Gender Neutral?

So, since many argue that gender socialization is negative and that genders shouldn't be separated into certain roles, why not raise our children to be gender neutral? A couple in Canada has decided to do just this... to a really extreme level.

This couple has chosen to keep the gender of their third child a secret to everybody - the public, friends, even the child's grandparents. They have decided to not tell their child his or her sex, to see how the child would group up as a gender neutral individual. The parents already encourage their other two sons to break stereotypes - one of their sons has long hair that he sometimes likes to wear in pigtail braids. This type of raising in a gender neutral setting is more extreme than other cases, and it has caused a lot of controversy as the parents are "using the child as a lab experiment." Whether this is true or not, it is an interesting approach to how much gender development really affects the development of a child.

In my opinion, the parents have gone a little far in shaping the life of this gender-less child. On the other hand, it is an interesting social experiment that will answer the questions of many sociologists and psychologists. It is just sad to see that the life of this child is already commercialized and shared with the public, simply based on the radical decisions of his or her parents. I am interested in how the baby turns out, but I don't agree morally with the choice of the parents to do this.

How can the Stereotypes of Females and Males be Broken?

Why is it that even now, in the 21st century, there seem to be male and female stereotypes based on where each gender is supposed to be working and how they should be acting in society? Why is it that even when we say we are a progressive era, there are still certain expectations for women that are different for men? The answer to these questions comes from children and how they are raised. All children, many from even before they are born, are classified as either "boy" or "girl." These children know their gender, without question, and know the social expectations of their respective sexes. However, as the end of the video (below) shows, these children are also learning, from a young age, that women and men have certain "roles" in society - with men as breadwinners and women as mothers and housekeepers. These specific gender roles are taught to impressionable children, which prevents society from breaking the stereotypes. Until the next generation is raised differently, the stereotypes will remain.

My first reaction to this video was one of shock and of anger. Why should the male always be the one going to work?? It reminded me of the time when LeMoyne College (the alma mater of both my parents) called our house looking for my dad. When my mom answered, they asked for Tom or his housewife. Although my mother is a stay-at-home mom, she was SO offended that her alma mater could refer to one of their past students as a "housewife," especially in the era in which we are living today. These strong stereotypes of both men and women are going to continue until we teach our children that sometimes dads can be stay-at-home dads and moms can go to work. Actually, and unconventionally, I kind of want to marry a man who is willing to be a stay-at-home dad someday. As crazy as that sounds, I'd love to work but I'd also love to have a parent home for my children. But until we teach children to break out of their gender based states of mind, this possibility is not so likely.