The main “channels” through which we learn how we should behave and what we should like are:
Interactions within our personal environment (family, friendships…). During pregnancy, external genitalia, internal genitalia, chromosomes, sex hormones and other elements of the organism are sexed in both directions. Unlike what is often thought, there are no traits that are exclusive to men, nor to women: all sexual characteristics, all of them, are compatible and occur, to different extents, in both women and men. However, depending on what our genitalia looks more like when we are born, we are assigned “boy” or “girl”. This categorization extends throughout our whole life. In fact, in most families, the roles of each member are very related to their gender. It goes the same way in our social interactions, because our personalities are built around our gender.
School and regulated activities (formal and non-formal education). No one escapes the clutches of binarism, which means that even our teachers and educators are affected by this. Actually, they are much more conditioned by their gender than the kids they teach. From the way they describe the same behavior differently on boys and girls, to the game options that they offer to the children: schools are not gender-free spaces.
Elements of popular culture (advertising, geopolitical context…). Publicity is one of the main channels of social control, specially gender-wise. Every advertisement, movie, show, book, song, etc. is full of gender stereotypes and “slogans”. Products are different depending on the target they want to appeal and the message they want people to get.
In short, there is no situation in our lives in which the GENDER DEVICES don’t put their hands on us.
