender roles and/ or culture, they could be made to be of greater or